Hi all,

My first post on this forum which has been a great resource thanks to all who post.

I am in the market for a very good upright to replace my digital stage piano - a Yamaha CP300. I am principally playing jazz and want to move to the action and feel of a real piano.

I appreciate there is a similar thread at the moment on this but my budget would be a little higher - say up to $12-15,000 if necessary (perhaps more if it would mean a huge step up in quality)- I live in an apartment so a grand is out of the question. Also I am currently in Brazil so there is a very limited chance to audition so looking to rely on members experience in this forum.

Even if I could narrow down a short list this would be great which I could then further research this would be helpful. I am not looking for an overly mellow tone. Prefer a very accurate tone.

Thanks

James

There are not a lot of people here in Brazil, but those who have posted from there have indicated that there is not a lot of choice, either. So you might start by calling piano stores and asking what is available and asking for opinions. I would suspect that Yamahas would be available, and they would suit your tastes.

Thanks but I will be able to have one shipped here so I am not limited to Brazil and can consider anything available in the US.

I highly recommend that you play the piano you want to buy. You never really know what you're getting, even if you play the same model locally but purchase online.

Welcome to the Piano World forum James!

Both Yamaha and Kawai make excellent vertical pianos in your price range. Yamaha and Kawai also have an international distribution network, which may make it easier for you to access these pianos to audition them in Brazil.
The three Yamaha YUS models, 1, 2, and 3 are the top of the range of Yamaha's production models. The U1 and U3 are also worth a try. Kawai's K series, K8, K6 and K5 may also be of interest to you. These Kawai models all have the acclaimed Millenium III action.
If you are looking for the very best in vertical pianos, I would suggest you consider the most reputable European makers including: Steinway and Sons (Hamburg), C Bechstein, Sauter, Grotian, Blüthner etc. However, these pianos also have a premium price tag. More moderately priced, quality European verticals are Petrof, Schimmel, and the Bechstein Academy Series.
This is a broad overview and when choosing a piano, I believe that playing as wide a range of instruments as possible is most helpful.

All the best for your decision.

Kind regards,

Robert.

Thanks very much Robert - this is very helpful as a starting point.
Best
James

James, What are your options there in Brazil?

Do you prefer a warmer or brighter tone?

Dealers make a tremendous difference in the sense of "Satisfaction".

Whether honest and evaluative information, strong service, tuning voicing and regulation or responsiveness after the sale to your questions .. These are things consumers in your own community would know best.

Thanks Larry. Options here are very limited and I doubt very much that the service here will be any good. To give you an idea of how expensive things are here, a dealer here quoted me $115,940 for a Steinway Model B. Another Yamaha dealer quoted me $9,000 for a U1J made in Indonesia and $13,000 for a U1 made in Japan. They also quoted me $18,000 for a U3.

>I live in an apartment so a grand is out of the question.

I'm also living in an appartment but DO have a grand.

Regarding the amound of noise: consider this
* some pianist once told me that for the amount of noise at the neighbours there is not much difference between upright and grand.
* When I play the upright in my sisters house, she complains about the loudness while she really likes the sound of my grand in my smaller appartment.

Also, contact noise is the main problem and you can do a lot about that both with upright and grand.

Sorry forgot to add, if I had to choose I would prefer brighter over warmer but accuracy is most important.

Thanks Wouter. I would love a grand but from what I have read have been told that one needs to have one of at least six foot for it to be worth it. What model do you have?u

I think that any grand under 5'5 is not really worth it (not being an expert, but just speaking from personal experience). The bass notes are disappointing.

I also agree that the difference in sound bleeding is pretty much the same for an upright as a smaller grand. Especially if it is a brighter sounding piano. Do you have to practice when people are generally home at the end of the day, or will you be able to play during the day? Sound bleeding might not be an issue if you plan this out and also take some measures to soak up the sound in the room.

Also, the brighter pianos will tend to be asian-made (Yamaha, Kawai) while the european models tend to be a warmer sound (Steinway, Petrof).

I generally practice at night so this could be an issue. Do any of these pianos have a dampening pedal that permits practicing late at night without disturbing neighbors?

I have 6'2"

I had a 5'8" before this, which had I think roughly the same power

In think that practicing piano at night in an appartment is asking for trouble. During daytime there is noise in appartment complexes anyway, but at night people trying to sleep 4 appartments away from you probably can hear the piano.

Cheaper pianos are more likely to have an apartment mute than more expensive ones, which may have true sostenutos.

Many uprights will have a mute for the middle peddle, but not on a grand (I believe - could be wrong). But I think higher quality uprights have this, so I don't think it would be hard for the OP to find a good one that will serve this purpose.

This is a recipe for disaster ! It won't take long before your neighbours will be banging on your door...
If I were you, I would look into a silent accoustic.

Grands usually have a sostenutos, and uprights usually have what I call the "practice mutes".

Both grands and uprights have 'soft pedals' that 'soften' the sound that comes out slightly. (Some uprights' 'soft pedals' don't work that great.) The 'practice mute' softens the sound a lot, but on uprights, it changes the quality of the sound that comes out, too.

I'd look at trying to soundproof the studio; you can do it yourself with a day's work and inexpensive supplies.

And don't forget those incredible new Ritmuller uprights most people here have never even tried...

Norbert

SIT, Norbert, SIT.

Actually I've done it all my life.

On literally thousands of pianos...

Norbert