How to Choose a Piano for Your Home

Choosing your piano should be a pleasant experience. It's an event that the whole family
can get involved in and enjoy making a selection. But before you do anything, you should
first decide whether you want a vertical or a grand piano. Second whether it would be an
acoustic or a digital piano. Finally, decide how much you want to spend. Now, we can
start a journey to finding a suitable piano for you.

Vertical Pianos

There are various heights, finishes, and cabinets in vertical pianos to meet your needs.
The height of a vertical piano is measured from the floor to the top of the piano. The size
(height & width) of the piano is probably the single most important factor influencing its
tone quality and the volume. The taller the piano means the strings are longer and the
soundboard is bigger producing louder sound. A spinet piano is the shortest of all the
verticals and the low costing piano that is between 36" to 39" tall. The next size is the
console piano which is 40" to 43". A step up from the console is the studio piano which
stands 44" to 48" tall and, for its sturdiness, most often found in schools, studios and
living rooms. Then there are professional uprights or so called full size upright pianos in
which the heights range from 48" to 52" tall. Some of these taller verticals may have
larger strings and larger soundboard than some smaller Grands.

Grand Pianos

Grand pianos also range in various sizes (width) and finishes. The length of a grand piano
is measured from the very front of the keyboard end to the very back of the piano all with
lid closed. Grand pianos have become more popular over the years and is enjoyed by the
families and owners for generations. The smallest grand is called the baby grand and can
start under five feet to 5'2". The baby grand is very popular for its small size and usually
fits into many of the family's living rooms. The next size up is the medium grand which
runs from 5'3" to 7'2" and has much larger soundboard with longer strings. The medium
grands are the favorites of piano teachers for the tone it produces and the volume. Music
schools, universities and serious amateurs also favor the medium grand. The largest
grands are the concert grands which runs from seven foot to nine foot. These pianos are
mostly used in concert halls, auditoriums, public performances, and churches.

Both the grand and the vertical pianos come in various finishes and decors. Whether you
choose the finish and decor to match your furnishings at home or simply get a contrasting
one, it will look just as beautiful.

Vertical vs Grand
What are the main differences between the vertical and the grand? Other than shape, size
and cost difference, the most important aspect is the action of the piano.

In grands, the strings are held horizontally and hammer hits the string from below and
drops right back. This means the movement of the hammer is in the same direction as the
gravity. This allows faster repetition and better tone and expression control. In vertical
pianos, the strings are held vertically and the hammers hit the strings from the side. So,
the hammer movement is across the gravity. Therefore, in general, vertical pianos
produce slower repetitive notes.

If you decide to purchase a grand, we recommend that you purchase the high quality
grand if possible. Buying a lower quality grand can disappoint your higher expectations.
If high quality grand is not feasible, purchase a tall vertical that has longer strings and a
bigger soundboard.

Digital Piano

Digital pianos are bought for various reasons; it does not require tuning, it can easily be
moved from place to place, it has bells and whistles that you can have fun with, some
have recording and playback devices, and most of all you can get one as low as $1000.00.
However, digital pianos cannot replace the traditional acoustic pianos in tone and touch.
Although, digital piano sounds have been recorded with the real instruments, it cannot
compare with the good quality acoustic pianos. For musicians who enjoy getting different
instrumental sounds (strings, woodwinds, etc...) a digital piano might be the one for you.
A musician who also play in bands and in other musical groups might get a full use out of
digital pianos.

Mark A. Roth Piano Services

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Choosing A Piano
Whether new or used, what qualities should you look for in a piano? A piano
should be good enough that it is rewarding to play, after all, learning the piano is
hard work, and if a piano plays poorly or sounds terrible, that can be quite
discouraging, especially to young beginners.

Some basic guidlines:

Size
 Choose a piano that is as large as you have room for. A miminum of a 45 inch
Upright piano or a 5 foot four inch Grand piano is recommended. A good piano
needs to be at least this long because of its strings. When a piano's strings are
too short, the piano is less tunable and has a sound that is not pure. Larger
pianos have a deeper bass range and a more even and pure tone overall.

