Help me choose - Old Steinway upright or Celviano AP-470

[shappp]

Hello, how are you? I am new to the forum and I have this question. I get the steinway for the same price of the celviano, which is better for me? I am a beginner.


Thanks in advance.

[the_piano_restorer]

Hi there,

What a conundrum!

The first question for me (that a lot of the following rides on) would be "what condition is the old Steinway in?".

There are also a few different things to consider.

1. What is the best for your pianistic development?
Playing an acoustic piano in good condition is a much more rewarding experience than a digital piano. I have played lots of acoustic pianos, and a lot of high end digital pianos, even some the best digital pianos do not feel anything like a real piano, no matter how much they claim to! On an acoustic piano you get more feedback from the piano on different techniques in both the feel and touch which cannot be replicated on a digital.
Also a lot of pianists struggle transition from digital to acoustic with complaints of finger strength, so it's good to build up that facility to allow you to share your playing wherever you go!

It's worth considering where you are on your pianistic journey. If you're a beginner, a piano that ends up being costly to keep running can be very damaging to your motivation. Yet at the same time Steinway uprights at a decent price don't come around the corner every day.

2. Practicality, will it have to be moved frequently?

A lot of homes have to compromise if there are space restrictions, where digital clearly wins! That being said when you think about it, the overall footprint of an acoustic upright is not much more than digital piano. The use of headphones for practice is also a win for digital pianos, but this varies from home to home.

3. Cost of tunings and ongoing repairs?

Most Steinway upright pianos have been beautiful pianos at some point in their life, but time can be cruel. Steinway uprights in particular have some intricacies in the action design that can make them very complex (expensive) to have repaired. Despite this the end results are fantastic, it is a Steinway after all! I would definitely recommend having the piano assessed by a restorer before making a decision.

As I mentioned at the start, it is largely dependant on the condition the piano is in, it may well be a red herring and end up being complete money trap. That being said, if it's in fair condition, there's no replacement for a real piano, and the feeling of being sat at a Steinway!

It's a decision you should make for yourself knowing that a digital is definitely a compromise on experience, but an older piano is sometimes like keeping a classic car.

I restore pianos in the UK, if I can help any more please feel free to get in touch: thepianorestorer.co.uk