Upright Recommendation if I'm used to Yamaha Grand G3 6'1"?

[ondine88]

Hi!

I play a Yamaha Grand G3 6'1" at my parent's house.

I'm an Adv player, looking for Similar Piano where there's respectable ACTION so I can play Ravel's Ondine first passage (even if I can't actually play it to speed)

Looking for good sound too but hopefully you get my drift lol

I'm looking to buy an UPRIGHT for $5k or $6k CAD or so in Toronto.

I have heard I should consider Yamaha U3/U5 and possibly new Kawaii due to new microcell repetition action technology? Any thoughts on those or other recommends?


Thank you!!

[quantum]

The action is going to feel drastically different from the Yamaha grand you are used to.  You can get a vertical with nice sound, but the action will not be as responsive.  Being an advanced player, you will definitely notice the difference, especially in the ability to repeat notes and sound a key before that key fully returns to it's rest position.

For $5k-6k you could find a small grand from a lesser known brand.  Not the prestige of a Yamaha or similar, but the features of the grand action are still there.

The the Yamaha U series is nice, they can take a beating and survive university practice rooms well.  However, I have never felt completely satisfied by one.  I've had much better experiences with European verticals. 

The action developed by Kawai is fantastic, specially more recent models.  Though, I still prefer Kawai's lineup of grands over their verticals. 

[ondine88]

Thanks so much Quantum for your input!

I appreciate your validation of the Kawaii newer upright models' action, as I heard that from the salesperson prior to undated future showroom visit and I didn't know if I could trust it from plain marketing.

Could you pls share the European brands that you have liked?

Also any lesser brand name baby grands I could consider? (Or if you don't recommend baby grands pl feel free to share, I have a severe space limitation)
 

[quantum]

For an advanced player, I would tend to recommend a baby grand over a vertical, even if it means sacrificing the sound a bit.  As an advanced player you have the capabilities to fully utilize the benefits of a grand action, as well as appreciate the finer control it provides.  Also there are some elements of performance preparation that really benefit from practising on a grand, such as the ability to control the sounding of a note without fully allowing a key to come to rest.  You can do neat things with this like legato repeated notes without using pedal, it is very difficult to impossible to do on a vertical.  If you can find the space in your home, I would urge you to include baby grands in your decision. 

For European verticals I have played, Steinway and Schimmel stand out, although I am not sure you could find one in your budget range. 

Regarding Kawai's action design, let me put it this way: I have played many pianos of different brands including some very expensive ones.  The action I experienced when playing a Shigeru Kawai, was the best action I have ever played - the most responsive, silky smooth, regulated to perfection.  Better than any S****way.  This is my personal opinion, I am not associated with Kawai.

The older Kawais didn't always have such smooth action, but they still have a wonderful sound and are great value today. 

You might be able to find some older Heintzman pianos, the ones made in Canada are preferable.  The Canadian made ones I've played have been consistently good. 

Try contacting some piano techs and restorers, they might have something in your range.  Do not hesitate to look outside of the major piano retailers.  If you come across a brand you have not heard before, play it, and let your ears and hands decide.  You might find a gem that others pass because they do not recognize the name. 

***

As a teenager I took theory lessons from a piano teacher in her home studio.  She had a very modest spinet piano.  One day she upgraded to a baby grand, quite a surprise.  She asked me to play a piece on her new piano (as I normally only played theory exercises in lesson), it was a night and day difference in action from her former spinet.  I can't remember the brand, it was lesser known, but the response of the piano was clearly superior.  She must have paid around $6k for this previously owned baby grand.  I was impressed of what this lesser known instrument was able to do.  It was a clear illustration that the grand action, regardless of brand, has significant advantages over vertical action designs. 

[ondine88]

Quantum, thank you very much for your extended response, it was highly illuminating and helpful and I appreciated your story shared re: your teenage years teacher.

Due to space and neighbors, after extensive research I will likely go for a Yamaha N1 - grand action, grandesque sound and accept any compromises within.

$9K is a lot but worth it for grand qualities I hope.  To be tested!

Thank you again!!