Yamaha C6 - big piano for small room?

[wibbly_pig]

First post, and probably a common type of question so I'll try to be specific to avoid repetition!

Looking to buy my first serious grand (have been playing uprights and an old inherited grand) and have been trying to play as many pianos as possible. My budget is not infinite but I have some flexibility as I have just cancelled having some building work done on my house. Having played quite a few pianos at a dealer last weekend, I found I liked the Yamaha S6 best, prefering both the sound and the action to smaller nearly new Steinways, Bosendorfers, Bechsteins and Bluethners. I also liked the Yamaha C7 which I found very clearly better than the C5 and C3 (quite similar) and the Kawai's up to RX3. So, I guess size counts and you get what you pay for...no surprises there, but reassuring to have it confirmed by playing and hearing with my own ears!

Alas, for my budget, the S6 is a bit pricey, as are the Steinways. I'd also like the option to play silently at times since my house isn't that big and I like to get on with my neighbours. So I was thinking in terms of the silent series C3LS or C6LS (termed "midi" versions I think in North America). Since, by my standards anyway, this is alot of money, I'd really like to get the bigger piano since the difference between C3 and C7 was so obvious and the smaller piano seemed good, not "special". When I spend what is to me alot of money, I'd like to know I've got something special and not spend years wishing I'd spent that bit more.

So, my main question is, in my living room (wood floor, brick walls, 21'x10', high-ish ceiling (10'?)) is a 6'11" C6 still going to sound special or just loud, bright and overbearing? Whichever option, I'm getting a good deal on price and they've promised to regulate and voice it to my satisfaction....

Thanks for any opinions, advice or alternative suggestions...

John

[Michele Felice]

This is an interesting question and there is no certain answer someone can give who hasn't heard your new piano in your room. With brick walls, and a (presumably) bare wood floor, there will be lots of sound reflection.  Thus it is quite possible that you won't like the same piano you hear in the dealer's showroom. Room acoustics is one of the most-overlooked characteristics of piano sound. Being able to move the piano around the room to adjust the sound may be an important option. I always have my pianos modified with larger, rubber (triple) wheels (for a grand) which allow one person to move (carefully) a large piano quite easily.

If you really like the touch and tone of the S6, you might buy it with the foreknowledge that you are likely to have to use some surface treatments on your floors and walls (and possibly also acoustic tile on your ceiling) in order to get the most pleasing sound.

Voicing the hammers to reduce the volume of sound will no doubt ruin the tone quality you now enjoy.



As you well know, playing softly and expressively is one of the great pianistic accomplishments.

Were I in your situation, and I can imagine that I might be, I would make a budget for acoustic treatment of the piano room, unless you have plenty of rugs and soft wall coverings on hand to move to the piano room.

Another perspective is to look for another, probably smaller, piano which has less power, has a touch that allows you to play through the dynamic range you desire and still has a beautiful tone.

Even though you feel that you have found a piano you really like and a price that you can afford, there are still more pianos out there to try some of which might not present such a potential challenge to your living space (and your neighbors).

You might want to try some European pianos, slightly smaller, but over 6 feet in length, which you might find have a sound which is beautiful, expressive but not so powerful. Such pianos would be in the same (list) price range as the larger Yamaha, and would include names like Seiler, Sauter, Pleyel and Schulze Pollmann.

And you can always play with the lid closed.

 

[wibbly_pig]

Thanks for the ideas. Certainly the environment at the dealers was very different. Carpets, low ceiling, big room! Which may mean I can't take that much tonally from the playing, except in relative terms i.e. in that environment piano X is mellower than piano Y which may or my not be a good thing in my room at home.

Tonal uncertainties aside, a few things are for sure:
i) I prefer the actions on the C7 and S6 to the C3.
ii) It's relatively cheap in comparison to the piano to do some acoustic modifications to the room in terms of rugs and curtains. And I have free voicing/regulation to help adjust tone a bit.
iii) Like you say, lid closed will be a big asset in volume managment.

I will see if I can find the other makes you suggest somewhere locally for a trial....

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

I think if your dealer knows you are serious about buying and you pay a serious deposit he could move it in for a day or weekend for you to try and if worst then you just pay the moving charges and take the next smaller sized piano of your choice.

[wibbly_pig]

Sounds like a reasonable thing to suggest to them. I'm not sure that the silent model in the C6 size is that common and thus whether they would be prepared to order one from Japan with the possibility that it would be exchanged for the more common 3C size (which they said they can get from the UK holding stock immediately). Still, worth asking. I'll investigate...