What should i buy with about $10,000 U.S. ?

[Chris_Rossoni]

i have looked around and i have seen a young chang?  baby grand.  I was thinking of getting this or a better upright.  The grand is great.  It is just a hard choice...  any suggestions?

[dinosaurtales]

In general I'd say get the grand - unless it's a crappy grand you are comparing to a spectacular upright - I say - GET THE GRAND.

[Chris_Rossoni]

Another thing i might add is it has like a chipped piece of wood out of it.  It isn't much but it brought the price of it down like 2000.  I don't care how they look really

[Borut]

There is another forum at www.pianoworld.com with a plethora of information about subjects such as this. You might want to check it out!
P.S. The Young Changs have been discussed there at length!

[Chris_Rossoni]

i thinki have changed my mind into getting a kawaii...   ohh 10,000 to me is alot!!!!!!!   bleh i really need some help.  it seems like i always get ripped off when i pay alot of money for something

[tosca1]

Certainly, go for the grand piano.  I have not had any experience of the Young Chang piano but I am told that it has a very bright sound and the Kawai should give you a warmer, more mellow sound.  These pianos also have an excellent reputation which is important for resale.  Of course it totally depends on what sound quality you prefer.  If you are worried about being sold a "dud" piano you should ask your piano tuner or engage an impartial professional tuner/technician to check it.  You should be able to get yourself a very nice piano with that amount of money.
Good luck!

[rich_galassini]

tosca is giving good advice.

I will add that you should play lots of pianos before you decide. Take your time and decide what you really like. Avoid taking the plunge with the first piano you play and like. YCs and Kawais will still be there.

have fun and good luck,

Rich Galassini

[rachfan]

Fans of Asian pianos will differ with me for sure; but I dislike both Young Chang and Kawai.  I've played YC and believe it should be called Young Clang, as that's the way it sounds.  I like to call Kawai The Vanilla Piano.  It's timbre is mellow but nondescript to the point of being neutral and without character.  The other point I would make is that despite their "precision manufacture", the woods used in Asian pianos are inferior to those used in American and European brands, which hold their value far better in the long run.  If you're a serious pianist, I would suggest that you look first at Steinway, Baldwin, and Mason & Hamlin grands.  If you have not studied for very long and consider yourself a casual pianist, then Young Chang, Kawai, or Yamaha will serve you adequately for less money.  In this case, an upright would likely be suitable too.    

[tosca1]

Although in some of my earlier posts I may have appeared to favour Asian pianos, I agree with Rachfan about the deficient quality of the timbers and aspects of manufacture of these low to medium cost pianos.
Open the lid of a Steinway or of another comparable make of piano and even before you strike a note you can see the quality of the manufacture in the thick rim of the piano, the sturdy bolting of the plate, and  in the detail and finish of the brass hinging on the lid.
The treble can reveal the shortcomings of the instrument even more eloquently than the bass. Rachfan has used the word  "brittle" to describe these less than desirable treble sounds of the cheaper, mass produced pianos.  I would also use the words "thin" and "shrill" when compared to the rich, bell-like,  sustained treble response of the finest instruments.

Unfortunately, it comes down to the tatty adage about getting what you pay for.

I doubt that $10,000 would buy even a very old, quality grand in a mediocre condition.

With the very old pianos there can be many problems with tuning stability, loss of sound board response and even the glues can break down with age causing bridge problems and a decline in sound quality.  Restoration and repairs are extremely expensive.

The glorious Steinways, Bechsteins, Bosendorfers and Blüthners of   the "Golden Age" would always be my first choice.

[Chris_Rossoni]

OK, i have yet another question.   Is young chang better than kawai or yamaha?   If i had more than 10 grand, i would definately get a better piano, and i am still looking!

[tosca1]

In terms of international reputation, manufacturing experience, and anecdotal comment, I would say that Yamaha and Kawai pianos are better than Young Chang pianos.  Young Chang is a relatively recent  Korean piano and both Kawai and Yamaha pianos are made mainly in Japan and are long established companies.  
I have known  of at least one professional concert pianist express a preference for the Kawai concert grand over the Steinway D.
Yamaha pianos are highly thought of in terms of their precision manufacture and tuner/technician friendly actions.

[rachfan]

I strongly agree with tosca1's opinions on this.  I also agree with his response on the ranking question.  Yamaha started building pianos in 1901 followed by Kawai in 1927.  YC didn't come on the scene until 1956.  As tosca1 states, tuners love Yamaha, because the action rolls out like a drawer. So that  little bit of convenience makes it #1 in their eyes.  And, of course, they see the piano for all of two hours during a  tuning.  

