Newbie with (probably) a daft question!

jonesy76 · Post by **jonesy76** » 15 Oct 2007, 16:34

Right then........firstly please don't flame me too badly.....I'm a guitarist and know my way round those lumps of wood and strings so well I'm building my own.

Pianos are another question entirely.......

My piano history is a little chequered to say the least....
When my wife and I brought our first house about 5 years ago we decided that it's be a good idea to get a rudimentary upright as both of us are singers and it'd be good to work out singing parts - easier for her as she's a Soprano.....muggins here is a Bass Baritone and ends up singing all sorts of daft things away from the tune!
That's where things got a bit silly.
I found a cheap upright on the ol' Bay of E and secured it for £60 including delivery to us in Norfolk. The seller didn't know a lot about pianos, but I knew enough from my old playing days (I got my Grade 5, but that's where it ended as I was working on my Grade 8 for trombone) that the piano was cross-strung and under-damped which I knew was a good start.
Sadly our good friend who's a piano tuner was gutted when he had a go at it because he found it had a cracked plank and there's no way on earth it'll ever go all the way up to concert pitch!

Fast forward 5 years and I'm now singing opera and really need a piano that'll go to concert pitch. Now sadly I don't have thousands to throw at this as my wife has aspirations toward a new bathroom first and foremost, but as I'm singing the role of Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni next year I really need something fairly pronto as I have a lot of recitative to learn!
We both fancy a baby grand as we have the space, and feel it'll encourage both of us to play more and we've found 2 instruments but they're a fair distance away from us (not suprising.........Norfolks miles from anywhere!). One is a Collard and Collard, but the seller doesn't really know too much about pianos and can't say if it has any soundboard issues, or if it'll tune to concert pitch; and the other is a Sturne. That's is in perfect condition and IS tuned to concert pitch.

Collard and Collard I know of, and I know they're well regarded in piano circles, but all I can find out about the Sturne is that Harrods seemed to sell them at some stage. We've only really got £500 to throw at this (I know, I know..........it's a pittance for a baby grand and we're mad!) but neither of us feel like having an upright again.

What do all you knowledgable people think?

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:21

I think hand in pocket and get a tuner to look at them; might save you a 500 quid mistake...
I don't know of Sturne, and I like C&C, but they are an old-established make and it could be a very old joanna with the attendant problems. This is why I'd get them vetted - or at least ask for the number(s) of the tuner(s) of the pianos and have a word.

PianoGuy · Post by **PianoGuy** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:29

Sturne baby grands (I think that's all they made!) were indded marketed by Horrids Ltd, but they're humble if well made things (not sure who exactly made them) whereas Collards are a much more respected make.

Many are old now though and they also have the added problem of scarce parts availability since unlike other makers content to use bought-in actions, Collard made their own.

Tread carefully especially in the Bay of e.....