Next, the L was redesigned and eventually all of the grand pianos employed design tweaks including the patented Acu-Just hitch pins which offer more sustained tone particularly in the high register. What sets the Baldwin L grand piano apart from Steinway and Mason & Hamlin is that there are very few Mason & Hamlin model AA pianos which are 6-foot 4-inch grands.
I've been rebuilding and restoring pianos in the US for 42 years and there are many great pianos in the world. It's about how they were made, the materials used, the period of time they were made and from what country. Every country has a different sound, and different approach to soundboard making, plate height, bridge height and angles, casting of the plate, hammer making, action geometry and voicing, let alone the material the rim and cabinet is made out of. You can find great pianos and bad pianos from the same company. There in no real right answer. I personally think a properly restored Mason & Hamlin with the new carbon composite WNG action and Ronsen made Weichart /Wurzen hammers is hard to beat. A new well aged white spruce soundboard with sugar pine ribs doesn't hurt either. This kind of piano can't be over-driven.
Hi Timothy. My dad was in the business for 45 yrs as both a rebuilder and tuner. I remember helping rebuild the players and gluing all the bellows and connecting hoses from the draw to the action as a little kid. Unfortunately he's no longer here but he left me three player baby grands with a tons of parts and over 1200-1500 piano rolls plus. My uncle Bob who was a machinist / parts maker was helping me by identifying the parts but sadly he to passed away. You may know my dad and more so my uncle Bob aka Robert Streicher i probably missed spelled his name. I forgot to mention I kinda miss the smell of the heated glue pots.
@urbano277 Depending upon the type of music being performed, each piano has its advantages. The clarity and delicacy of European pianos is wonderful for classical period music (Mozart and Haydn) particularly chamber music. Steinway is a great piano for concerto playing since it has the power to balance well with orchestra.
The opening claim that the US makes the best pianos is kind of silly. My opinion is that there is no "best", there is only your preference, and your budget.
I think Mr. Estrin has a fondness for the old American pianos and that's sort of etched in his memory. Sometimes people have a fondness for what they grew up with. He's a great presenter and all and a fine pianist, but I disagree with him when he gets into generalizing about "Asian" pianos. Asian pianos have a huge range in quality, Japanese have been making pianos the longest time, and some of the best are as good as any piano in the world, IMO. Also, some of the middle-priced ones being made in China are comparable to any American or European piano for the price. There are horrible Chinese pianos, decent ones, and absolutely wonderful ones.
Well, it depends how you look his statement: First of all, Steinway is american brand and he does not list Hamburg made Steinways in his Europe category so we must consider that he calculates Hamburg-made Steinways as a american brand products and Hamburg does make very good instruments for sure. And almost every other grand pianos are more or less based/copied from Steinway as it is the piano to where everything else is always compared.
@@benjaminsmith2287 I agree. He's projecting the old and sadly, ignorant, blanket assumptions about instrument branding. He's a man of his time, I guess.
@@dennisdeemii tbh in the last 10 years since this video has been made yamaha and kawai or even the asian pianos also have brought up their build quality.
Great video and good explanations. I live in Paris and am currently testing pianos in order to buy a small grand. What is said in the video confirms what I discover from my own experience, from discussions with (good) salesmen and with my tuner whom I ask for advice. One could argue 2 points : - the handcrafted japanese pianos (Yamaha CF and S series, Shigeru Kawai) are of the same quality as European and US-made ; but the guy actually acknowledges it during his explanations ; - the east-european pianos are not in the same league as the German-Austrian-Italians - but this is confirmed in the presentation.
Pleyel pianos are excellent examples of great European piano design. The pianos are very refined with a bright, clear tone. Like other European pianos like Bechstein and Bosendorfer, playing a Pleyel requires a sensitivity since they project tone with less effort than American pianos like Steinway and Mason & Hamlin. So as long as you don't have a heavy approach to the piano, these instruments can provide a high level playing experience.
You are an amazing teacher and personality! We appreciate your content! Why couldn’t newer countries and people simply employ the same techniques and products as the age old experts?
@TweakRacer Your observation that you can get more piano for your money if you give up the prestigious Steinway name is right on target. It comes down to personal preference. Other factors to consider are the period of time the piano was made.
I'm a piano tuner and rebuilder in WV. I absolutely agree with your video. Though it would have been nice to hear something about Baldwin. . . since you are seated at one! There are 2 Walter pianos, in my area, that i service. I'm very glad you mentioned them. They are wonderful pianos. It hurts me to see fantastic old piano names slapped on something that will never live up to the name.
Outstanding. I am a retired piano technician who has tuned and repaired over 25,000 times. I've had a Schimmel 6'4" grand since 1970 that has given me much pleasure. It is well constructed and certainly beats the majority of pianos I've tuned. It's like a thirsty man coming to water. If, I had to replace it, I would choose an older Steinway that had that certain touch and sound.
The Baldwin Model L Artist Series Grand Piano has a rich history. For the most part the piano was manufactured to a very high standard throughout Baldwin's history.
The Yamaha CFX is the new king of the block in concert pianos around the world. Yamaha sells 11,000 pianos a year for a reason. Founded in 1887 and renowned around the world in both upright form and grand piano form. Thanks for your video and review.
A couple of years ago the PTG national convention featured my Living Piano: Journey Through Time: Historic Concert Experience. I have not been to one since then, but you never know!
@@wiltzu81 You are rather young. i was lucky enough the spend two days at the Feurich factory in Gunzenhausen. A great loss when they shut down, but hundreds of their grands are still in first rate condition.
@@studentjohn35 world is full of piano makers that have existed in past and names have come alive again with chinese makers. I assumed that your original question referred to existing pianos made with names like Feurich and Grotrian and not with the produts that someone else made in past in Germany with same name. And my age have nothing to do with that matter. I have played hundreds of those pianos which original manufacturers do not exist anymore as markets in Europe atleast for second hand are full of those kind of pianos. For example we used to have here in Finland Hellas and Fazer, who made pianos. Both went oblivion like 20 years ago, but couple years ago Hellas popped back or tried that with the name installed to chinese mass produced piano. Mostly all these chinese pianos, nor matter what fancy old european name it has, come from one factory that is Pearl River just without Pearl River name. If you are willing to pay, chinese will make the piano even with your name and that what some european companies have done as survival solutions in avoiding costly production let say in Germany, so moving manufacturing to China. I would not be surprices to find in someday in future that there is chinese piano on market with name John Broadwood or Conrad Graf which is then advertised as a piano that Beethoven played. Even Steinway isn't as it used to be. They have cheaper model lines Boston and Essex. Both have highlighted note "Designed by Steinway", but one (Boston) is made by Kawai in Japan and in Indonesia and another (Essex) by Pearl River in China. The good question then is, that if Pearl Rivers own small grand cost like 10 000 and same piano with "Designed by Steinway" sticker has double price, is it then bargain/cheap Steinway or overpriced chinese piano?
