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joseph

You'd think a sensible thing for them to do, would be to keep the price high enough that it could only be discounted to a certain level, and then offer the lowest price through their own showroom in Wardour Street. However, I guess they may sell less pianos that way?

joseph

Hi! What kind of piano are you after? Are you after an overstrung piano with a modern type action? You may be better off looking for something a lot newer. Of course, if you are attracted to the sound of the old Bechstein uprights, then that is a different matter. The fact is that there are many new...

joseph

Yeah, always when buying a piano, ask an expert. If you find a piano in private sale, take a tuner with you. You don't want to end up with a useless pile of junk that you've spent money on. Even if it's a famous brand, sometimes you have to be prepared to spend thousands on them to get them up to go...

joseph

Put it this way. I've played a couple of wonderful old pianos. There's an old Steck upright I know, which has candle sconces, and looks like it's from about 1890. There are a few Challens, Chappels, Collard and Collard, Broadwoods etc, Bluthners, Steinways, Bechsteins, that are all lovely pianos in ...

joseph

as a practice piano, no

as an interesting piece of history, perhaps. i have no idea.

joseph

I have sold various pianos, but also taught one or 2 famous people, including Gareth Gates...... they used to ask me the same questions, and quote technical things about hammer loops/ refacing/ key tops.... and to my horror, these pianists were barely past Grade 2 standard!! I reckon that even if p...

joseph

well done, for a piano that is 100 years old and may need some heavy restoration, I think that's a good price. Old pianos are a lottery. Sometimes they can be amazing and go on and on and on, and sometimes they can be a real pain in the posterior. The thing that sells old pianos, is, they can have a...

joseph

I think Bostons are OK, actions are alright, sound is nothing to write home about. The ones I have played (including some PE) lacked sustain. They're very American sounding pianos, and that tone suits some people but just not me. There's something about the sound of the Mason and Hamlin, Baldwin, Am...

joseph

Yeah I guess you're right. The Steinway C sometimes has the opposite problem in that it can have a weak treble, particularly just above middle C. You're right about the D, one of the best all rounders and particularly good in romantic repertoire. Sometimes I prefer something a bit different for othe...

joseph

Almost every 7 foot grand I've played (or 6 ft 10) has had an odd sound in the tenor register, kind of tinny and suffering from poor sustain. I'm talking about pianos including Steinway B, Kawai RX6 and SK6, Bluthner Model 4, The ones that were OK, and had a decent sound were Yamaha C6/S6, and Bosen...

joseph

In that case, go for the Hoffmann. Schimmel is nice but overpriced, Hoffmann is nice but well priced. Less money to loose on it should you need to sell it ( I know that's not the reason to buy a piano but it's a factor).

Failing that just get a steinway

joseph

I know that Schimmel is a beautifully made piano with fine quality parts, but for me it just doesn't seem to work. I don't know why but I've never played one that has really grabbed me. They sound a bit boring I think, and seem to me to take a lot of work to get up to a high standard. The Hoffmann i...

joseph

Last week in Milan I performed on a Shigeru EX concert grand, and it was amazing. A fine sounding piano, really warm, with a perfect action. IT was the best I've played anywhere. The warm up room had a new RX7, which had a heavier action but was also beautiful. I also had the chance to try an SK6 Sh...

joseph

Samick are good pianos for the money, defo. Good firm touch and decent tone. There's the UK imprint Reid Sohn which are Samicks imported by J. Reid and badged with Reid Sohn. Same instruments, same price I think. Good luck.

joseph

Which piano did you go for in the end? I would have probably gone for the Kawai in this situation because I think they are a bit more meaty in tone, and I prefer a piano with a heavy touch. That's without hearing them though - in that situation when it's between two individual pianos you can only pi...

joseph

That, unfortunately, sounds not too steep. I'm getting removal quotes from Dundee to Norwich, part load, more than just the piano but not full removal. It's expensive.

joseph

:D I agree with that in many ways. We pianists aren't renowned for praising digital pianos but Yamaha really have produced a viable practice piano in their Clavinovas and stage pianos. I sometimes record with the CP, even some classical music, just to get an idea of what I sound like. I put it on a ...

joseph

For the record, I use my Yamaha CP-300 for a great deal of heavy repetitive practice. The keyboard touch is heavy enough, and while it's not as smooth or as fast as my grand, that doesn't really matter given the work I'm doing on it. I enjoy practising on it, and I don't notice any difference in the...

joseph

Dan, that Bluthner is looking good! Well done, I'd love to hear it. Can you post sound clips? OP, 3.5 is a decent price for the piano, consider that a dealer would sell it for much much more, perhaps 10 or 11, however that would be serviced with some kind of warranty. Sold as seen I'd say that's abo...

joseph

I've played quite a few Iron Curtain ones. As long as the price is low it's OK. They need quite a bit of servicing, like regulation etc. They are still good instruments by design, but they aren't as precise as the Golden Age ones and they're not a patch on the new ones. I'd say that between 2 and 5k...

joseph

I have no idea, but in the past (up until very recently anyway) Yamaha have had the edge on sound. Much more realistic than Kawai. Although I think Kawai have a pretty good action.

joseph

Wow, I haven't seen a 4500s in years! A friend of mine used to have one, bought new in the mid 1980s. I was very young at the time but I always liked the sound of it. It wasn't realistic in the sense that todays digital pianos are, but there was something about it, and it was definitely recognizable...

joseph

That's a pretty harsh statement, Joe, and frankly, out of order. My tuners work for themselves. They are fully self-employed. Now, it may be that they have an association with one or more piano retailers, but, I'm guessing that you, too, have an association with a piano retailer and guide your publi...

