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....at least they did when they were new!

I bought a spotless Yamaha GT20 a couple of months ago for ?700........I had run out of room for my 6'2" Bluthner and needed something that played well, sounded good and took up as little space as possible. Well, the GT20 ticked all the boxes.....superb touch and wonderful sound far in excess of what ?700 would buy me in terms of an acoustic.

All was well until, the other day, the sound cut out on the right channel. To cut a long story short I had the back off and sorted the problem but while I was in there I had a poke around.....crikey, this thing is well built. They weren't kidding when they said it had a real upright action.......graded pseudo hammers and all the intricate little woody bits....superb!.....I took some piccies while I was in there but haven't a clue how to upload them!

Despite the limitations of polyphony (I've not run out of notes yet!) and also limited ROM (by todays standards), the sound and touch feels better to me than the latest CLP whatever it is....(you know the one you can get in lots of colours) and I don't regret my purchase for one minute (certainly not at that price anyway)

Anyway, I hope this post is of some use to anyone looking for a good digital.....If you see a GT20 advertised at a good price, go take a look They are getting a little long in the tooth these days but, if you can do without bells and whistles and just want a good sounding piano you might be pleasantly surprised!

I fully agree. I've had my GT20 for about three years now. As a professional pianist, it's still one of the best pianos I have ever played (in terms of weight, touch, looks etc) DESPITE it not actually being an acoustic piano.

Everyone who's seen or played it wants one and these days they are pretty much impossible to find. I paid about one and a half grand second hand, but had to journey the length of England to get it. It was one of the best decisions I've made though.

It sounds absurd, but if you played a GT20 and brand new Yamaha U1 right nest to each other you'd be really hard pushed to make a choice. And then think of how many times you pay for tuning, how many times you've had to play quietly in case you disturb somebody, how many times you've played quietly because you're a bit embarrassed.... all out the window as you plug your head phones in, you never have to tune it, you can turn it up as loud or as quiet as you like (there's a happy medium where it responds exactly as a piano would) AND you have the worlds best midi keyboard under your hands, with L and R line outs to record the clearest, no noise, uninterrupted piano sound you can record today. This piano, as a working, studio, professional musician's instrument, is absolutely amazing.

Your hands are worked as a pianist's because you are playing a full wooden action (about the weight of a new U1 or U3 - reassuringly heavy) the only difference is that the hammer hits a fixed tension metal strip instead of a stretched string. It's quite brilliant.

If you see one for sale, for heaven's sake buy it. They are one of the only upright pianos that will keep, if not increase in value as they become more rare. Rant over.

jamsheedmaster wrote:
It sounds absurd, but if you played a GT20 and brand new Yamaha U1 right nest to each other you'd be really hard pushed to make a choice. And then think of how many times you pay for tuning, how many times you've had to play quietly in case you disturb somebody, how many times you've played quietly because you're a bit embarrassed.... all out the window as you plug your head phones in, you never have to tune it, y.............. blah......

Utter crap. The GT likely won't be working properly in 10 years' time whilst the U1 will look and play as good as it did from new. As long as you pay for tuning of course. Check out the recent thread about the dodgy GT10.

Gran touch? Sounds like a particularly unsavoury website.

Anyway, I agree that you're much better off spending your cash on an acoustic piano because it'll last you a lifetime. I was in a primary school today - they've got a Casio-Bollox-Box or whatever they call their digital pianos and a Clavinova. Both have keys which have been broken, or don't work properly, the school's tried to find someone who will fix them but has drawn a blank, so effectively they're useless. Even a Yamaha B1 is would have lasted them a lifetime and if bits do fall off they can always find a tuner not far away to fix it.

I used to think Clavinovas were the answer for schools and restaurants etc until very recently, but having seen the state of some relatively new ones compared with e.g. those old war-horse Knights etc which are still going strong after several geological ages, there's no comparison. And who the hell ever uses that God-awful church organ sound anyway?

The GT20 isn't a Clavinova.

I have had the good fortune to own and play some pretty fine piano's.........and I now own a GT20....I gave my view, if you wish to rubbish them then that's your perogative.....but it would be interesting to know if you've ever owned/lived with or even just played a GT20 before forming your opinion.

LacyK wrote:..I took some piccies while I was in there but haven't a clue how to upload them!

Placing photos into your message on the forum

As we don’t allow direct uploading of photos, you will need some web space to point the forum to. The simplest way it to go to Image Shack http://www.imageshack.us/ and upload your photo there, it is free.

Just click on the Browse Button, find the image on your computer, then click on “Host it “, it will upload it for you. It will then take you to a page which will give you the code to paste into your message on the forum. The best one to use is clickable thumbnail.

Well I'll agree with all the comments made here. Let's get it all into perspective:

I've just bought a CLP 220, but do you honestly believe that if I had the remote space in which to put an acoustic, where it would not upset my family or neighbours, I would not have done so? If I saw a decent Kemble Minx at a decent price I'd probably still buy it - despite the obvious inadequacies, - just to have some time at home on an acoustic (desperation?)

Ok, it's great to capture maybe unrepeatable improvisations on the Clavinova's recording facility, it's great that it stays in tune, it's great that I can use headphones, and it's great the amazing amount of realism Yamaha have engineered in; but give me a chance to sit down at a nice acoustic in a hall, club or whatever, and you'll have to drag me away! But how many of these 'nice' pianos exist. I played semi-pro. and then pro. from the mid 60s through to the early 80s (no white beard on the computer keyboard though, as I did start at 14!). Apart from a few exceptions, my memories of acoustic pianos at venues - including the Midland, Grand, Piccadilly and Belle Vue (Manchester) were that they were simply crap. The ones at Pontins in Prestatyn, when I arrived as resident pianist in 1977 I nearly cried!! I once played a hideously out of tune but beautiful looking white grand piano at Coral Island, Blackpool, for a function. Les Dawson was a guest and he looked at me, I looked at him, and we both just laughed!! In fact I did not receive any sort of 'relief' from this situation until I started buying portable electronic organs and a Wurlitzer Stage Piano. I actually make spoof out of tune recordings using a Casio WK to entertain friends. Here's one to lighten up the conversation. I'll follow the rules of the forum and not post links to my 'real' playing. But I can assure you this particular track is not on my latest Album. It features "Auntie Enid" from the Dancing School with Alec, the lost-lip trumpet player - playing "Dance of the Tortoises" at the Dancing School Spring Revue . . .

http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamm3 ... 37016&q=hi


We do actually visit Schools these days. I'm always drawn to have a look at the School piano. Yes, it amazes me too just how incredibly durable these old Knights, Bentleys etc. are considering the amount of shunting around they get, whereas Clavinovas etc. need heavy duty covers and chains and caretakers that do actually 'care' to survive.

So everything has it's 'place' in the world and I find it's best not to wear blinkers.

end of another rant!

Tony.