Thank you for your videos. I'm really enjoying them. I learned how different pianos were when my teacher while I was majoring in music at college said he had played every Steinway concert grand in 3 warehouses to choose the one I was taking lessons on. At the time, of course, I didn't probably understand that in much detail, though.
I just bought an older used Knabe piano, the pins are rusty, but it has wonderful sound. I thought later on of having the pins replaced. The tuner said it was only worrysome if the strings would break. The keys look like they have an "ivory" venneer, one key the veneer popped, so the tuner coming to repair it,, but it has great tone and sound. Is there any way to tell how old it is. It doesnt seem to have the plactic type keys that the newer pianos have. This Piano is Japanese? Thanks!
absolutely adore Charles Walter pianos, so happy to hear them mentioned in the beginning, I played a new mahogany 6 footer or so at local Steinway Hall and was blown away, definitely on my wish list /bucket list instrument list. The Shigeru's (SK's) remain my no 1 absolute dream (though a particular fine example from Steingraeber , August Forster or a Faz might sway me, or a realy sweet Baldwin SF 10 either from final days the AR shop was making them or a restored vintage....) :)
I visited a Charles R. Walter dealer and those instruments have amazing action and sound. Their consoles are also beautiful furniture. I personally prefer uprights/verticals because both my own and my parents' house are quite small, and at around $11-12k the Walters are affordable too.
I am looking around for a Baby Grand Piano for my 12 year old son. We looked at a Young Chang Bergmann today. The piano has one owner and the piano sounded beautiful the owner wants to sell the piano for 5700.00 and said it was 8 to 10 years old. Do you think that is a good price for this piano/
My mother in law has a Shubert stand up piano that was made in New York. I am going to take pictures of it later but I am looking for any information on the brand and whether or not they are good pianos.
Samick apparently bought Gulbransen in the 80s. We have an old Gulbransen upright that sounds like an old saloon piano! They were based in Chicago and you can find plenty of Ebay listings for them! I recommend them!
My grandfather has one of the last Australian made 'Beale' pianos in the world and I much prefer it to the American pianos I've tried. He's had it since 1973 and regularly tunes it and still sounds amazing and sounds different from the normal retail pianos. I think it depends on the brand.
I love pianos and it was simply great to hear from someone so knowledgable about all the brands of piano. Some people will argue which piano brands are the best but we get this debate with practically every instrument. Anyway good job!
You seriously have a lot of knowledge inside that brain of yours. Thank you so much for telling me about different types of pianos. Picking the right piano is even more stressful than picking the right car (and might even cost more). Thank you.
Thanks so much for the answers. I looked up the serial no. on the internet and the piano is about 61 yrs old. The Knabe info I googled said they are guarateed to last about 100yrs. and that Knabe is known as a 'singer's piano' because of the sweet tone.The piano dealer said he cannot keep used Knabes;they sell almost as soon as they come in. This piano helps me hear the tone and notes, I would recommend a Knabe[ older ]to anybody! Thanks for the info! God Bless.
Hi PerrrfictKats. I know your post is old but ill ask anyway. Do you know the name of piano dealer who can't keep Knabe's in stock as I inherited three pianos from my dad. Two Knabe player baby grands.. two are Ampico B draws and the third is a Haines Brothers with an Ampico A draw along with over 1200 piano rolls most Ampico and many QRS and others plus many parts. Im hoping you're still on RUclips. Thanks Eddie J.
Hello, I would like to buy a piano 1/4 and I hesitate between Essex, Petrof and Yamaha. This is for an advanced young pianist (9 years of practice). What would you recommande?
Well that was great ! Thank you ! I think a piano should be ready and at its best when new. Of course one can make changes in tone and adjustments along the way. And the tuning becomes more stable on a mature instrument. But the hammers are wearing away and getting shorter with use, etc. This sounds more to me like the difference between american and german Steinways for example, the first more economical and the latter simply better in all aspects. Don't you think so ?
If you are purchasing a high end piano ($100,000 or more) then you need to try all the top brands and make your choice using their serial number to narrow your choice. I've played many a piano and I only recall one Steinway that was incredible. No fault of Steinway, it's just that that particular piano gave me bliss. Sadly I couldn't afford it at the time.
Check Schimmel! Amazing, plenty of awards. I've got one K 122 and it is just fabulous. Comparing best makes that I've had the pleasure to play, this is my list: Boesendorfer, Grotrian Steinweg, C. Bechestein, Schimmel, Steinway, Fazioli, Steingraeber, Bluthner, Shigeru Kawai, Yahama and Mason & Hamlin.
What does Steinway dominate in the number in most concert halls? Is it because Steinway dominates in music schools so musicians want to perform to a already familiar key action?
pliuworld Yes. Steinway has or had exclusive agreements in major Music Schools and also major Concert Halls. So musicians who can afford it buy Steinways because they want to practice on a piano action they are familiar with, but also because they are likely to hav eno alternative in concert. In addition, Steinway really are great pianos !
Pierre Moller I used to hold this opinion by recognizing a piano by its "brand name" (such as "Steinway really are great"). But I got very confused after running into so many ordinary Steinway pianos which are poorly voiced or maintained. They are everywhere in friends' houses, schools, or some local auditoriums. People always proudly presented their Steinway's to me and I played them with high expectation, and turned out to be very confusingly disappointed. I therefore started to developed a understanding to play and listen to each instrument not by their brand.
pliuworld I do agree that each piano is different, especially when it is pre-owned. And a badly tuned or maintained Steinway can be as bad as anything. I recently attended a charity concert in Paris' salle Wagram and the action of the Steinway failed during Beethoven's 5th concerto... Incidentally, I recently played a Steinway S from 1960 that was good, but did not appeal to me at all. Still, if the purpose is to compare brands rather than individual instruments, which is the topic of the post, I believe one has to rely on general opinions from artists, piano tuners and craftsmen. From what I heard over my 4 month quest, is that Steinway is always ranked at the top, but not alone. Last but least, the brand has an influence on resell price and some buyers like me take that into account since I probably will have to sell it when retiring in 15 years. I usually avoid testing pianos from top brands such as Steinway, Fazioli, Bösendorfer, Steingraeber and Bechstein, because I can't afford them when new, and they are grossly overpriced when pre-owned. Conversely, I do not waste time going and testing unknown brands pianos : I believe that even if I find a great instrument, it will be difficult or impossible to resell. Therefore, I focus my search on a few prestigious brands that I know to make great instruments when new and that are not overpriced when used, such as Yamaha (S series), Grotrian, Sauter, Blüthner, Schimmel, Seiler. In the US I would probably have included Kawai in my list, but there are very few on the second hand market in France.
