tips with piano shopping?

Question

list some good piano makers
explain the types of pianos (studio piano?)
and other tips

Answer 1

My tips are these 1. New is good.; don't be fooled into thinking that old is good when you are talking pianos. It may be a beautiful antique but sold for scrap wood after its been sledge hammered at Colton Piano and Organ. 2. Don't buy a Schaefer and Sons piano at all costs. They are cheap selling they might as well have been made in Korea. Oh yeah and 3. No Young Changs at all costs. 4. You want to look for a relatively new piano for numerous reasons, but anything 40 years and newer should be ok Im talking if it says 1971 it should still be manageable and able to produce great tones. This isn't to say that ... there are exceptional pianos at all ages but in general I advise like I said 40 years and up.
There are several kinds of pianos i.e. bird cage, square grands, spinets, consoles, studios, full sized uprights, petite grands, middle to full sized grands, and concert grands. The difference is whether the harp inside is layed vertical or horizontal to the ground, their general shape and their overall size. Ok let me get to my tips again because these are my very rash tips and suggestions with not a lot of backup or evidence for what Im saying but be that as it may let me just say In all my years of performing on the piano the ones that I liked the best were always Yamaha pianos. I recommend getting a yamaha at all costs. In every aspect just the all around best there is to me. 6.

Answer 2

Upright pianos range in size from about 36" to 52." Generally speaking, the higher the piano, the longer the speaking length of the strings will be and the longer the strings, the better the tone quality. Generally, Studio uprights tend to be more expensive because they're made of more durable materials to be used constantly (as in a studio).

If you're looking for a grand piano, anything less than 5' is considered a baby grand. A full size upright will have the same string speaking length so you're not gaining anything in terms of sound quality. You do gain the grand piano action though which may be worth the extra expense for a grand.

There are a lot of different manufacturers. The best thing to do is go to some show rooms and try them out to see what you like because it really is a personal decision. The absolute best is a German company called Boethius but they're fantastically expensive. Most people are familiar with the second best, Steinway and Sons. If you're buying used though, don't buy a Steinway from the 50's-70's because they made poor pianos during that time. Also, many companies produces pianos under several names.

Here are a few to consider:
Yamaha
Young Chang
Kawai
Baldwin

If' you're serious about buying a piano, go to Barnesandnoble.com or Amazon and get "The Piano Book" ($18) and "2006-2007 Annual Supplement to the Piano Book" ($12) because that will tell you absolutely EVERYTHING you need to know about buying a piano.

Answer 3

Actually getting a good upright is a great choice. My piano tuner told me years ago that the harp in an upright is the same size as one in a baby grand. Next best if you can't purchase a grand piano would be a console. DO NOT buy a spinet as the harp is short and never will stay in tune. Before buying a used piano I'd want to now where the piano had been used - you do not want it if in an area where there was a lot of draft, dampness, etc. Also, worth the cost of having a tuner look at it. How old are the felts, the wires? etc. It is not enough that the piano looks good physically good on the outside it is how it is inside. What good is it if the harp is warped, the wires rusted or the felts worn? Check out the keys.....are they chipped or loose? As for price range I'd check with reputable music stores in your area and see what is considered the going price. Do some research online as to best manufacturer considering the year. It is nice that you and your son are playing music together. Are you studying? Talk to your teacher as he/she might have a good lead for you. If you live near a college or university you might also find someone who could help you out.

Answer 4

Yamaha and Kawai (makers of accoustic and eletric piano)
Weinstein
Lyric Piano
Sauer
Schimmel
Sacher
Steinway
Silbermann

Answer 5

get the more expensive one. you get what you pay for these days