Waldstein any good?

askipper · Post by **askipper** » 18 Nov 2004, 18:36

I want a baby grnd with a budget of around 5000 GBP. I've found a Waldstein for around that price at 5'3" in length. Is this long enough to avoid the "tubby bass" I've read about on baby grands? Are these any good?

I don't want an upright for no other reason than aesthics.

thanks

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 18 Nov 2004, 19:56

Most of the lower priced grands around 5.3 have reasonable bottom end bases but they lose out at the bass – treble change over. The Yamaha C1L suffers form it but not as much as some of the cheaper makes , the C3 6' 1" suffers form it a tad but the Yamaha S4A now that is very nice in that area but it is a tad over your budget

The trick with the lower end grands is to look at quite a few as they do very quite a lot even the same make/model and if you find one on a shop floor that you like take note of the serial number, as some dealers but not all, prep the one of the shop floor and you get one form the warehouse.

Barrie,

askipper · Post by **askipper** » 18 Nov 2004, 20:06

Thanks for that - though the ones you mention are 2 or 3 times by budget of &5000. I have played a couple of the lower end ones and they all sound great to me but I'm no purist not having played for 20 years and only now just starting to take it up again.

I did find that the lower end Yamaha upright sounded a little harsh whereas a Waldstein upright (at about &1500) sounded nice and mellow - so I guess I like a mellow tone.

However, I'm aware that Waldstein is as German as is fish and chips but if a lot of it is to do with set up does this mean that this is down to the music shop when they come back 2-3 weeks after delivery?

I haven't got the room to accomodate a proper sized grand - the room is around 14 foot x 10 foot and I don't want the piano to swamp it - that's why I was thinking abuot the 5'3" ones - though I might stretch (scuse the pun) to a 5'8"

I take it you like Yamaha then?

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 18 Nov 2004, 20:48

askipper wrote:
I take it you like Yamaha then?

They are OK at the lower end the U5 and the SU131S are nice I prefer the Kemble K121ZT Piano to the U1 and U3 as to grands the new GB1 is nice for the money but the mid range lets it down a bit the C7L is OK I would rather have a Schimmel 213T I like the S4A and S6A but if I was spending that sort of money 33,000 I would get a Bluthner model 10

But that is me and not you and your living space

askipper wrote: However, I'm aware that Waldstein is as German as is fish and chips but if a lot of it is to do with set up does this mean that this is down to the music shop when they come back 2-3 weeks after delivery?

Preping all depends on how the dealer gets their pianos and who tunes for them, how long they have been on the shop floor – some dealers just want you to tune as many as you can, some dealers ask you to improve the tone and go over the regulation
Some do nothing and don’t even give a free tuning

All new pianos can have teething problems or can be improved to a point when placed in it’s new home, if you do have problems or you are not happy with parts, you need to make note of areas that you would like improving Tell the tuner before they come not when they walk in the door this will then allow them to allocate you some extra time or think up a good excuse why it is like that

Barrie,

askipper · Post by **askipper** » 18 Nov 2004, 21:34

Thanks - so with a budget of &5000 would I actually be better say spending &3000 on an upright and would actually get a better sound for it? That would leave &2000 for something else!

I really want a baby grand though so with that budget is the Waldsten a fair choice do you think? Or would I just be better spending less on an upright? Your honest opinion would be appreciated - I really can't go beyond say &6000

Thanks for all your help

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 18 Nov 2004, 22:34

From a musical point of view &5000 on a mew upright would give you a much better sounding piano than the same spent on a new Grand. Say the Yamaha SU118C at discounted price &5,249.00 However, 3000 on an upright would get you a U1 at discounted price 3,779.

But for the WOW factor of walking into a room a grand always looks impressive and is a eye catcher over an upright.

What about a secondhand Grand 10 to 25 years old around the 6’00 size

These are nice bit more than you wanted to part with but you can haggle
http://www.uk-piano.org/used-pianos-for ... iteid=1050

Offer this one &6000 see if they bite
http://www.uk-piano.org/used-pianos-for ... iteid=1054

Barrie,