best / standard upright?

[Bob]

I may have asked this before. 

I'm thinking in terms of space too.  Uprights take up less real estate than a baby grand. 

So what is the standard of best upright?  Like a Steinway for grand pianos (and not even likes Steinways but that seems to be the standard for grands at least).  What's the equivalent of a Steinway for an upright?

No talk of any kind of grand pianos on this thread.  That's not what this thread is for.  It's upright, not any small size of grand piano.  (not unless it can fit into the same limits for floor space as an upright).  And no digitals. 

(Bob considers taking an upright and flipping the strings vertically instead of horizontally... ) Yes, there might be something to that.  It would be like a grand piano standing on end....  [That's a joke, or an attempt at one.]


Like a concert upright.  What would they use on a professional concert stage if they were using an upright?  I don't know why they would if it's professional, but if they were using an upright for some reason, what's the "best" but not "best" as in the more extreme (like Bosendorfer [sp?]).  What's the standard best?

[richard black]

The best uprights I've played are all German - Ibach (I own one of those), Steingraeber, Bösendorfer (OK, that's Austrian), Bechstein. Other good uprights are Feurich, Steinway, Blüthner... I've probably forgotten some. Of course, these days the biggest selling large uprights are Yamaha (U3, I think, is the model) and when they're new they're OK, though the tone's odd and the balance very bassy. I've played several of those in concerts. The one thing (just about the ONE thing) I like about modern Yamahas is that the finish on the case is so good you can see your chamber music partners reflected in it, which makes up for the fact that you can't see over an upright piano like you can over a grand.

[keys60]

Best of the best is up to the player. Sure, there is great quality and junk, but there is no one best.
Ever try a Petrof? Nice upright. I like the good old Steinway K52, but for that price, I'd go for a rebuilt grand.
It really depends on what size we're talking here too. You really have to set a budget and play as many as you can. Only you can tell which is the best.

[Bob]

I'm thinking footprint for floorspace.  No money limit, but nothing extreme, just standard.

[aslanov]

Try a Kawai. I have the Kawai K3, and i, its great, for a slightly more price, size, and quality, the K5 (i believe it is) is great, and it comes with a sostenuto pedal instead of a pseudo-una corda pedal on the right, and i think the pseudo una corda is then moved to the middle, i'm not sure about that though, it may still be the silencer in the middle. anyway, check out the kawai's, they're great pianos.