A Note about Spinets

Spinet pianos are not recommended for four reasons. First, because of extremely
short strings, the Spinet has a sound that is impure and hard on the ear, and isn't
very inspiring to learn on. Second, the Spinet has an indirect blow action, which
is inferior to a direct blow action used in normal uprights. Combined with shorter
keys (which have less leverage), the Spinet action has limited responsiveness,
and it is difficult to control loud and soft and to play cleanly. This is not what
would encourage a youngster. Third, Spinets were the bottom of the product line,
and almost all brands cut corners on parts, quality, and workmanship. Fourth,
Spinets have low resale value.
I must say at this point that not every Spinet is all bad, and there are lots of them
still in use. Buying one just isn't recommended.

Condition of piano

If you are looking at a piano to buy, you may insist that the seller have it tuned if it
has not been in the past year or so. Just as it is a good idea to call a mechanic to
check out a car, it is a good idea to make an appointment with your piano
technician to evaluate a piano you're going to purchase. There may be things
that a piano techician could point out that could allow the buyer to negotiate a
lower price, or the technician could discover a major flaw which may not be
apparent to the buyer that would make it a questionable purchase, thus
preventing a costly mistake..

A Piano from a Piano Technician

You may consider buying a piano from a piano technician who has located a
piano that is a quality instrument, then cleaned, inspected, serviced, and tuned it.
Please see the Current Pianos section.

Piano Actions

An Upright piano has a direct blow action. The action sits on top of the keys on
the inside of the piano. It is superior to an indirect blow action (see Spinets
above).
A Grand piano has an even more sophisticated action, with more parts that allow
for faster repetition and greater control of loud and soft.

Piano Nomenclature
 Upright Grand is a label that makers once put on pianos as a marketing tool. A
piano is either an upright or a grand, an an Upright Grand is simply a large
upright.
Baby grand is a term not used by piano makers but by a lot of pianists and piano
owners. Many people with 5'8" or 6'1" grands think they have a baby grand,
when in fact a baby grand is usually 4'11" or 5'1". Again, it is either an upright or a
grand. And no, I do not recommend buying a piano that is so small.

A note about Piano Retailers

Unfortunately, going to a piano retailer can be much like going to buy a used car.
High pressure sales tactics may result in a "what will it take to put you in this
piano today?" kind of experience. Potential buyers need to beware of this and
should not give their hard-earned money to support this sort of operation. In
addition, there are so many brands and choices, and names that can be
misleading. You may think a new Kohler and Campbell is an American made
piano, or how about an Everett? Think again.
Worse yet are operations that claim to sell "reconditioned" pianos, but in reality
are selling pianos that have only been cleaned and maybe repaired to the point
of basic functionality. "All the notes work!" is just not good enough. The buyer
should demand a detailed list of exactly what work has actually been perfomed. If
the retailer balks, that is a very good sign that you should walk out the door
immediately.
I do not want to paint every retailer as dishonest, but I have seen example after
example of people and pianos falling prey to operations that only care about
making a buck.
A new piano from a Retailer can have problems too. Manufacturers vary in the
amount of preparation given to new pianos, some rely on the individual retailers
to do a significant amount of the tuning and regulation. This shifts the burden to
the dealer and their staff technician, whatever his level of competency may be.
This lack of proper preparation varies across the industry, I have even
encountered Steinway grands that were grossly underprepared. A good piano
technician can spot this, and see that the dealer, not the buyer, ends up paying
for the necessary work.

Resources

The Piano Book by Larry Fine is a good reference for the novice and professional
alike, it is filled with facts; however, it offers a lot of opinion as well so I
recommend that people try to be aware of the difference.

So what does Mark Roth own?

I have two pianos. Both were manufactured around the turn of the twentieth
century by A.B. Chase in Norwalk, Ohio. I have a grand that is in need of a
complete rebuild, and also an upright that is in good enough condition to use as
 is, though I plan to gradually replace the key bushings, the bass strings, the
hammers, etc. The upright is massive. It is constructed of bird's eye maple with
mahagony veneer, carvings and bevels, and has nickle plated hardware. It
stands 58 3/4 inches off the floor, and the bass bridge is 18 3/4 inches long,
resulting in a deep and powerful bass. (The bass bridge in a similarly sized
Kurtzmann grand was only 16 1/2 inches.) The large size also gives the piano a
rich tenor range, and it has unbelieveable sustain. It features a true sostenuto
pedal (Debussy friendly!), and a lost motion compensator on the soft pedal.
(Using the soft pedal on a typical upright puts the action out of regulation while
the pedal is down, thus rendering it all but useless for the serious pianist. The
lost motion compensator fixes this.)
To my knowledge, nothing comparable is being made today. A.B. Chase pianos
are among the finest pianos ever made.

