I've had a U1 for about 10 years now..although I think it's a good piano, I use a Yamaha PSR digital, which I find to be more fun, and it does have a very good (loud) sound. I'm not much into classical music which may be the reason I don't find the acoustic very pleasing. Just my $0.02.

LOL....Carol, you bought a piano before you'd even played? Had you had experince as a child?
I never considered going straight to an acoustic because I really didn't know if I'd be able to do it and I couldn't see spending the money. In retrospect, I could have rented but at the time it never ocurred to me!

Andy - ah! whew! Thanks so much for helping me feel guilt-free impatience! lol

MiM - I'm happy to hear how satisfied you are with your digital. Mine is sweet, but just isn't cutting it for me anymore. I think I need the physical vibrations of an acoustic.

I'm reading "Grand Obsession" right now and really enjoying it. I had not realized the author is a member here at Piano World. The way she talks about her feelings on being an adult beginner are so representative of what I've felt, I feel quite "in tune" with her story!
One of the things she talks about is her worry that she is "worth" a grand piano as she is an amateur, at best intermediate level....while I'm not looking at a grand I still confess to feeling a bit strange saying that at my ...what, Pre?-intermediate level, I'm somewhat dissatisfied with a digital.

Who would have thought?
I hope to have something new to report soon!

CONGRATULATIONS!! It's so very hard to wait for something as spectacular as this! You will not regret getting an acoustic...I absolutely love mine!

Please let us know when it arrives and send pictures!

ENJOY!!

Nancy

Well, I'm still at the hunting stage, but yes, as soon as I have it in place, I promise to post pics
Hey Nancymae, we are piano twins - we started on the same day, and both on Yamaha digitals!

Cas, I wasn't buying it - I originally stored my piano for a friend; when she casually mentioned that she needed to park it somewhere, something lit up inside me at the idea of learning to play. But it was ages between when I said I'd take it & when I could actually accommodate it (a kitchen renovation that had to be completed, & the dust cleaned up), & I was terrified that the people who had been storing it for her would demand that she remove it, & she'd have to make arrangements with someone else.

I own the piano now - bought it from her in January - but I had stored it for a year & a half. My friend was (& still is) working up north, where she couldn't ship it, so was happy to sell it to a good home. & no, I never had lessons as a kid. but I had fiddled with guitar & alto recorder as an adult, so I had some basic knowledge of music.

I might eventually get a digital too, so I can practice at the crack of dawn without alienating my neighbours. Not this year though - we're getting the building replumbed, so my share will absorb all my extra cash for a while.

Grand Obsession sounds like something I'd like to read. I checked, & our library has it so I put it on my list.

Good luck with your piano shopping!