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Could someone please provide a brief explanation of spinet, console and upright pianos?

Thanks!

A spinet is a very short piano. Many compromises are made to enable it to function at that size. Basically they sound bad.

A console is a bit larger and has fewer compromises but it's still going to be limited in the depth of bass it can produce.

A full upright is basically a baby grand set up on end. So the tonal quality is going to be fairly equal to a small grand piano. The action is different from a grand, but for most of us mortals, the difference probably wouldn't limit our repertoire.

Since all three take up about the same amount of floor space, I don't know why anybody would select a spinet or console over a full upright unless the only space for it is next to a counter or in the middle of the room.

http://www.lucamusic.com/truecraftsmanship.htm
is a retail site found on Google, with extra words of explanation.

Thanks, Bob and Lightnin. Very responsive information. Unfortunately, you just confirmed that my spinet is a piece of furniture that has a part-time job as a musical instrument. Well, it was free, and even had I known more about the various types of pianos when I got it, I still would have accepted it.

I just hope that, now that I've been exposed as a spinet-owner, my PW membership won't be revoked.

Don't feel bad. Even a spinet is better than the DGX-500 that I bought when I wanted to learn. At least the keys of a spinet feel like a real piano which is more than I can say for the digital keyboard.

Mark - Your membership won't be revoked, but I can promise you this...If you stick around here you will get Grand Fever! Coming from one whose piece of furniture/pso is now sitting in her classroom at school and the new Estonia 190 takes up a whole room of its own!

I suppose it's better to have grand fever than disco fever. At least with the spinet, I can blame the piano for the horrible sounds coming out of it when I play.