I have a 3 thousand dollar Falcone upright at home but once I drove a long way to AZ Piano in Phoenix to play their 110 thousand dollar 9'2" Schimmel concert and I don't ever mean to toot my own horn but I pretty much wet myself when I played Chopin's nocturnes on that thing. I can only hope I'll get to play a Steinway and Sons someday.
I see so many pianos of the upright variety, old pianos that are free on Facebook Marketplace. I see a lot of 100 year old grand pianos for under a thousand dollars. Are these just shot or is it because there’s just not a demand for pianos any more?
How do you define "best"? There are so many different characteristics relating to playing alone (i.e. not considering things such as serviceability, durability, build consistency etc), for example: action/responsiveness, tone, balance between the bass and high registers etc. And of course choosing is also very subjective: what kind of sound do you want? What style of music you play and so on...
And Steinway didn't produce their 6-foot 2-inch model A for most of the 20th century in New York. So if you want a grand of that size, there are far more Baldwins available than any other comparable American piano.
Thanks for this informative piece. Your Piano sounds very sweet; no wonder you look so happy!! My Eric Johnson Stratocaster has the same effect on me. Does the cost of a hand made piano mean a lifetime of longing for a Pianist? Let's hope that everyone who loves them gets one chance to play such a wonderous thing at least once in a lifetime. PS Sincere thanks to your Dad for a lifetime of commitment to the art of sound. Alan.
My piano is Steinway & sons ebony parlor grand 6 foot 2 inches and my parents paid 68K for it years ago. I love my piano. Thank you Steinway for making such beautiful and clear sounding piano. To order brand new Steinway it has to be built by hand it takes one year to get your order. The company in NYC told me I would have to be patient if I want to get a concert grand D piano. Yikes!
Thank you Robert. Very educational video. Unless I missed a specific part, I did not hear you mention Stuart & Sons which is manufactured in Australia. Where do they rank in your opinion. Thank you kindly.
HI there. Your apresentation was very cool on piano brands but I have a question to ask you. I didnt see pleyel pianos in this video. I hear people say they are realy good but I dont know if they are american or european and whats your opinion on the pleyel pianos brand. P.S: Wich one you think is better, a pleyel, a bosendorfer or a steinway? if possible post your favourite one type XD
What about Kimball? They're no longer in business, right? But you can certainly find them used; I have one. My tuner tells me they are quite good. So what about used pianos, including brands no longer made? Like the guy said, there used to be zillions of US brands... [And I see he's got a vid on old vs. new pianos - gotta check that out.] Fred .
My budget for a piano is around $5000. With this money I can only buy a Chinese (Ritmuller) upright acoustic piano. But I can buy a fairly good digital piano from a reputable brand for the same price. I personally like the sound of the acoustic piano way more than the digital but am scared that it wouldn't last as long. What do I choose?
There are a handful of small shops that build specific instruments in very limited quantity. David Rubenstein in California being another and produces a custom 8' and 12'2" grand with 97 notes.
what about Heintzman? They're Canadian, but have been making pianos since 1866, almost as long as Steinway. Apparently they're the finest Canadian pianos you'll find.We have one at home from the 70s (never restored or anything) and it sounds and feels really good. They're prices are also reasonably good.
lucky you1! we had a heinzman upright growing up. my brother and i had no interest in piano lessons our parents put us through. i picked up the piano 10 years later. i would kill to have that heinzman, but i have 2 Mason and Risch pianos at home. lets show love to these canadian pianos
Boston is made by Kawai, designed by Steinway. Essex is made in China, I forget who makes it. I know Steinway markets them, they may have designed them as well.
You're welcome! Incidentally Steinway completely designed both Boston and Essex. They contracted Boston to Kawai back in the late 1980's. The Boston piano is superior to Kawai but it's also priced that way. Essex actually saw an improvement when manufacturing went from Young Chang to Pearl River. Despite it's Chinese manufacturing, they aren't bad pianos.
Pleyel shut down 4 times in it's history. The company that used Pleyel brand recently and that shut down in 2013 had nothing to do with the original Pleyel of Chopin's time. The original Pleyel went bankrupt in early 1930s during the big economic crisis, resumed operation and eventually disappeared completely during WWII when the factory was destroyed by a bombing in 1944. In the 1960's and 1970's, Pleyel was a brand used by Schimmel ; these Pleyel sounded like (good) German pianos, but not as original Pleyels. Later, the brand was purchased by a french businessman who resumed manufacturing in France, but not in the original Pleyel factory, and not with Pleyel people. If you want a Pleyel that sounds like Chopin's favorite instrument, you need to buy a Pleyel manufactured before 1930.
Just curious...If you are actually playing a piano or present when someone else is playing, you can discern the quality differences; but if you listen to piano music in mp3 format over a blue tooth speaker, could you discern the tonal differences?
Helpful! I recently had a chance to play the Model S6 of Yamaha, and it was MAGNIFICENT! By the way, can you tell me about special aspects of sounds of Fazioli, Bosendorfer and Bechstein concert grands? I have played Steinway Model D and Yamaha CFIIIS at the concert, but haven't played one of 3 brands I mentioned... I guess all of them are handmade, but I would feel pleasure to know the basic aspects of tones of Fazioli, Bosendorfer and Bechstein.
Thank you for the intro. What about Perzina grands? A sales guy told me they are hand made and use European components, even though they are made in China. Is that true? He also mentioned things like "floating soundboard", wet sand cast iron, etc. Do these make a difference?
However, before the bankruptcy and Gibson takeover in the early 2000's, there was definitely a decline in manufacturing consistency which began in the 1990's. Baldwin redesigned all of their grand pianos in a joint venture with the German piano manufacturer Bechstein which Baldwin owned from the 1960's through the 1980's. First they introduced the SD-10 concert grand in 1966. The SF-10 7-foot grand appeared in 1972.
@TweakRacer Nearly all piano companies have their up and down periods of production. Even the exact same brand and model of piano new in the store have different character since pianos are made of wood, leather, felt and other organic materials as well as the metal plate and strings. The right piano is the one you feel a connection to.
The vast majority of these pianos come from China and Indonesia. While the quality has improved over the years, I wouldn't think of these instruments as ones to be past down generation to generation since the cost of rebuilding would exceed the original retail price of the piano.
@urbano277 Pleyel piano company was founded in France at the end of the end of the 18th century. They currently produce several hundred pianos a year. Chopin played a Pleyel piano as did Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Ravel, de Falla and Stravinsky. The tone is typical of fine European pianos exhibiting a clear, focused sound which is more delicate than the American piano sound. The sound is much closer to Bösendorfer than to Steinway.
