5 Questions regarding GRAND

[amy]

hey guys.. here's my randomness

1)  good to put a carpet under a grand? or just on hardwood floors itself?

2) does it matter near sunlight by window.. or no? (in terms of sound, and affect?)

3) how do i dampen my room? because the acoustics is crazy... very loud!!   (carpets or covers.. etc?)

4)  can u custom order your pedal shapes? i hate any pedals that are curved and hurt my feet.. i like flat ones..

5)  Difference in sound and quality between American and Asian pianos???

[amee]

Hi Amy!

I'd say put a carpet under a grand so it doesn't scratch the hardwood floors and leave marks over it.  

About sunlight...don't leave it where lots of sun can fall on it...it's bad for the piano.  

And as for your question about muffling the sound, you can put a muffle inside the piano if you want to dampen it (it works with uprights, not sure about grands).  Hope that helps!

amee

[amy]

thanks amee..

whats a muffle? and how does it look like.. how much is it.. and what does it actually do.. in terms of placing it (where) on the piano...?

thanks

[amee]

hi Amy,

I used to have this Baldwin upright which was very loud so I just stuck a blanket over the back of the piano - and it actually worked!  Of course this is only my personal experience with an upright, not a grand so I don't know how it would work for you.  But blankets do considerably muffle the sound...hehehe!  Not sure if there is actually a real 'muffle' you can buy for a piano though...

[amee]

amy,

I would also STRONGLY recommend you put the piano where little sunlight can fall on it.  The piano is a very delicate instrument, and sunlight is very bad for it.  Sunlight discolours the wood and makes the colour fade.  Also it dries out the wood, messing with the action and the sound.  Make sure your piano is placed somewhere relatively shady

[amy]

Yay... thank you amee...

i will try to do the blanket thing for my upright Zimmermann.. that piano is sooooooooo loud.. oh my gosh.. its rediculous.. and the keys are so easy to tap!
thank you.  


and the sunlight.. yes.. i shall avoid.
p.s. how old are you? mind me asking...

[amee]

hi amy,

Hope the blanket works for your piano!  
I'm 13 years old.

amee

[dinosaurtales]

Well, Amee is recommending several good things here, but for all the wrong reasons.

She is correct to recommend a location with little or no direct sunlight.  This is because direct sunlight will increase the temperature of the piano very quickly relative to its ability to adapt, and at the same time dramatically decrease the relative humidity. Since the sun goes up and down every day, a daily regimen of sudden temperature and humidity changes like this will kill your piano.

If you have hardwood floors, a rug under the grand is one mechanism to dampen the acoustics, NOT because of scratches.  Our grand is on caster cups that are made for such applications, and no problem.  My piano teacher's two pianos are both on hardwood floors, with little rugs just under each bench.  She has drapes on the walls, adn prefers this type of live environment.  Much of the piano's sound comes out the bottom.  

I would not recommend putting a blanket over your piano to play it.

Mindy

[TwinkleFingers]

I prefer a nice hand made afgan mashed in between the strings.  Cmon a blanket? Really!

[dinosaurtales]

Oh my god.  This post is a total joke.

re: sunlight and windows.  Avoid at all costs.  temperature changes quickly when the sun is off then on the piano. This causes the relative humidity to change quickly as well, which is bad for the piano.  It's not the temp as much as the relative humidity that needs to be stable.

re: acoustics.  Blankets?  geez.  The piano on a hardwood floor is fine.  If you are worried about scratches get cups (I don't know the official name, but  a decent piano dealer can sell or give you some) for the casters.  A lot of the sound from a grand piano goes out the bottom, which is why the hardwood floor will make the sound especially live.  This is where experimentation with your room comes in.  Try different combinations of drapes and rugs in various places in the roon - one rug may likely go under the piano, like we have, but my piano teacher likes her Steinway sounding right off the hardwood floor with lots of drapes.  Her place sounds great and her piano is right on the floor, too.  So it'll be a matter of personal taste combined with experimenting.  Every room is different.

[tomingram]

To answer your question on the difference in sound quality with American and Asian pianos.  You should heavily research the different piano manufacturers to see exactly where the pianos are made.  As for pianos that are actually made in the USA, I only know of two brands- Astin Weight, and Steinway.  I would be suprised to see any more than these two that are actually made in the USA.  Just about everything else (except some very fine German and Italian pianos, like Bosendorfer and Fazioli) is made in Asia.  Basically because labor is cheap there.  As far as sound quality, it really depends on which manufacturers you are talking about.  Yamahas are made in Asia, but are the next best thing if you can't afford a Steinway.  There are some very good Asian made pianos, but then there are some not so good ones as well.  You have to do some research and find out where they are manufactured, and to who's specifications.  The Boston piano (more affordable version of Steinway) is made in Asia, but is designed to the specifications of the Boston/Steinway company here in the U.S.

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

US piano manufactures:

What about Baldwin (owned by Gibson), Charles Walter, Fandrich Piano Co. Inc. and Mason & Hamlin

https://www.pianosonline.co.uk/pol/org.paneris.pol.controller.BrowseManufacturer

[Axtremus]

5)  Difference in sound and quality between American and Asian pianos???

Best thing to do is to play lots and lots of different pianos to find out -- it's a lot of fun visiting many stores playing pianos with all sorts of sound!

If you want to read though, these web pages might help:

https://www.pianofinders.com/educational/shortguide.htm

https://www.bluebookofpianos.com/asian.htm

And there are certainly books (e.g., "The Piano Book") that can help you find your answers.

Good luck!

[Bosendorfer_214]

Custom pedal shapes!!!!!???
Gimme' a break.  If curved ones hurt your feet put some shoes on.  Problem solved.

In leymans terms: Most Asian pianos sound tinny, however not all.  American pianos can sound just as bad.  Higher end American pianos tend to have a deep full sound.  I can't explain, this is one of those things you have to figure out for your self.

Put piano on floor or carpet, it is a personal preferance.  Or have the piano voiced down.  If that doesn't work, shut the lid.
Keep it out of sunlight, Mindy is exactly right.