Piano Manufacturers and Brands: A discussion!
Hello Everyone!
Here is a place for us to chat about our favorite pianos, questions, and general conversation!
What instruments have you loved playing lately? Which brands surprised you (in a good or bad way)? Have your preferences changed over time as your ears and technique developed?
Feel free to share:
• Your favorite grands or uprights you’ve played
• Differences you notice between brands in touch or color
• Hidden gems or underrated makers
• Questions you have if you’re shopping or comparing instruments
No right answers here — just experiences and impressions. Curious to hear what everyone is playing and why it speaks to you.
122 replies
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My favorite piano has always been a Steinway B. I own an L but always wanted a B.
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Mine is a Kawai RX2. I would love to have a Steinway or a Fazzioli, but I am satisfied financially with my Kawai 🙂. I prefer much more Kawai than Yamaha. The tone is more like velvet on a Kawai.
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I have a Kawai Novus. It’s perfect for apartment practice, but I’d like an acoustic too. I fell in love with a beat up Grotrian, but it was too big. My dream maker is Steingraeber. I shall continue dreaming.
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My parents bought a Yamaha C-3 in the 1980s, which I played until just recently when I traded it in for a Yamaha YUS5. The YUS5 is an upright that has a digital component which allows me to play with headphones. I’m very happy with my purchase. When I can have a grand piano in my house again, I would love to purchase a Yamaha S7.
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I have a Seiler 132 with SMR (opposing magnets in the action to increase repetition speed), which we got in October. Seilers are definitely underrated.
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I like the old Baldwin upright and grand pianos. They used to be at my college campus over 40 years ago, but Yamaha uprights dominate now days. I have long fingers, but the Yamaha upright pianos have too stiff and too deep a key action for my taste. I suppose I would live with the touch if I had a larger sized grand piano Yamaha Disklavier (or better yet Bosendorfer Disklavier). I liked the lighter and more shallow key action on the Baldwin upright and grand pianos. The old Mason & Hamlin and Aeolian pianos were perfect for my wider than average finger tip width; although, some old Steinway pianos accommodate my wide finger tips too.