I have been a Piano Tuner for over 40 years and from my experience you should never judge a Piano by Brand there are very good and very bad Pianos of all Brands When you go to buy a Piano choose the one you fall in love with as everyone has a different taste, touch, tone and feel, also take a Piano tuner with you to inspect the Piano as there are some Pianos which cannot be repaired such as one American brand where the action is made of plastic and nylon and none of the action parts are screwed onto a action rail frame they are glued on instead
Hi Vincent. My dad was a rebuilder & tuner for over 45 years. He would never ever use one of digital tuners. The one thing that drove me bonkers was when he'd be tuning one of his pianos and I'd have to listen to the notes over and over till they were to his liking. I kinda miss the smell of the heated glue pots during rebuilding of a client's pianos. Im curious to know what is the going price for a tuning these days? My dad left me with three player baby grands. Two knabes with Ampico B draws and a Haines Brothers with an Ampico A draw. Out of all three only the Haines Brothers plays. My dad was rebuilding the two knabes but unfortunately he was hit by someone texting and driving back in 1999 as he was crossing the street. My uncle Bob was helping me identify player parts but he later pasted before I had sent pictures of all the parts ie player draws, pumps and valves. You might have known my uncle Bob Streicher as well he was a machinist and parts maker and still mentioned in a lot of piano blogs. I might have miss spelled his last name. Anyway, let me know about how much a good tuning goes for... Thanks Eddie J.
6 out of 10 finalists in the International Chopin Competition last year chose the Yamaha CFX over both of the other choices. The other two choices?? A Fazioli and a Hamburg built Steinway D.
Bozendorfer has a heavier almost muffled tone depending on piece played. Yamahas are more traditional in jazz teios because have a briggtee sound across the tonal range. An older steinway model B from say 40s has exquisite tone. I have many experienced friends of mine play my 9 ft petrof and agree it has a beautiful sound throughout its range. Sometimes it's apples and oranges. Many factors involved..also a very personal taste in deciding which piano is right for you.
Bosendorfers and Yamahas vary. Some Bosendorfers, like the new VCs, are very clear in tone. Yamaha is used in many styles, including Classical. It's a myth Yamaha is an instrument for particular genres. Plus, they've changed their tone on the CF, CX series and the new SX and debrightened their other pianos. But I find Steinways just as popular in jazz as Yamahas are. And they're used in pop as well (Billy Joel for instance). I agree, it's personal in deciding which piano is right for anyone. I like 12 or so pianos from different makers and like the 7 to 7 1/2 foot range pianos best. Like the Steinway B, that's one of them. Though nothing beats the 9+ footers for bass and projection.
Because fazioli is a relative new brand. second: steinway pays famous pianist to play for the brand.... and third (glenn gould as example) as they use another brand, they are not allowed to play on steinway anymore....
Bosendorfer used to be the best but Fazioli outranks all competitors. It's like comparing an artists's palette with 20 colours with one that has 200 different shades. Of course, you have to be able to play to a certain level before you can truly appreciate the difference.
I agree completely, Fazioli is my dream instrument...but I know of a person who has played Faziolis and doesn't like them because they are 'too perfect'. He says that they are so well engineered that they are almost artificial seeming, whereas Steinways etc all have a bit of character in their imperfections. I just think nothing even comes close to the tone of the Fazioli though.
Glad that you call it your dream instrument: that's what performing is all about, realising your dreams in sound. I heard comments about perfection before and about the sound being 'cold and impersonal' when actually the piano is neutral with exquisite tone colours & depth so the artist can truly project their own personality and imagination. That's what I meant when I talked about being at a certain standard to fully appreciate what an instrument can do.
I prefer Bosendorfer right now. But, I haven't heard a Fazioli live. I've heard Bosendorfer live. However, I just think I prefer the Bosendorfer approach to sound.
Mike - FYI, Essex is made by Pearl River in China for Steinway. The Boston piano is made by Kawai for Steinway (in Japan). I have played on a Boston and it is a very good piano, somewhat comparable to a Kawai or Yamaha. Pearl River is owned by Yamaha and is typically carried by Yamaha dealers as lower priced alternative. However, the Essex brand may be a bit better since it's made to Steinway's specs.
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My favorite pianos are Fazioli, Steinway (Hamburg), and Shigeru Kawai, because of their exquisite sound and fine craftsmanship.
Next, the L was redesigned and eventually all of the grand pianos employed design tweaks including the patented Acu-Just hitch pins which offer more sustained tone particularly in the high register. What sets the Baldwin L grand piano apart from Steinway and Mason & Hamlin is that there are very few Mason & Hamlin model AA pianos which are 6-foot 4-inch grands.
I've been rebuilding and restoring pianos in the US for 42 years and there are many great pianos in the world. It's about how they were made, the materials used, the period of time they were made and from what country. Every country has a different sound, and different approach to soundboard making, plate height, bridge height and angles, casting of the plate, hammer making, action geometry and voicing, let alone the material the rim and cabinet is made out of. You can find great pianos and bad pianos from the same company. There in no real right answer. I personally think a properly restored Mason & Hamlin with the new carbon composite WNG action and Ronsen made Weichart /Wurzen hammers is hard to beat. A new well aged white spruce soundboard with sugar pine ribs doesn't hurt either. This kind of piano can't be over-driven.
Hi Timothy. My dad was in the business for 45 yrs as both a rebuilder and tuner. I remember helping rebuild the players and gluing all the bellows and connecting hoses from the draw to the action as a little kid. Unfortunately he's no longer here but he left me three player baby grands with a tons of parts and over 1200-1500 piano rolls plus. My uncle Bob who was a machinist / parts maker was helping me by identifying the parts but sadly he to passed away. You may know my dad and more so my uncle Bob aka Robert Streicher i probably missed spelled his name. I forgot to mention I kinda miss the smell of the heated glue pots.
Wow! What do you think about Wurlitzer pianos? I am thinking of buying a used one for $200.
i like how he plays the opening music to the 'show' on his own hahahahhaa
@urbano277 Depending upon the type of music being performed, each piano has its advantages. The clarity and delicacy of European pianos is wonderful for classical period music (Mozart and Haydn) particularly chamber music. Steinway is a great piano for concerto playing since it has the power to balance well with orchestra.
The opening claim that the US makes the best pianos is kind of silly. My opinion is that there is no "best", there is only your preference, and your budget.
I think Mr. Estrin has a fondness for the old American pianos and that's sort of etched in his memory. Sometimes people have a fondness for what they grew up with. He's a great presenter and all and a fine pianist, but I disagree with him when he gets into generalizing about "Asian" pianos. Asian pianos have a huge range in quality, Japanese have been making pianos the longest time, and some of the best are as good as any piano in the world, IMO. Also, some of the middle-priced ones being made in China are comparable to any American or European piano for the price. There are horrible Chinese pianos, decent ones, and absolutely wonderful ones.