Conversely, an artist lives with the piano every day.  Whether the action comes out easily is of no concern.  The real questions are how does the piano respond and sound?  Is the tone sustained?  Does the scale design allow an even sound without noticable "breaks"?  Is the voicing right?  Does it enable a wide dynamic range?  Etc.  The pianist's interest is in forming an inspiring collaboration with the instrument--not in sliding the action out.  Incidently, I do much of my own piano regulation, and have never had any difficulty in sliding the action out of my Baldwin Model L.

I note that Larry Fine also ranks YC behind Yamaha and Kawai.  His survey sampled technicians only, some of whom, but not all of whom are pianists.  If you have $10K or more to spend on a piano, I would recommend you apply it toward the purchase and finance the balance to get a quality instrument, if you are a serious pianist.  A Steinway or Baldwin grand or German grand will only improve over time.  An Asian piano will be at its peak on the day of purchase and go downhill from there.  So you might be pleased at first, but later on will be wondering about the $10K you spent.  

[dinosaurtales]

One thing I never see mentioned, but is apparently an issue is one of comparisons - for example, salespeople love to metion that artists prefer the 9' X concert grand over the 9' Y grand.  But if you are looking at a 6 footer, the Y brand may make a much better 6 footer than X.  i am discovering this - I am shopping for 7 footers, and notice that manuafacturers defintely have the *attitude* of a 7-plus foot piano being more for serious pianists and smaller pianos being more for looks.  Some of this is marketing, but some you can tell by playing them.  So definitely compare pianos that directly compete in the price range and size you are looking at.

Also, RachFan mentioned Larry Fine's book, which I wholeheartedly recommend.  It has been invaluable to me in my research, and after playing a few pianos, I can now tell, from his descriptions on the book, what a piano might be like, and whether I would like it.  His descriptions are that good.  Plus it gives all the history of the various companies, and how certain models came about, etc etc.  Definitely worth getting.

Anyway, have fun in your search!  I am getting close to having to choose (I want one of EACH), but I'll have to pick just one.  It's been fun looking (you can shop for free, ya know!)

Mindy

[tosca1]

Yes, size does matter with grand pianos and the bigger the grand the better.  Small grands are more problematic with the scaling and those ugly sounding notes on the breaks.

The shorter bass strings can lack richness and power.

The big grands also have a longer key which gives more leverage and a more sensitive, responsive action.

I wish those propective purchasers great fun in their search and may you find your dream piano.

Cheers,
Robert.

[benthepianoboy]

Chris- If you are looking at a Yc- Make sure it is either a gold series of a Pramburger. The Chinese Ones are okay but they are NOT sold for 10,000.  Also with the Kawai - make sure it is an RX series- Nothing less.
I could get you a brand new YC gold series Parlor grand for about 8,000.

[TicTacDuck]

Hey Everyone !I Just bought at Young Chang Pramberger series, well my parents bought it for me because I don't have much money (i'm  15). I love it! It's the 4'11'' one and it's nice for the price. We paid 8,000 for it and it was worth it. For what you pay it's worth it!

[willcowskitz]

Get a silent piano, great benefits.

[Eek Lek Tik]

I like the Fandrich vertical more than any new grand for under $12,500.

https://www.fandrich.com

[Wired]

I skimmed and didn't see anyone give this advice-- play it I suggest grabbing your music books, going to the store and saying "I'm most likely buying one of these soon, leave me alone for a bit so that i can figure out which one I want."

Any smart salesperson will leave you alone.

[allchopin]

Well with $10,000 you could afford a quadruple-processor computer, all Athlon 3.05 Gz, complete with dual 200 Gb hard drives, 22" flat plasma display, as well as Sound Blaster Platinum sound card and Gforce 4 graphics card.  Wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse, Altec Lansing or Kliptsch speakers, (5.1 surround or better), and maybe a large cupholder for lemonade.  Don't forget your music software and Midi keyboard (just in case you wanted to play a little piano on the side ).  Way better than an upright piano, I can tell you that.

[hiparranger]

Hey, congrats on the guy enjoying his Young Chang.  I bought a YC small grand a few years ago and have been satisfied with it - mainly because it got me into the GRAND world.  But get this:  I bought this thing which was ten years old for $2700!  Anybody else get a steal like this?  Anybody know of one?  

At the time of this writing, there is a Yamaha C-5 3 years old on ebay with nobody bidding the opening bid of $11,000.

I'm thinking of upgrading.  Please advise.