How about a new piano?

In my opinion, the finest quality pianos made today come from Germany,
especially those made by Bechstein, Seiler, and Grotrian. These pianos often
command a premium price as well.
In a more moderate price range, I believe you would have a hard time going
wrong with a piano made by Yamaha or Kawai. Quality control at both of these
companies is impeccable, and they are definitely worth the slightly higer price
than other consumer pianos on the market today.

Homepage

Piano Brands

Piano Brands, Arranged by Country

Major brands of traditional acoustic pianos include:

(United States) Steinway & Sons; Baldwin; Wurlitzer; Chickering; Mason and
Rich; Cable; Winter.
(Asia) Yamaha; Kawai; Pearl River; Samick; Young Chang; Nordiska; Carl Ebel;
Richter; Daewoo; Hyundai.
(Germany/Austria) Bechstein; Ibich; Blüthner; Feurich; Pfeiffer; Hupfeld; Rönisch;
Wilh. Steinberg; Steingraeber; Brückner; Solton; Stenmann; Haessler; Steinway
Haus; Bösendorfer; Schimmel; August Förster.
(Czech Republic) Petrof; Scholze; Rösler; Bohemia; Rieger-Kloss.
(France) Pleyel; Gaveau; Rameau; Erard.
(UK) Kemble; Chappell; Collard and Collard; Whelpdale; Knight; Bentley;
Welmar; Marshal & Rose; Broadwood; Woodchester.
Major brands of digital pianos include:
Alesis; Casio; Daewoo; Bohm; Ensonio; Farfisa; Gem; Hammond; Kawai; Korg;
Kurzweil; Orla; Roland; Solton; Suzuki; Technics; Viscount; Wersi; and Yamaha.

Brief Notes on Major Piano Brands

Baldwin
Founded in 1862, this American manufacturer is America's largest piano builder
and produces digital and offers both acoustic and digital pianos in both upright
and grand cabinets.

Bechstein
Founded by Carl Bechstein in 1826, Bechstein is one of the great German piano
brands.

Bösendorfer
Founded in 1828 in Vienna, this Austrian produces pianos in the highest price
range.

Casio
Casio made the world's first home keyboard back in 1981 and it now produces a
large range of digital pianos and keyboards in the lower price range.

Kawai
Founded in 1927, this Japanese piano maker is Japan's second largest and
produces both acoustic and digital pianos.

Roland
Roland produces a large range of home keyboards, digital pianos, and other
electronic musical instruments including synthesizers, guitar products, electronic
percussion kits, digital recording equipment, amplifiers and audio processing
devices

Steinway
Steinway pianos are in the top quality and price range, and Steinway is regarded
as the premium name in pianos. This piano manufacturer was founded in
Germany and still produces pianos there under the name of Steinway Haus.
Steinway also operates as an independent firm in the United States under the
name Steinway & Sons. Steinway & Sons manufactures pianos in the United
States.

Yamaha
Since the founder Torakusu Yamaha built Japan's first piano in 1900, Yamaha
has built up a large line of acoustic, digital pianos and acoustic/digital pianos.
Notes from “The piano book”

Vertical piano
Fall-size or professional upright: 47-60”
Studio: 43-47”
Console: 40-44”
Spinet: 36-40”

Grand piano
Concert Grand: 7½’-9½’
Medium grand: 5½’ – 7 ½’
Baby Grand: 4½’ - 5½’

Recommend: vertical at least 48” or grand at least 6’

No way for vertical less than 40” or grand less than 5’

Used piano to consider:

- the older piano that still has many years of life ahead;
- the piano that needs only minor repair to be in good condition
- the piano that is only a couple of years old and practically like new that is being
sold because the owner is moving or wants a better instrument;
- the piano that has been reconditioned or rebuilt by a competent piano technician
and is in excellent condition. Some pianos like this are actually better than new
ones, carry a similar guarantee, and cost as much.
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