@@benjaminsmith2287 Hailun makes great grands and uprights! I've played them before and they sound beautiful!
Well, it depends how you look his statement: First of all, Steinway is american brand and he does not list Hamburg made Steinways in his Europe category so we must consider that he calculates Hamburg-made Steinways as a american brand products and Hamburg does make very good instruments for sure. And almost every other grand pianos are more or less based/copied from Steinway as it is the piano to where everything else is always compared.
@@benjaminsmith2287 I agree. He's projecting the old and sadly, ignorant, blanket assumptions about instrument branding. He's a man of his time, I guess.
@@dennisdeemii tbh in the last 10 years since this video has been made yamaha and kawai or even the asian pianos also have brought up their build quality.
Great video and good explanations.
I live in Paris and am currently testing pianos in order to buy a small grand. What is said in the video confirms what I discover from my own experience, from discussions with (good) salesmen and with my tuner whom I ask for advice.
One could argue 2 points :
- the handcrafted japanese pianos (Yamaha CF and S series, Shigeru Kawai) are of the same quality as European and US-made ; but the guy actually acknowledges it during his explanations ;
- the east-european pianos are not in the same league as the German-Austrian-Italians - but this is confirmed in the presentation.
Pleyel pianos are excellent examples of great European piano design. The pianos are very refined with a bright, clear tone. Like other European pianos like Bechstein and Bosendorfer, playing a Pleyel requires a sensitivity since they project tone with less effort than American pianos like Steinway and Mason & Hamlin. So as long as you don't have a heavy approach to the piano, these instruments can provide a high level playing experience.
You are an amazing teacher and personality! We appreciate your content!
Why couldn’t newer countries and people simply employ the same techniques and products as the age old experts?
@TweakRacer Your observation that you can get more piano for your money if you give up the prestigious Steinway name is right on target. It comes down to personal preference. Other factors to consider are the period of time the piano was made.
you have not mentioned Schimmel piano, also German brand I think,and a pretty good one too I heard.
Any reason?
Schimmels are just the best for chamber music
I love Schimmel as well!
I'm a piano tuner and rebuilder in WV. I absolutely agree with your video. Though it would have been nice to hear something about Baldwin. . . since you are seated at one! There are 2 Walter pianos, in my area, that i service. I'm very glad you mentioned them. They are wonderful pianos. It hurts me to see fantastic old piano names slapped on something that will never live up to the name.
Outstanding. I am a retired piano technician who has tuned and repaired over 25,000 times. I've had a Schimmel 6'4" grand since 1970 that has given me much pleasure. It is well constructed and certainly beats the majority of pianos I've tuned. It's like a thirsty man coming to water. If, I had to replace it, I would choose an older Steinway that had that certain touch and sound.
My favorite is Bösendorfer, but each piano is different, so try before you buy !
The Baldwin Model L Artist Series Grand Piano has a rich history. For the most part the piano was manufactured to a very high standard throughout Baldwin's history.
The Yamaha CFX is the new king of the block in concert pianos around the world. Yamaha sells 11,000 pianos a year for a reason. Founded in 1887 and renowned around the world in both upright form and grand piano form. Thanks for your video and review.
A couple of years ago the PTG national convention featured my Living Piano: Journey Through Time: Historic Concert Experience. I have not been to one since then, but you never know!
Feurich and Grotrian don't even exist, then?
Feurich is just chinese made piano with german name.
studentjohn36 There’s a Grotrian-Steinweg piano.
@@wiltzu81 You are rather young. i was lucky enough the spend two days at the Feurich factory in Gunzenhausen. A great loss when they shut down, but hundreds of their grands are still in first rate condition.
@@studentjohn35 world is full of piano makers that have existed in past and names have come alive again with chinese makers. I assumed that your original question referred to existing pianos made with names like Feurich and Grotrian and not with the produts that someone else made in past in Germany with same name. And my age have nothing to do with that matter. I have played hundreds of those pianos which original manufacturers do not exist anymore as markets in Europe atleast for second hand are full of those kind of pianos. For example we used to have here in Finland Hellas and Fazer, who made pianos. Both went oblivion like 20 years ago, but couple years ago Hellas popped back or tried that with the name installed to chinese mass produced piano. Mostly all these chinese pianos, nor matter what fancy old european name it has, come from one factory that is Pearl River just without Pearl River name. If you are willing to pay, chinese will make the piano even with your name and that what some european companies have done as survival solutions in avoiding costly production let say in Germany, so moving manufacturing to China. I would not be surprices to find in someday in future that there is chinese piano on market with name John Broadwood or Conrad Graf which is then advertised as a piano that Beethoven played. Even Steinway isn't as it used to be. They have cheaper model lines Boston and Essex. Both have highlighted note "Designed by Steinway", but one (Boston) is made by Kawai in Japan and in Indonesia and another (Essex) by Pearl River in China. The good question then is, that if Pearl Rivers own small grand cost like 10 000 and same piano with "Designed by Steinway" sticker has double price, is it then bargain/cheap Steinway or overpriced chinese piano?
If you want to get an upright piano which is really nice and affordable, I would recommend Kawai K300 (I have one).
Thank you for your videos. I'm really enjoying them. I learned how different pianos were when my teacher while I was majoring in music at college said he had played every Steinway concert grand in 3 warehouses to choose the one I was taking lessons on. At the time, of course, I didn't probably understand that in much detail, though.
I just bought an older used Knabe piano, the pins are rusty, but it has wonderful sound. I thought later on of having the pins replaced. The tuner said it was only worrysome if the strings would break. The keys look like they have an "ivory" venneer, one key the veneer popped, so the tuner coming to repair it,, but it has great tone and sound. Is there any way to tell how old it is. It doesnt seem to have the plactic type keys that the newer pianos have. This Piano is Japanese? Thanks!
absolutely adore Charles Walter pianos, so happy to hear them mentioned in the beginning, I played a new mahogany 6 footer or so at local Steinway Hall and was blown away, definitely on my wish list /bucket list instrument list. The Shigeru's (SK's) remain my no 1 absolute dream (though a particular fine example from Steingraeber , August Forster or a Faz might sway me, or a realy sweet Baldwin SF 10 either from final days the AR shop was making them or a restored vintage....) :)
I agree! The Shigeru Kawai is stunning, I was lucky enough to play one in Japan a few years ago. And, Charles Walter are lovely, even the uprights.
I visited a Charles R. Walter dealer and those instruments have amazing action and sound. Their consoles are also beautiful furniture. I personally prefer uprights/verticals because both my own and my parents' house are quite small, and at around $11-12k the Walters are affordable too.
