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What Piano(s) Do You Own and Why?; Inquiring Minds
Topic Started: Dec 1 2009, 03:01 PM (5,149 Views)
kenny
HOLY CARP!!!
Larry
Dec 1 2009, 03:42 PM
Larry Fine never did know his ass from a hole in the ground.
So Lar, which pianos would you omit/add to Fine's list of the best pianos?
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brenda
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..............
We have a Mason & Hamlin BB in our home. We played almost every brand there is, and we loved the MH sound the best. We got ours in August of 2008.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Estonia L190. Yamaha Clavinova, General Music Real Piano Pro2 Digital, Yamaha Digital Piano (forget what model)

My Estonia just keeps getting better and better. Having it tuned in a week or so. I can't wait. It sounds fine but I know it needs it. It's been at least 6 months since the last tuning. It's been holding tune a lot longer than it did when it was new. I was not unhappy with the length of time between tunings but it seems to stretch forever now and then I forget to call my tech because of that fact.
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(_]===*
o 0
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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QuirtEvans
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
Charles Walter upright. My search for the piano was how I found these forums in the first place.

I'd consider upgrading to a nice grand ... maybe a M&H ... if I got a deal that was too good to pass up and if my daughter loved it.
It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010.
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Big John
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Senior Carp
I have a 1958 Steinway M that was given to its original owner as a wedding present from Theodore Steinway. Where are you and what are you looking for?

What are the top 3 qualities that are MOST important to you? No more than 3.

What pianos have you HEARD or PLAYED (only) that you've liked?

What are the two things you liked most about the pianos you've heard or played?

What is the most you would pay for a piano?

If you buy from someone out of your area let me know. I think me and Kenny may start a long-distance piano moving/piano prep company. :D





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apple
one of the angels
i have an Estonia. definitely thought it was the most piano i could buy for the buck..

it's solid, resonant and professional.. i'm very happy.

I'd take a Boesendorfer anyday... or a Steinway.. or a Schimmel.. or any number of better pianos.. I'm really not that particularl.
it behooves me to behold
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PattyP
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Senior Carp
Big John, I'm in Michigan, west side on Lake Michigan about an hour from Grand Rapids.

The three most important things for me in a piano: tone, touch and stability. I prefer a sound that is not bright, but full and rich with a lush, resonating bass, a touch that is smooth and creamy, and stability that is unwavering in its voice and tune.

I’ve played a new Shigeru Kawai III, Kawai RX 5, Kawai Blak RX 6, and Petrof 5’8”, three Schimmels, some used Steinways, and a couple used M&H all at the same dealer. Several years ago, this same dealer had a Boesendorfer Imperial, which of course, spoiled me for just about any another piano until I got my head out of the clouds.

My price tops out at 35K; any more than that would be uncomfortable.



A tired dog is a good dog.

"Dogs' lives are too short...their only fault, really."
A.S. Turnbull
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
PattyP You're very fortunate to have this opportunity to get a quality grand. I am very envious.

I own a Boston UP118 upright. I want to upgrade to a Boston GP 198 or 215 someday. I had been saving $$ for this purchase. Everytime I get some decent amount saved it gets redirected to things like pre-natal care, a health savings account, and repaying $2,000 worth of property taxes that our morgage company was supposed to be holding in escrow for us. I am sure that at some point in the future I will be able to buy a nice grand piano for myself...or die trying!

My Boston sees a lot of use, as I teach on it and practice as well. I figure it's geting used 4 to 6 hours a day. It has great qualities for such a small piano. I need to have it tuned quite often...like every 2 months. Like apple I would love to have a Schimmel, Estonia, or some other quality piano. I just happen to like the sound of a Steinway and they make the Boston line of pianos. I think a well prepped Boston grand is a awesome piano.


I play out a lot on various pianos...some nice, some not so nice...some just suck. I hate poorly maintained pianos with a passion.

I play a KORG M3 88 key digital when I'm gigging or there's no piano available...I do not like the KORG for solo piano gigs at all. I also use a variety of smaller synths in conjunction with the M3 but you wouldn't really be interested in lead synths or other modern gadgets. Playing in bands is very different from solo piano. Well sorry for rambling...I hope you get yourself a piano you adore.
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
I have a Grotrian 192, which is not on your list. The other serious contender was the Schimmel 189 NWS. The Grotrian tone in the low treble / upper bass just grabbed me, as did the fact that it had a particularly powerful treble. Some people find the treble too strong for them. Such is taste.

I looked at the Steinway A and rejected it because of the price and the fact that I liked other pianos better. I played the Shigeru but it just didn't move me, though I could easily understand its build quality. I loved a particular Bluthner at Faust Harrison, but it just cost too much, and its tone was probably cooler than I would have liked for a long term relationship. Ditto for a C. Bechstein at Cathy Harl's place. Estonia was fine, but quite variable, and again it just didn't move me. My son fell for a Fazioli and I told him he needed to befriend Bill Gates.
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QuantumIvory
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Senior Carp
A Petrof III, a Steinway Model V (1917), and a Yamaha Clavinova.

Why? Because I fell in love with the Petrof, I got the Steinway for $400, and I can (to please Mrs. QI) put on headphones with the Clavinova.
"I regard consciousness as fundamental. We cannot get behind consciousness." -Max Planck

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RosemaryTwo
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HOLY CARP!!!
I have a Kawai -- smaller tho -- about 5 1/2 feet.

