Baby Grand Waldstein Vs Schumann

Georgina10 · Post by **Georgina10** » 15 Mar 2008, 11:17

I am planning to buy a replacement baby grand for my daughter, 11 yrs old and Grade 1.

Does anyone have any relevant knowledge/experience with respect to the comparative merits of the Waldstein and Schumann baby grands?

Many thanks.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 15 Mar 2008, 17:35

You'd be better off using the money to buy a good upright than a baby grand. Short fat strings = short fat sound. You'll get a decent upright - a really good second-hand one or a decent new one - for the same money with far better tone than a baby grand, unless your dealer is offering you a big discount. Also, when your daughter leaves home, she'll be able to house an upright in her teeny weeny flat, but a grand...?

mdw · Post by **mdw** » 15 Mar 2008, 17:53

Gill the Piano wrote:You'd be better off using the money to buy a good upright than a baby grand.

Yep ..........Almost anything less than 5.5-6 foot and you are paying thousands extra for a nice place to put your pictures. Go for the huge upright, buy a nice shelf instead and pocket the wedge.

A440 · Post by **A440** » 15 Mar 2008, 19:55

At 152cm the Schumann isn't really a baby grand and is certainly much larger than any upright available (you can get 133cm). There are also advantages to a grand over an upright (repetition, feel, sostinuto pedal and of course good looks!).
A massive upright is always a good choice but in reality most people will go for a grand if the price is similar (and they have the room).
I would advise against anything smaller than a 145cm grand. A 252cm grand is generally seen as about optimum size for most family users and is by far the most popular.

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 15 Mar 2008, 20:08

The Schumann is made by Nanjing-Moutrie and the Waldstein is made by Pearl River. Not much in it really, but I'd swing toward the Waldstein.

Apart from broadly agreeing with the others posting here that a nice tall upright would be a far better instrument, and if not a tall one you could almost afford a superb shorter one like a new Zimmermann, if you insist on buying her a small grand, the Yantai Perzinas are among the best of the Chinese cheapies. They could be badged as Eavestaff, Carl Ebel, Perzina, Dale,Forty or Sangler amongst others.

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Georgina10 · Post by **Georgina10** » 02 Apr 2008, 22:08

Thank you for your advice. I have still bought a baby grand because it is in our lounge and I really don't like the look of the uprights (I know you piano experts will sigh). However I have taken on board your answer about makes and bought a Bluthner (I know, way over original budget) but you get what you pay for and I think if we do ever need to sell it, it will be much easier. Many Thanks.