I've been looking for an acoustic piano for my son, who has just started taking piano lessons. For roughly the same price, little over $4K, I can buy a 1989 Kawai baby grand GE-1 (5'1") or a new K3 upright. I had a tech checked out the baby grand, and he said it's in mint condition showing little wear on the hammers. The string shows a very thin coat of rust since the current owner lives near the ocean, but he said it's nothing to worry about for the next 10 years.

Any advice is appreciated.

A grand piano 'feels' and sounds different then an upright!The action feels nicer and the sound comes towards the player instead of the wall. If you have the space go for the Grand, you will not regret it!

Good luck and keep us posted

Snap that GE in a heart beat! It's a steal! I have a 1987 GE-1, bought it as a band-aid measure until I could get a bigger one ... never sold it, it's fantastic even after all the use and abuse: my practicing which was/is often 5,6 and more hours, my students' practicing on it when I wasn't, teaching ... moved it 4 times ... indestructible! $4K for it is almost indecent. Get it!

It looks like the consensus is the "old" GE-1 over the new K3.

Patrick and Jelena -- Thanks for the help.

You're welcome! Good luck and enjoy the GE-1. I know I am enjoying mine! It's so great and, even though I want to get a Shigeru Kawai, I won't trade this one in, I'll wait to have enough to buy the other one! That tells you a thing or two about these pianos!