I liked the sound and it was in my price range. It holds its tune well. I love it.

Having said that, when my boys are through college I'd like to upgrade to a larger Steinway. I always have my eyes on pianos....
"Perhaps the thing to do is just to let stupid run its course." Aqua
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
It's kind of nice to have a piano thread going, since that is what started all this off.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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kenny
HOLY CARP!!!
I had a 2001 M+H BB which was glorious but for Mozart and Bach (and my limited ability to control it) the bass was overpowering.
I find the Blüthner is more balanced from the lowest to the highest notes.

It does not have that thick, lush, harmonic-rich sound of the Mason or a Steinway but it has a clarity and warm transparency I love it that more than makes up for it.
Plus at 9'2" the reserve horsepower is there when you downshift and hit the gas.

There are so many wonderful piano voices; go out and hear them all before buying.
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Big John
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Senior Carp
except we're supposed to talk about anything but pianos.

i'm not far from you. I live about an hour and 45 minutes south of Holland, in the town with the big university that recently hosted President Obama.

Sounds like you are pretty realistic on price and what you can get in that price range. Don't fall for any "too-good-to-be-true" deals and if you find one that seems like that, check with us first -- especially if there is pressure.

I'm no longer in the industry, but it was a wonderful experience.

Beware of craigslist and ebay deals. They were the primary reason I got out of the industry - since at that point I was in transport and all the idiot clucks operating out of their bedrooms posing as big-name sellers hawking pianos that should have been just tossed in a dumpster or were probably insurance salvage deals, as this picture so clearly demonstrates:

Posted Image

The caption with this photo reads:
Quote:
 
With a new set of legs and pedal lyre, Yamaha grand pianos like this one can be purchased online for thousands less than others just like it that weren't in a flood. But. . . don't expect to see a disclaimer stating that it was ever in a flood -- and don't expect it to perform...or smell like a non-flood piano!"


This guys' section on ebay and craigslist is hilarious -- but very true -- like the part above and the part below about people online borrowing pics from other ads hoping that you won't notice the European electrical outlets on the wall next to the supposedly mint piano for sale etc.

http://www.chicagopianos.com/buyingtips.htm#craigslist
Edited by Big John, Dec 1 2009, 08:08 PM.





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QuantumIvory
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Senior Carp
Mikhailoh
Dec 1 2009, 07:34 PM
It's kind of nice to have a piano thread going, since that is what started all this off.
:thumb:
Speaking of that, Mik; I noticed a while ago that today is my one year anniversary here. And while I spend way too much time in TNCR, I'm glad I found it (thanks to Larry's Piano Facts). You guys are phenomenal.
"I regard consciousness as fundamental. We cannot get behind consciousness." -Max Planck

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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Happy anniversary, QI. We're glad you're here too!
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
QuantumIvory
Dec 1 2009, 07:11 PM
A Petrof III, a Steinway Model V (1917), and a Yamaha Clavinova.

Why? Because I fell in love with the Petrof, I got the Steinway for $400, and I can (to please Mrs. QI) put on headphones with the Clavinova.
You might like a video my son made of the Rach prelude in G minor on a Petrof III in a local church. We had done all our recordings on our Grotrian at home, but we felt like doing something different and the Petrof has a very different touch and tone. The church sanctuary also made for a different recording environment.
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bachophile
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HOLY CARP!!!
Mikhailoh
Dec 1 2009, 07:34 PM
It's kind of nice to have a piano thread going, since that is what started all this off.
and i always thought it was the kerry/bush campaign
"I don't know much about classical music. For years I thought the Goldberg Variations were something Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg did on their wedding night." Woody Allen
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
What, you mean it wasn't the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
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QuantumIvory
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Senior Carp
Piano*Dad
Dec 1 2009, 08:00 PM
QuantumIvory
Dec 1 2009, 07:11 PM
A Petrof III, a Steinway Model V (1917), and a Yamaha Clavinova.

Why? Because I fell in love with the Petrof, I got the Steinway for $400, and I can (to please Mrs. QI) put on headphones with the Clavinova.
You might like a video my son made of the Rach prelude in G minor on a Petrof III in a local church. We had done all our recordings on our Grotrian at home, but we felt like doing something different and the Petrof has a very different touch and tone. The church sanctuary also made for a different recording environment.
I would love to see the video, PD. Link?
"I regard consciousness as fundamental. We cannot get behind consciousness." -Max Planck

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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
Prelude in G Minor on Petrof

It's from almost two years ago. He was fourteen at the time. Now he's ..... ah, taller than I am.

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QuantumIvory
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Senior Carp
14? Wow.

And I loved P*S's comment to a "critic": "This recording was made two years ago after only six years of piano training." Six years and playing Rachmaninoff? Amazing, truly amazing.
"I regard consciousness as fundamental. We cannot get behind consciousness." -Max Planck

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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
bachophile
Dec 1 2009, 08:03 PM
Mikhailoh
Dec 1 2009, 07:34 PM
It's kind of nice to have a piano thread going, since that is what started all this off.
and i always thought it was the kerry/bush campaign
That was just a schism.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Free Rider
Dec 1 2009, 07:06 PM
I just happen to like the sound of a Steinway and they make the Boston line of pianos.
[PW mode]

The Boston line of pianos is manufactured by Kawai.

(Now some one please say something about Boston being "designed by Steinway.")
[/PW mode]
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
EDIT - forget it..
Edited by Free Rider, Dec 1 2009, 08:44 PM.
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