I am looking around for a Baby Grand Piano for my 12 year old son. We looked at a Young Chang Bergmann today. The piano has one owner and the piano sounded beautiful the owner wants to sell the piano for 5700.00 and said it was 8 to 10 years old. Do you think that is a good price for this piano/
My mother in law has a Shubert stand up piano that was made in New York. I am going to take pictures of it later but I am looking for any information on the brand and whether or not they are good pianos.
Samick apparently bought Gulbransen in the 80s. We have an old Gulbransen upright that sounds like an old saloon piano! They were based in Chicago and you can find plenty of Ebay listings for them! I recommend them!
I think at the end each peace needs a certain sound of piano so it's totally subjective and there's no such thing as the ultimate piano
My grandfather has one of the last Australian made 'Beale' pianos in the world and I much prefer it to the American pianos I've tried. He's had it since 1973 and regularly tunes it and still sounds amazing and sounds different from the normal retail pianos. I think it depends on the brand.
I love pianos and it was simply great to hear from someone so knowledgable about all the brands of piano. Some people will argue which piano brands are the best but we get this debate with practically every instrument. Anyway good job!
You seriously have a lot of knowledge inside that brain of yours. Thank you so much for telling me about different types of pianos. Picking the right piano is even more stressful than picking the right car (and might even cost more). Thank you.
The force is strong in this on. He even says Kenobi at 2:43.
thats because he is older luke
Thanks so much for the answers. I looked up the serial no. on the internet and the piano is about 61 yrs old. The Knabe info I googled said they are guarateed to last about 100yrs. and that Knabe is known as a 'singer's piano' because of the sweet tone.The piano dealer said he cannot keep used Knabes;they sell almost as soon as they come in. This piano helps me hear the tone and notes, I would recommend a Knabe[ older ]to anybody! Thanks for the info! God Bless.
Hi PerrrfictKats. I know your post is old but ill ask anyway. Do you know the name of piano dealer who can't keep Knabe's in stock as I inherited three pianos from my dad. Two Knabe player baby grands.. two are Ampico B draws and the third is a Haines Brothers with an Ampico A draw along with over 1200 piano rolls most Ampico and many QRS and others plus many parts. Im hoping you're still on RUclips. Thanks Eddie J.
Hello, I would like to buy a piano 1/4 and I hesitate between Essex, Petrof and Yamaha. This is for an advanced young pianist (9 years of practice). What would you recommande?
Well that was great ! Thank you ! I think a piano should be ready and at its best when new. Of course one can make changes in tone and adjustments along the way. And the tuning becomes more stable on a mature instrument. But the hammers are wearing away and getting shorter with use, etc. This sounds more to me like the difference between american and german Steinways for example, the first more economical and the latter simply better in all aspects. Don't you think so ?
If you are purchasing a high end piano ($100,000 or more) then you need to try all the top brands and make your choice using their serial number to narrow your choice. I've played many a piano and I only recall one Steinway that was incredible. No fault of Steinway, it's just that that particular piano gave me bliss. Sadly I couldn't afford it at the time.
Check Schimmel! Amazing, plenty of awards. I've got one K 122 and it is just fabulous. Comparing best makes that I've had the pleasure to play, this is my list: Boesendorfer, Grotrian Steinweg, C. Bechestein, Schimmel, Steinway, Fazioli, Steingraeber, Bluthner, Shigeru Kawai, Yahama and Mason & Hamlin.
What does Steinway dominate in the number in most concert halls? Is it because Steinway dominates in music schools so musicians want to perform to a already familiar key action?
pliuworld
Yes. Steinway has or had exclusive agreements in major Music Schools and also major Concert Halls. So musicians who can afford it buy Steinways because they want to practice on a piano action they are familiar with, but also because they are likely to hav eno alternative in concert.
In addition, Steinway really are great pianos !
Pierre Moller
I used to hold this opinion by recognizing a piano by its "brand name" (such as "Steinway really are great"). But I got very confused after running into so many ordinary Steinway pianos which are poorly voiced or maintained. They are everywhere in friends' houses, schools, or some local auditoriums. People always proudly presented their Steinway's to me and I played them with high expectation, and turned out to be very confusingly disappointed. I therefore started to developed a understanding to play and listen to each instrument not by their brand.
pliuworld I do agree that each piano is different, especially when it is pre-owned. And a badly tuned or maintained Steinway can be as bad as anything. I recently attended a charity concert in Paris' salle Wagram and the action of the Steinway failed during Beethoven's 5th concerto...
Incidentally, I recently played a Steinway S from 1960 that was good, but did not appeal to me at all.
Still, if the purpose is to compare brands rather than individual instruments, which is the topic of the post, I believe one has to rely on general opinions from artists, piano tuners and craftsmen. From what I heard over my 4 month quest, is that Steinway is always ranked at the top, but not alone.
Last but least, the brand has an influence on resell price and some buyers like me take that into account since I probably will have to sell it when retiring in 15 years. I usually avoid testing pianos from top brands such as Steinway, Fazioli, Bösendorfer, Steingraeber and Bechstein, because I can't afford them when new, and they are grossly overpriced when pre-owned. Conversely, I do not waste time going and testing unknown brands pianos : I believe that even if I find a great instrument, it will be difficult or impossible to resell.
Therefore, I focus my search on a few prestigious brands that I know to make great instruments when new and that are not overpriced when used, such as Yamaha (S series), Grotrian, Sauter, Blüthner, Schimmel, Seiler. In the US I would probably have included Kawai in my list, but there are very few on the second hand market in France.
pliuworld Just simply because Steinway knows how to market their brand in American style.
@renatoaranha Grotrian is a great piano manufacturer. It is certainly top tier and simply an omission on my part. Thanks for the input!
At: 4:10 the Estonia Piano Company is from Northern Europe not Eastern Europe
Would you share - what are the distinctions in good - bad pianos?
Wow, newest comment I found
I have a 3 thousand dollar Falcone upright at home but once I drove a long way to AZ Piano in Phoenix to play their 110 thousand dollar 9'2" Schimmel concert and I don't ever mean to toot my own horn but I pretty much wet myself when I played Chopin's nocturnes on that thing. I can only hope I'll get to play a Steinway and Sons someday.
Happy I have a Petrof and a Weinbach pianos! They are great for studio.
What ab out Kingsburg? What do you think of Kingsburg?
my list: Steinway (NY or Hamburg), Fazioli, Petrof, Mason & Hamlin, August Förster
I see so many pianos of the upright variety, old pianos that are free on Facebook Marketplace. I see a lot of 100 year old grand pianos for under a thousand dollars. Are these just shot or is it because there’s just not a demand for pianos any more?
