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From: jeffw@tekecs.UUCP (Jeff Winslow)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: buying a piano
Message-ID: <5748@tekecs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 19:49:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekecs.5748
Posted: Mon Oct 14 19:49:38 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 16-Oct-85 06:04:10 EDT
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Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
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> > I'm about to buy a new grand piano, and would like some advice.
> > (I haven't seen requests like this on this newsgroup, but if the
> 
> I have looked for about 10 years before I bought my piano.  It is a
> Steinway model O (about 6'), which was built in 1894.  I personally won't
> buy a piano any newer than about 60 years old.
> 
> I also looked at Chickering, Baldwin, etc., and the biggies from Europe.
> I needed something that wouldn't outgrow me as I moved up in the area of  
> difficulty. Of course, I was spoiled by my teachers Steinway concert grand
> from 1872, refinished in rosewood.

Oh, come now. Seems like nobody loves modern American Steinways, but I think
you're overdoing it a bit. I seem to remember that the last major change
in the scale in Steinways occured about 1900, so any Steinway previous
to that is suspect of being less than the best in my mind. A friend of mine
has one from 1895. He loves it, but it has some problems around C below
middle C. One expert piano rebuilder I know considers the sound from the
1920's Steinways the best, and I tend to agree, especially if you really want
to spend 10 grand on it. Well, maybe 12 grand (7 to get it and 5 to rebuild
it). New ones cost that much, and you'll have to play it every day for 5
years and get and expert technician to work it over regularly to get an
equivalent piano (maybe). OK, so I'm overdoing it a bit, too. But you get the
idea.

My piano? A ~6 foot Yamaha. It's not a Bechstein, or a Steinway, but it's
almost as good, and it was a hell of a lot cheaper. $3750 used, 5 years
ago (it was 4 years old then). You might check out Kawai also. Remember, no
matter what they say, it has to sound good to *you*.

Please note that I know much more about music than pianos, and some of the
above is "off the top of my head".
						Jeff Winslow