Am I doing the right thing?

[Melodie]

Thats me, all googly eyed at so much reading on what to look for in buying a piano...
Hello everyone, I need help please as I really am in a dither and do not know which way to go now.
I'll start from the beginning, I want to buy a piano and have it shipped to me in Spain as there is very little choice and what there is is very expensive. So having done my homework have worked out it would be cheaper buying one and having it sent over. At the end of the day I figure I would be paying the same for a decent one in the UK as against buying a mediocre one over here.
Right, so I have got this far, now I need help on what I should really buy. I was looking for an upright and have seen some good offers for good makes of piano, in a star rating the pianos got 4 out of 6 say. Then, I saw offers of baby grands, I have the space for one, I think they look absolutely lovely and having looked at the makes, my budget would take me to 3 star rating. What do I do? Is it really worthwhile going down a star for a baby grand? I understand the longer the body the better so have been looking at baby grands longer than 4ft 6inches.

I obviously cannot view the pianos so really do need to go on what the adverts say, concert pitch, tuning, any damage etc etc.

I know its a personal choice but any pointers would be handy as my head is in a spin as to what to do for the best.
Thanks for any help
Melodie

[Gill the Piano]

If Spain is as hot as I think it is, an old piano won't like it there; you'd be better off with a newer one (anything thirty years old or under). As for baby grands, some of us know them as 'ashtrays'...a short fat piano is a short fat piano, whichever way up it is. And a short fat piano makes a short fat sound. You'll pay a premium for it being a grand as well. If you're hell-bent on the 'look' of a grand ( ) then the new Samick small grands make a surprisingly good sound for the size and stay in tune well, in my experience. Mind you, that's not in the blast-furnace temperatures which I'm led to believe occur in Spain! Why not look at the Kemble/Yamaha/Welmar/Knight area of the upright market? I don't know how much money you have to play with, so it's difficult to advise, really. By the way, a friend of mine who lived in Valencia for a bit said that all the neighbours turned out to examine the furniture being moved in, and as soon as the piano came out of the lorry, word flew around that they were millionaires!

[Melodie]

Thanks for that Gill the piano. I live in an old village house which keeps the same temperature all year round. Its like walking into a fridge in the summer when you come in from outside. I haven't got heating in the room where I wish to put a piano so I don't think there is the problem you kindly thought of.
Could you tell me more on the against of buying a baby grand please? I did have an upright and enjoyed playing that but lack experience on knowing what to look for.
Thanks

[Gill the Piano]

Basically, it's the short string thing...if you go to a piano shop where they have a full-size grand AND a baby grand, play the bottom octave on both. You'll hear the difference. If you don't, then just go for the baby grand! If you're a beginner, then you'll be playing in the middle register for a while anyway, so the bottom end won't bother you. Even so, the rest of the keyboard has a falseness to it which you will eventually notice. The only exception I've found has been the (new) Samick, which is, I reckon, the best baby grand sound I've heard.

[Bill Kibby]

...AND the keys and action take up such a large proportion of the area of the piano, there is very little space for a soundboard, so the tonal quality is never comparable to a larger grand.

[Melodie]

Thanks very much for your input on this.

I have gone for the longest baby grand I can and a decent make as well, Seiler.

x

[Gill the Piano]

I've never met a Seiler I didn't like...good choice! Did you get it looked over, or is it from a dealer you trust?

[Melodie]

Hi Gill, thanks for the vote of confidence...I have done tons of research and finally thought I couldn't go much wrong with a Seiler. She says
I got it through somebody I know. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time I think. I shall let you know what I think of it when it gets to me.
Coordinating everything is a nightmare though but I'll get it here (Hopefully in one piece...)
Thanks once again.

[PianoGuy]

I've never met a Seiler I didn't like...good choice!

I have.

The upright 121 sized piano from the early '90s is a disgrace. Terrible scaling; short sustain; a decent Renner action mounted on what look like milled-out cheap woodscrews from B&Q, and frame painted in finest Hammerite, for which there is no excuse. Expensive and about 50% as good as a U1.

The grands thankfully are a different kettle of fish, especially the ones with the Membrator Soundboard. A natty idea which increases the flexibility of the board without all that delicate and very expensive chamfering and profiling beloved of top makers like Fazioli. The Membrator is an approximately 2cm wide, 0.5mm deep trough routed round the edge of the board. Cheap to do, but it really works on a small grand, and results in a very resonant and rounded sound. Build quality is as good as the upright is disappointing. Residual values are flaky, so that could be in your favour too.

I wholeheartedly agree with Gill though, a good second hand choice.

Hope you enjoy.

[PianoFifty]

I had a similar dilemma (upright v grand) trying to choose between a U3 and a low-end Yamaha grand. I played both types for ages and decided that although the bass notes were undoubtedly deeper and clearer on the U3, at the end of the day it still sounded, to my ears, like an upright. My grand ( a 5ft 3" GC1) admittedly has a limited bass and a slightly heavy action compared to the uprights, but nothing compares to the powerful sound and the kudos of owning a grand - pure vanity, I know, but I feel I made the right decision and the extra 2k I paid for it was well justified.

Now, about moving it..........