Hello everyone.

Here goes with my first post. I'm intending to buy a good quality upright, new or used, and I'm thinking of a budget of about £8,000 (about USD 12,500). My wife and I both play. One thing I've found with ye olde interweb is that there are certainly far more piano makers out there than I ever knew existed, so plenty of choice certainly.

I've now been to three or four dealers and have some contenders that are within budget, and they are -
Petrof 131 E1 (made in 2002)
W Hoffmann T128 (new)
Wilh. Steinberg IQ28 (new)
Schimmel 130 (5-10 years old)

My quick thoughts/impressions on these:
Petrof - lovely touch, lovely tone at top end but possibly lacking in bass tone
W Hoffmann - fantastic singing tone across the whole range, touch possibly not as good as the Petrof
Steinberg - I really have to play it again as I played it briefly effectively in a warehouse
Schimmel - not even played it yet but the dealer says it's pretty much as good as new

I've also tried a couple of Kembles which impressed, and the dealer also suggests a Brodmann which I haven't played yet.

One or two opinions I've come across in other discussions have been that the Steinberg has an incredibly big sound and needs to be well prepared. Looking at the price it looks to be pretty much half RRP - that, in itself, concerns me slightly ! On the Hoffmann I've seen someone point out that it doesn't say on the website which materials are used. I'm not sure how much of an issue that should be.

I know that ultimately it depends on the player's feel and ear but I'd be really grateful if you could let me know your thoughts and opinions on these initial contenders and also if you think I have any glaring omissions from my shortlist.

Muchos gracias,
Percy

Larry Fine's "The Piano Book" and his annual updates discuss the pros and cons of these different pianos in what I think is a fair-minded way that comes from considerable knowledge. Why not get his book from the library, read it BEFORE buying anything (you'll be soooooo glad you did), and then play each again, trying to hear what really sounds good to your ear, assuming you're the one who'll be playing it. Good luck!

Welcome to the forum, Percy. It sounds like you live somewhere where there is a good selection of pianos.

Good advice to read the Piano Book, if you haven't already. You will find, for example, that that Hoffman is made in the Czech Republic, as is the Petrof. I wouldn't be concerned with where the materials come from.

I have an opinion as to a couple of the pianos. I bought a Petrof 131 E1 about 5 years ago. It was made in 2005. I see that both you and your wife play and that you like the touch of the Petrof 131. It may very well have a full Renner action like my piano and, if so, it is a joy to play. I am continaually amazed at how I prefer its touch to many grands I have played (including most Petrof grands).

As for the Petrof's bass, I like what I would characterize as a tight but solid bass. But that may not be your preference. To some extent, it depends on the kind of music you like to play. I like it for Bach, Haydn, Chopin, and Schumann, but not so much for Beethoven or the later romantics.

I have played many Schimmels from that era before the Konzert series and I found their actions a bit sluggish. I'm also not a fan of Brodmann actions but thats just based on 4 or 5 pianos. Schimmel Konzert pianos are another matter, but unfortunately another budget as well. But I would try everything, even pianos outside my budget. See if you can find a Sculze Pollman or Bohemia. And report back what you think of the Steinberg.

I sense a good piano search story in the making.

It's very nice piano. Trust Gutenberg's post comments. Action is an area to look out for. Your action comment sounds promising.



They're Yamaha/Indonesia manufacture unless they're old stock from before Yamaha UK shut down a couple of years ago.



It is a powerful piano. That's not a concern if you and your wife can play it softly without undue attention. You mention trying it out in a warehouse. If that means a big open space, it probably doesn't equate to your home setting. Bear that in mind. To me there's not much tonal variety or sophistication in IQ verticals, but that's just one person's opinion. The price does seem very low. If you like it and you're concerned, ring up the factory in Thüringen and give them the serial number to check the provenance. .



The manufacturer, Bechstein, opines that the country of manufacture doesn't stand behind the piano, but that Bechstein does. That works for some people. For others it's grounds for suspicion.

You've got a lot to think about with these pianos. Choosing the one piano for two players makes things that much more complicated.

I forgot to ask. Are you a fan of Percy Sledge?

Many thanks jivemutha, gutenberg and turandot - really appreciated. I had come across The Piano Book but maybe hadn't looked at it as much as I could have. Had a good look last night and will undoubtedly peruse it to a good extent.

All of these pianos seemed pretty fantastic to me so no doubt hopefully we'll end up with a good one. That's one thing with the internet, isn't it - people can now do pretty extensive research from their sofas and be reasonably well clued up.

The place where the Steinberg is is just setting up. It's basically going to be a great big showroom - it used to be a car showroom. They've moved there and say they've had the Steinberg for a couple of years, new and unplayed.

The Petrof felt great to me and it was actually my wife who commented on my bottom end, so to speak ! She's played more pianos than me - she teaches primary school music. I then played a couple of notes and bass octaves and said to her "that sounds fantastic !"...

My wife has yet to play the others. It is useful doing the search with someone else - hopefully we'll agree on things. Think that's how marriage is meant to work, possibly...

I'll let you know how we get on.

One or two more to ask thoughts on, please - Boston and Kawai uprights ? Mr Fine seems reasonably favourable...