New Acoustic Piano

[fabiogrs93]

Hello!! I'am an italian guy and I have studied piano for 12 years. I always played on a digital piano and since now my level is good ( I'm able to play some chopin's pieces like fantasie impromptu or nocturne op 9 op 20 ecc) I would like to buy an acoustic upright piano. On web I have seen that the entry level pianos like yamaha b1,b2,b3 or kawai k300 and k200 k15 are not so good because they are made in indonesia and the quality is not high. My desire is to buy a piano that will be my brother for the next 20 years :) I would like to understand if these intruments can be a good choice or it is better to spend much money to get a yamaha U1 for 7500 euro ( i live in torino , italy and this is the price) or for a kawai k500 for 6500 euro. These models are both made in japan and i hope that the quality is better. In my city there aren't reconditioned pianos. Also second-hand pianos are difficult to find. Furthermore my desire is to buy a new one. Thank you for all your advices.

[Colin Nicholson]

Hi there,
What do you mean by "quality" ? (structure? / sound?/ mechanism? // other? )

In my eyes, all Yamaha and Kawai pianos are made to a high standard. One of the main differences between certain models is some Kawai models are shorter, so bass not so good.... the K5 offers a good quality bass & hammer tone. Tuning is very stable. The K6 and higher have agraffes, so even more stable.

I would never buy a piano 'blind' - meaning only viewed online. If you are a good pianist (and I can also play the Fantasia Impromptu in C# minor).... you should always try out several pianos. Yamaha U1 / U3 are also very good if you prefer a more "percussive" tone to the hammers. I myself own/ teach on a Kawai K5 (Indonesia) .... and very happy with the tone, touch and sound. Moving from digital to acoustic is good, but your legato pedalling will need to be more accurate when switching/ half pedalling etc. The mechanisms are very responsive, especially for quick passages.

Here in the UK we are not in Euros.

If you buy a new piano, it will need to be tuned about 3 or 4 times per year for the first year. Year 2, tuned every 6 months, then after, either every 6 months or annually depending on amount of use / climate.

[vernon]

Colin
Put me right.
I thought the Kawais were all made in Japan save the K15 built in Indonesia and the K200,assembled in Indonesia.
Anything wrong with Indonesia?
My son and our japanese family were in Tokyo this summer and didn't elaborate on all these constructional subtleties.
I thought the Yams were built all round the world in various workshops.
When I was a lad you knew where Challens were built and Bechsteins. It's all very confusing.
All the pianos destined for Cavendish Furniture stores etc were made in sheds in Kentish Town in the evenings after work by us people who worked in the factorys nearby by day, for pocket money.

[vernon]

Colin
Put me right.
I thought the Kawais were all made in Japan save the K15 built in Indonesia and the K200,assembled in Indonesia.
Anything wrong with Indonesia?
My son and our japanese family were in Tokyo this summer and didn't elaborate on all these constructional subtleties.
I thought the Yams were built all round the world in various workshops.
When I was a lad you knew where Challens were built and Bechsteins. It's all very confusing.
All the pianos destined for Cavendish Furniture stores etc were made in sheds in Kentish Town in the evenings after work by us people who worked in the factorys nearby by day, for pocket money.

[fabiogrs93]

Thank you for all your answers. I have tried it( Kawai k300) and a part for the metallic sound of the bass section ( only of For Forte and Fortissimo) i Like the sound. I Like also Yamaha. Yamaha b3 is very similar to U1 but its price is 4500 euro and Yamaha u1 is 7500. On the other hand kawai is very cheaper: Kawai k300 is 4700 euro and kawai k500 is 6500. I am asking to my self why Kawai is so cheaper with respect to Yamaha? On paper Kawai k500 is better: It has duplex scale, tapered soundboard, ivorite keyboards, longer strings. I am confused with this price difference and since a good grand piano starts from 15000 (for new one) I am asking to myself if it is good to spend 7500 euro for a new Yamaha u1. My aim is to keep it for the next 25 years and I hope also more ..because I think that will be my first and last upright piano. My desire is to get a good upright piano with a complete sound spectrum because within three or four year I do not want to say to me: I have to upgrade my piano. Now I am finishing my master and I have not the space for a grand.

Since I like a lot Chopin and other romantic pianist do you think that Kawai (with a mellower sound) could be a better choice? I will post my consideration next week. Thank you.

[fabiogrs93]

Another reasoning is: Since I have not a lot of experience in acoustic piano I thought that a simple new Yamaha b1 could be a good starter acoustic piano in order to find exactly what I am looking for on a piano for both acoustic and mechanic/keyboard. Since I am coming from a digital piano I cannot appreciate all differences between pianos. I am worried about the money to get a Kawai k5 or U1 even if they are very good pianos. Maybe a day I will be able to buy a grand piano and I will lose a lot of money, more than a Yamaha B1. I have also seen on YouTube that pianocareer gives lessons on Yamaha B1 explaining all particular for each piece. I also asked her what she thinks about this piano and she tell me that it is a good piano to study even if it has not the best sound. What do you think about b1?

[Colin Nicholson]

Vernon.... I can't speak for all Kawai models, but mine has an Indonesia label on the back. Next time I clean behind, I'll look in more detail.

Fabiogrs93...... you need to go for a piano you are happy with, we can't decide. Choosing a piano can take several weeks, so the one that has the right touch/ tone / bass sound/ "quality" etc.... can only be decided by you. All the models mentioned are fine. The shorter the piano, the thicker the bass strings are to compensate for lack of length and depth of tone. Still produce an OK sound, but some unusual sounds may also be bi-chords slightly out of tune. Ask your retailer to tune finely a couple of pianos you are interested in.... they may only have received a "shop floor" tuning & tidy up.

[fabiogrs93]

thank you. Next week I will try again all models and I hope to decide