Pianos???

[wannabegstl]

I was wondering what brand of piano seems to be the best out there.  I currently play on a K. Kawai GS-30 and I love it but I hear that Steinway is a better brand to play on.  What do you think the best brand of piano out there is?  

[wes_56]

Hi,
Many artists prefer Steinways, partly because of the aggressive publicity of Steinway and Sons.
Other pianists also like Fazioli and Bosendorfer.
Actually, it is basically a personal choice and preference. If you want to buy a grand piano, try as many pianos as possible and decide on one piano you like. It may or may not be a Steinway. BTW, new Steinway pianos are meticulously crafted and quality is assured.
Steinway pianos are expensive.

Wes

[Goldberg]

For overall security and a fair amount of versatility in a relatively inexpensive deal, Steinway appeals to the vast majority of pianists. Logically, I think we should list it as "the best" piano brand just because of this majority. However, I personally like pianos with more individual character and, perhaps, an earthy tone (along with an infinite bass end) than most Steinways seem to have. My preference has always been Bechstein, but I'm also a huge fan of Bosendorfer and Fazioli as well. I hope to try a Grotrain some day, because I have a feeling that it, too, will appeal to me.
All of that being said, I own a Steinway M lol. That had more to do with my parents, though, and what they could afford, etc.

[mh88]

Steinway is what you will find in many concert halls and the chosen piano for many...I however am part in partial to a brand that I was introduced to at a receital of mine when I was 16;.  Mason & Hamlin with their deep and rich bass, melow mid-setion, and floating treble.
I received the Mason Model A last year from my parents as a 20th birthday present, the thing continues to impress me every time I sit down and practice.

[Axtremus]

You "hear" that Steinway is a better brand to play?

Go out and play the pianos yourself. You don't have to just take others' words for it. There are some Steinways that played better for me than some Kawais, and there are some Kawais that played better for me than some Steinways.

Yes, Steinways are "meticulously crafted." But so are other brands/models selling at that price range. Yamaha and Kawai are better known through their lower-priced products (a price range where no new Steinway can be found) and that's where most people get their Yamaha/Kawai experience from and people think of them as "budget middle-class pianos." But once you get into the Steinway price range, the Yamaha's and Kawai's in that price range are also impessive and "meticulously crafted." Not much of a point comparing $40k~$60k Steinways to a $14k~$16k Kawais. Compare $40k~$60k Steinways to $40k~$60k Shigeru Kawais -- then see how they fare. That would be a more meaningful comparison. (By the way, compare using "street prices" that people actually pay, not the usually inflated "list prices" that are published by the manufacturers.)

All the above extends to just about every other brands mentioned in this thread.

Sample variability, voicing, regulation, "prep" issues, repertoire choice, you mood at the time, room acoustics, etc. -- many factors come into play and any one factor could be enough to tip the scale on whether THIS particular piano of this brand/model plays better than THAT particular piano of that brand/model. Just have to go out there, play lots different pianos, and come to your own conclusion -- and that conclusion can keep changing too as you play more and newer pianos.

(p.s. mh88, does the "mh" in mh88 stand for "Mason and Hamlin" ? )

[mh88]

you better believe it!