Best concert grand for US$60,000 - $70,000
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Gill the Piano
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An ex-Steinway tuner friend of mine maintains that if you aim to thrash the piano day in, day out, then the Yamaha will take the punishment better than the Steinway. Or rather, won't need refacing/revoicing/repinning etc as soon as the Steinway would. That's not to say the tone of the Yamaha is better, although personally I found the bass clearer on the Steinway. A jazz player was at a direct comparison trial of the biggest Yam vs the Steinway D which I recently attended. His comment was that (on playing a massive jazz chord) 'The Yamaha gave me a lovely big chord - but the Steinway sang each individual note to me all at once!'
Best concert grand.......
If it’s bass you are after, if you can find one, try one of the bigger Bösendorfers, either the 275 or Imperial. They have extra notes below the normal bottom A which you probably won’t use very often, but the usual lower notes have a glorious depth to them.
I have had a 275 for 8 years which was 16 years old when I bought it. It is regularly used for concerts and has been played by all manner of pianists and has stood up to the hard use very well.
I have had a 275 for 8 years which was 16 years old when I bought it. It is regularly used for concerts and has been played by all manner of pianists and has stood up to the hard use very well.
....And being Bosendorfers, they depreciate like buggery in the first few years, then settle down to a good residual value so you can nab a bargain.
Great pianos.
Watch out for cracked frames though, especially on 1920s - '30s vintages. They crack at the extreme treble end of the casting underneath the twin set-screws which bolt the capo bar to the main frame. Unscrupulous restorers fill 'em with plastic pongo and respray the frame. I always prod that area with a thin rigid implement to see if they're full of filler. A screwdriver point wrapped in a duster usually does the trick.
No need to go so old with your budget.
I'd still rather put my money on a D, or better still for rock solid residuals, a B. (Better pianos in my humble op as well, unless you need to fill a very big space....)
PG
Great pianos.
Watch out for cracked frames though, especially on 1920s - '30s vintages. They crack at the extreme treble end of the casting underneath the twin set-screws which bolt the capo bar to the main frame. Unscrupulous restorers fill 'em with plastic pongo and respray the frame. I always prod that area with a thin rigid implement to see if they're full of filler. A screwdriver point wrapped in a duster usually does the trick.
No need to go so old with your budget.
I'd still rather put my money on a D, or better still for rock solid residuals, a B. (Better pianos in my humble op as well, unless you need to fill a very big space....)
PG