How do you define "best"? There are so many different characteristics relating to playing alone (i.e. not considering things such as serviceability, durability, build consistency etc), for example: action/responsiveness, tone, balance between the bass and high registers etc. And of course choosing is also very subjective: what kind of sound do you want? What style of music you play and so on...
And Steinway didn't produce their 6-foot 2-inch model A for most of the 20th century in New York. So if you want a grand of that size, there are far more Baldwins available than any other comparable American piano.
I was curious what your thought was about the old wurlitzer pianos for someone starting out
I learned to play the piano from a Wurlitzer console....pretty good piano!
Thanks for this informative piece. Your Piano sounds very sweet; no wonder you look so happy!! My Eric Johnson Stratocaster has the same effect on me. Does the cost of a hand made piano mean a lifetime of longing for a Pianist? Let's hope that everyone who loves them gets one chance to play such a wonderous thing at least once in a lifetime.
PS Sincere thanks to your Dad for a lifetime of commitment to the art of sound. Alan.
My piano is Steinway & sons ebony parlor grand 6 foot 2 inches and my parents paid 68K for it years ago. I love my piano. Thank you Steinway for making such beautiful and clear sounding piano. To order brand new Steinway it has to be built by hand it takes one year to get your order. The company in NYC told me I would have to be patient if I want to get a concert grand D piano. Yikes!
How do you get your pianos to the top of your ivory tower?
Good things are worth waiting for.
Thank you Robert. Very educational video. Unless I missed a specific part, I did not hear you mention Stuart & Sons which is manufactured in Australia. Where do they rank in your opinion. Thank you kindly.
Thanks to take the time for all the info! really appreciate it :)
This was very interesting and enjoyable. Thank you for a great presentation.
HI there. Your apresentation was very cool on piano brands but I have a question to ask you.
I didnt see pleyel pianos in this video. I hear people say they are realy good but I dont know if they are american or european and whats your opinion on the pleyel pianos brand.
P.S: Wich one you think is better, a pleyel, a bosendorfer or a steinway? if possible post your favourite one type XD
What about Kimball? They're no longer in business, right? But you can certainly find them used; I have one. My tuner tells me they are quite good.
So what about used pianos, including brands no longer made? Like the guy said, there used to be zillions of US brands... [And I see he's got a vid on old vs. new pianos - gotta check that out.]
Fred
.
My budget for a piano is around $5000. With this money I can only buy a Chinese (Ritmuller) upright acoustic piano. But I can buy a fairly good digital piano from a reputable brand for the same price.
I personally like the sound of the acoustic piano way more than the digital but am scared that it wouldn't last as long.
What do I choose?
There are a handful of small shops that build specific instruments in very limited quantity. David Rubenstein in California being another and produces a custom 8' and 12'2" grand with 97 notes.
what about Heintzman? They're Canadian, but have been making pianos since 1866, almost as long as Steinway. Apparently they're the finest Canadian pianos you'll find.We have one at home from the 70s (never restored or anything) and it sounds and feels really good. They're prices are also reasonably good.
lucky you1! we had a heinzman upright growing up. my brother and i had no interest in piano lessons our parents put us through. i picked up the piano 10 years later. i would kill to have that heinzman, but i have 2 Mason and Risch pianos at home. lets show love to these canadian pianos
How are Boston and Essex pianos 'made up'? Aren't they designed by Steinway?
Yes, Boston is made by Steinway.
Boston is made by Kawai, designed by Steinway. Essex is made in China, I forget who makes it. I know Steinway markets them, they may have designed them as well.
Essex was formerly made by Young Chang of Korea, now it's made by Pearl River of China.
benvye: Thank you.
You're welcome! Incidentally Steinway completely designed both Boston and Essex. They contracted Boston to Kawai back in the late 1980's. The Boston piano is superior to Kawai but it's also priced that way. Essex actually saw an improvement when manufacturing went from Young Chang to Pearl River. Despite it's Chinese manufacturing, they aren't bad pianos.
What do you think about Korean Mafe Samick SU118F Upright from 1994?
What about Canada?
How would you compare Steinway vs Bosendorfer Grands? Is there much difference?
Does each great composer have an accompanying piano that fits their styles best?
Hello , would u advice the Yamaha u3 and Kawai us 6x???
Which one do u prefer more ??
You didn't mention Grotrian / Grotrian-Steinweg. What are your thoughts on this brand?
Any thoughts for Pearl River Piano? (A China Piano brand)
Kawai or Young Chang is better
How about Yamaha ones? (All piano types are referring to Upright)
Chua Min Yew Japanese made Yamaha's are best
yomama yodaddy I like your name
How about Young Chang vs Yamaha?
What about Pleyel from France? I heard they were shuting down though... :(
Pleyel shut down 4 times in it's history. The company that used Pleyel brand recently and that shut down in 2013 had nothing to do with the original Pleyel of Chopin's time.
The original Pleyel went bankrupt in early 1930s during the big economic crisis, resumed operation and eventually disappeared completely during WWII when the factory was destroyed by a bombing in 1944.
In the 1960's and 1970's, Pleyel was a brand used by Schimmel ; these Pleyel sounded like (good) German pianos, but not as original Pleyels. Later, the brand was purchased by a french businessman who resumed manufacturing in France, but not in the original Pleyel factory, and not with Pleyel people.
If you want a Pleyel that sounds like Chopin's favorite instrument, you need to buy a Pleyel manufactured before 1930.
Just curious...If you are actually playing a piano or present when someone else is playing, you can discern the quality differences; but if you listen to piano music in mp3 format over a blue tooth speaker, could you discern the tonal differences?
What you can tell me about a Merachals piano
Helpful! I recently had a chance to play the Model S6 of Yamaha, and it was MAGNIFICENT! By the way, can you tell me about special aspects of sounds of Fazioli, Bosendorfer and Bechstein concert grands? I have played Steinway Model D and Yamaha CFIIIS at the concert, but haven't played one of 3 brands I mentioned... I guess all of them are handmade, but I would feel pleasure to know the basic aspects of tones of Fazioli, Bosendorfer and Bechstein.
What's your opinion on Wurlitzer pianos? My piano teacher likes them better than her Steinway! Is she crazy?
You mention Ibach. It's been quite a while since their factory turned out an instrument from the factory in Schwelm (near Wuppertal)
Thank you for the intro. What about Perzina grands? A sales guy told me they are hand made and use European components, even though they are made in China. Is that true?
He also mentioned things like "floating soundboard", wet sand cast iron, etc. Do these make a difference?
However, before the bankruptcy and Gibson takeover in the early 2000's, there was definitely a decline in manufacturing consistency which began in the 1990's. Baldwin redesigned all of their grand pianos in a joint venture with the German piano manufacturer Bechstein which Baldwin owned from the 1960's through the 1980's. First they introduced the SD-10 concert grand in 1966. The SF-10 7-foot grand appeared in 1972.
