1923 Ludwig & Co baby Grand Piano

[jazzym]

Has anyone heard of Ludwig and Co?  I saw an advertisement for a 1923 Ludwig & Co baby grand that priced at $2500 and a 1988 Sherman Clay Baby Grand piano at $2250.  Which one should I get?  Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks much!!!

[amee]

Dear jazzym,

I would not recommend a baby grand - the only advantage it has over an upright are looks and the horizontal strings.  Also the smaller the grand, the more dangerous it gets.  The strings simply aren't long enough to give good sound.

Some baby grands have strings the same length as uprights.  How big are the two baby grands you are looking at?  I would recommend buying an upright instead.  If you do want a grand, aim for something 5'3" or bigger.

amee

[jazzym]

Amee,
Thank you for the info.  The two baby grands I'm looking at are 5 ft and 5'4.  I'm open to purchse an upright or a grand piano given that I'm only looking for an interim piano to practice for the time being before making the big purchase.  Our budget is in the $2500 range so we're just looking to buy the best piano that we could get for the money.  Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much!

[frederic]

Some baby grands are very nice, and certainly not 'dangerous', but you wont get what you want from a grand if you buy a baby grand. But you cant say baby grands are bad. There are also uprights which are much better than some grands so you should consider them too.
5'4 is not a baby grand, 5 ft is close to one.

[Jezzica]

Fredereck
baby grands are not a worthwhile investment as you seem to think.  on a personal unmusical note, grands look much more um...elegant and, well, grand than a baby grand.  i prefer a grand even though i have an uprite.
i totally agree with what amee said.
she provides very informative and thoutful information

[amee]

Thank you for that very nice compliment, Jezzica

jazzym:

What type of piano you get is totally up to you.  Personally, I would rather go for a good upright than a not-so-good grand for the same amount of money.  Experiment with different pianos and find one you like  

In regards to the 1923 Ludwig & Co baby grand you mentioned, unless it has been renovated or worked on lately, the piano will be getting quite old.  Keep in mind the average life of a piano is about 60 years.  

[rachfan]

On the Ludwig brand, I have never played a Ludwig grand of any length.  But I did play one of their verticals once--and it was dreadful!!!  I doubt that Ludwig was ever considered a star in the piano building business.  On grands, the objective is to get the longest model of a quality make that your budget will stand and that will fit into your music room.  The point of getting a grand is to get the richness of the longer strings.  You'll totally miss attaining that goal with any baby grand.  Aim for an instrument no shorter than 5'7", and even that has compromises.  Insofar as U.S. pianos are concerned, the best are Baldwin, Steinway and Mason & Hamlin.

[jazzym]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions/information; they're indeed very helpful!