joseph

Well, my technician came round shortly after I bought my piano, and set it up. He took the top action off, gave it a full regulation, set the hammers to the strings - basically regulated and tuned it within an inch of its life, all at the expense of the shop I bought it from who agreed to have that ...

joseph

Actually it's settled well, the tuning is fine and the action is holding up. I'm not deluding myself because it's my money and emperor's new clothes etc, the piano is actually fine. If it were not so I'd be trying to flog it and get something better.

joseph

Withindale, The point he was making about uprights is that the sound generally drums against a wall, and is enclosed inside the case unless you can take the front panels off - which is difficult as the music desk is integral to the front panel. The action of an upright tends to be much slower, and t...

joseph

You're right, I don't need the sales pitch. What I did was went for the piano that had the best sound and touch within the confines of my budget. All the other pianos you mention are good instruments, but you know, I couldn't afford a Boston, Steinway, Yamaha or Kawai. Besides, the piano I bought pl...

joseph

I guessed not, because my piano has a good sound which I'm really happy with, so it's obviously a good board.

Despite loosing 75 % of the purchase price and it not being a Boston I think it's a pretty good buy actually, don't you?

joseph

Joe, I'm not spamming, do you have a suggestion for an upgrade?

joseph

So, the Artist Series grands are into the more expensive territory. When I bought my 187, new, I paid £7500 for it in 2007. Ok it's not an AS piano, but I think I got a bargain.... Is the bolduc soundboard an upgrade over the Strunz? I'm sure a renner action would be better and worth the upgrade, bu...

joseph

Oh yes, I know that piano. It's a nice enough piano but it lacks a bit in preparation. I think it's getting a bit long in the tooth now and needs some attention - if it's the same one they had a couple of years back. The action on it sucks a bit, but that's not the pianos fault, it's just a bit negl...

joseph

I think they sound fantastic, probably a good all rounder. The Bluthner Model 2, which I assume is the one you are referring to, is a very sweet piano, and is perfect for Beethoven. The Model 2 is probably one of the finest grands of its size, but it takes a bit of shopping around and preparation to...

joseph

Well, did you see the video? You always have something a bit snide to say about pianos from the far east..... anyone would think you didn't like them.

joseph

The Brodmann concert grand has arrived on the market in the USA! It sounds like a Brodmann, obviously, and that's no bad thing either because they are great sounding pianos. My own Brodmann is nearly 5 years old and is developing into a very nice piano, and showing that it will stand up to punishmen...

joseph

Some smaller grands have weaker tone than some larger uprights, that's true, but I think the W and L 178 should be fine for tone, people seem to love them. The thing about uprights is that you can't control the sound in the same way, because of the limitations of the action, and they certainly don't...

joseph

You will soon learn that all keys do not sound the same, even in equal temperament. That much is obvious from a scientific point of view when you consider that it is the different vibration speeds that make an E flat sound different from a C. Perhaps the key relationships sound the same no matter wh...

joseph

I would broaden my search.

joseph

Thanks Barrie and Sylvester

And yes Mark. There will be at least one more piano in Norwich quite soon, all things being well.

joseph

Yeah, also, would it not be better to voice the piano AFTER delivery? That's what I had done.

joseph

It was a strange post from Sydney, since most of us know what an S6BB is, and the question was about one particular piano, not a new model.

What a mamzer.

joseph

Re stringing a piano, if done well, will improve it. However, I think that a restring job - which will automatically incur more work as Colin said, will cost quite a lot, maybe around 3000 to get all the work you need done completed. You may then have a fine piano - some of these old english upright...

joseph

I don't think 16k is a lot for a 2 year old S6, but going on these pictures, I doubt whether it is only 2 years old. It looks more like 10 years old and it looks like it's had a lot of use.

Might be wise to give it a swerve to be honest.

joseph

Yeah I was going to say you can't find the build in rhythms because there aren't any....

I'm sure you could download some patterns on the laptop.

joseph

It's not impossible to repair a cracked frame, but it's costly and I'm not convinced that it's a financially viable option. I'd let it go and look for another piano, but you may be able to prove me wrong. Good luck with whatever decision you make. I don't think you'll be able to restore it for 1000 ...

joseph

There is a chance I might be moving to Norwich because my partner has a job there, which he may take (if he takes the job we will both move, obviously). Can anyone recommend a good piano tuner and technician in the area, someone who does concert level preparation - regulation and voicing etc. Would ...

joseph

I went through all the grades on a 1950s Challen. Happy memories. I still have the piano, but it is TOTALLY clapped out now. Then, it DID get a good two to four hours per day work out for about 8 years, with only tunings and regulations carried out twice a year. I wonder if it would rebuild, or at l...

joseph

Actually, also a new Chinese piano such as Brodmann will give an old German piano a good run for the money. I have a Brodmann 187 that I've had for 4 and a half years, and an old Bluthner grand. While the Bluthner is very nice to have, and sounds lovely on certain days, the Brodmann really is a bett...

joseph

Yeah it will be fine for a beginner, and you should manage to go up to grade 8 on it. If she shows talent and develops faster than you expect then you can think about something better when the time comes, but I'd recommend it at that price and for that playing level any day. It will certainly take h...

joseph

er, to the original poster, is that REALLY you? I have some questions.... LOL... Yeah, a 100 year old Brinsmead is probably best avoided. If you want a 100 year old grand in original condition and want it cheap, perhaps get a Bechstein or a Bluthner but really don't pay much for it, I mean like betw...

joseph

some Bosendorfers can be absolutely stunning pianos but you really have to hunt. I think £10k for a 40 year old piano is a bit steep, you wouldn't even pay that for a 40 year old Steinway in original condition. I've played afew imperials and wasn't so impressed, yeah they're fine pianos, well made, ...

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