@TweakRacer Nearly all piano companies have their up and down periods of production. Even the exact same brand and model of piano new in the store have different character since pianos are made of wood, leather, felt and other organic materials as well as the metal plate and strings. The right piano is the one you feel a connection to.
The vast majority of these pianos come from China and Indonesia. While the quality has improved over the years, I wouldn't think of these instruments as ones to be past down generation to generation since the cost of rebuilding would exceed the original retail price of the piano.
Yes, what about Schimmel? Not sure how he can totally ignore Schimmel. If you get the chance play the Schimmel 213K NWS. It is a fabulous piano.
Hello, what can you say about Soviet pianos, by the way?
My 1978 Studio upright Yamaha was built in Grand Haven Michigan at the old Everett factory after Yamaha bought it. (1973-1989)
what about pianos from canada. Heinzman, mason and risch. Although they are no longer. I love my Mason and Risch console and my cameo piano
yes young struggling pianist is a pretty good description for me :D
How will i know if petrof piano build in eastern Europe and not in China?
@urbano277 Pleyel piano company was founded in France at the end of the end of the 18th century. They currently produce several hundred pianos a year. Chopin played a Pleyel piano as did Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Ravel, de Falla and Stravinsky. The tone is typical of fine European pianos exhibiting a clear, focused sound which is more delicate than the American piano sound. The sound is much closer to Bösendorfer than to Steinway.
Very educational. I thought he would talk about quality of wood used but that seemed to have been skipped.
I have been a Piano Tuner for over 40 years and from my experience you should never judge a Piano by Brand there are very good and very bad Pianos of all Brands When you go to buy a Piano choose the one you fall in love with as everyone has a different taste, touch, tone and feel, also take a Piano tuner with you to inspect the Piano as there are some Pianos which cannot be repaired such as one American brand where the action is made of plastic and nylon and none of the action parts are screwed onto a action rail frame they are glued on instead
Hi Vincent. My dad was a rebuilder & tuner for over 45 years. He would never ever use one of digital tuners. The one thing that drove me bonkers was when he'd be tuning one of his pianos and I'd have to listen to the notes over and over till they were to his liking. I kinda miss the smell of the heated glue pots during rebuilding of a client's pianos. Im curious to know what is the going price for a tuning these days? My dad left me with three player baby grands. Two knabes with Ampico B draws and a Haines Brothers with an Ampico A draw. Out of all three only the Haines Brothers plays. My dad was rebuilding the two knabes but unfortunately he was hit by someone texting and driving back in 1999 as he was crossing the street. My uncle Bob was helping me identify player parts but he later pasted before I had sent pictures of all the parts ie player draws, pumps and valves. You might have known my uncle Bob Streicher as well he was a machinist and parts maker and still mentioned in a lot of piano blogs. I might have miss spelled his last name. Anyway, let me know about how much a good tuning goes for... Thanks Eddie J.
What do you think about Schiller?
6 out of 10 finalists in the International Chopin Competition last year chose the Yamaha CFX over both of the other choices. The other two choices?? A Fazioli and a Hamburg built Steinway D.
Out of this list I’ve only heard of Yamaha, Kawai, and Steinway lol! I wonder where Roland and Korg fall or are made
Korg and Roland are very good digital piano brands, I don't know if they even make acoustic pianos
Both made in Japan and only electronic -- no acoustic models.
Electronic means you don’t have to waste money tuning them.
Bozendorfer has a heavier almost muffled tone depending on piece played. Yamahas are more traditional in jazz teios because have a briggtee sound across the tonal range. An older steinway model B from say 40s has exquisite tone. I have many experienced friends of mine play my 9 ft petrof and agree it has a beautiful sound throughout its range. Sometimes it's apples and oranges. Many factors involved..also a very personal taste in deciding which piano is right for you.
Bosendorfers and Yamahas vary. Some Bosendorfers, like the new VCs, are very clear in tone. Yamaha is used in many styles, including Classical. It's a myth Yamaha is an instrument for particular genres. Plus, they've changed their tone on the CF, CX series and the new SX and debrightened their other pianos. But I find Steinways just as popular in jazz as Yamahas are. And they're used in pop as well (Billy Joel for instance). I agree, it's personal in deciding which piano is right for anyone. I like 12 or so pianos from different makers and like the 7 to 7 1/2 foot range pianos best. Like the Steinway B, that's one of them. Though nothing beats the 9+ footers for bass and projection.
Because fazioli is a relative new brand. second: steinway pays famous pianist to play for the brand.... and third (glenn gould as example) as they use another brand, they are not allowed to play on steinway anymore....
It would be nice to do a video about the full range of those Charles Walter pianos, from small to grand.
Have you ever played one of the new Yamaha CX series? Are they good value?
Acujust Hitch pins were made to help the piano as the soundboard decrowns. check out the Permacrown on the new Yamaha CFX
what do you think of Hobart M. Cable pianos? specifically ones from the 70' and 80's.
it seems this comparision is about new pianos. what about older used ones? Have all brands got better over time?
What do you think about August Förster ?
Schimmel Konzert series doesn't rate a mention!. Is this another stencil piano?.
Bosendorfer used to be the best but Fazioli outranks all competitors. It's like comparing an artists's palette with 20 colours with one that has 200 different shades. Of course, you have to be able to play to a certain level before you can truly appreciate the difference.
I agree completely, Fazioli is my dream instrument...but I know of a person who has played Faziolis and doesn't like them because they are 'too perfect'. He says that they are so well engineered that they are almost artificial seeming, whereas Steinways etc all have a bit of character in their imperfections. I just think nothing even comes close to the tone of the Fazioli though.
Glad that you call it your dream instrument: that's what performing is all about, realising your dreams in sound. I heard comments about perfection before and about the sound being 'cold and impersonal' when actually the piano is neutral with exquisite tone colours & depth so the artist can truly project their own personality and imagination. That's what I meant when I talked about being at a certain standard to fully appreciate what an instrument can do.
Angela Hewitt made a Double-Set DVD playing baroque music on a Fazioli, for favor! or for flavor.
I prefer Bosendorfer right now. But, I haven't heard a Fazioli live. I've heard Bosendorfer live. However, I just think I prefer the Bosendorfer approach to sound.
@@benjaminsmith2287 I play a Bösie. Nothing else will do.
Mike - FYI, Essex is made by Pearl River in China for Steinway. The Boston piano is made by Kawai for Steinway (in Japan). I have played on a Boston and it is a very good piano, somewhat comparable to a Kawai or Yamaha. Pearl River is owned by Yamaha and is typically carried by Yamaha dealers as lower priced alternative. However, the Essex brand may be a bit better since it's made to Steinway's specs.
Is it true that a full upright has the same frame size as a Baby Grand?