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.
178 replies
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Often the discussion about pianos focuses on the quality of the sound (of course!) or affordability. I live in central BC, Canada and I have learned to really value customer care and servicing access since the major urban centres are in the south of the province. I can say my experience with Yamaha has been nothing short of phenomenal. I am quite particular and my technician here recommended Yamaha for this reason. I had an issue with one piano's pedal and they upgraded me to a YUS-5 because they wanted me to be happy with my piano - they shipped it to me directly from their factory. Three years later, they allowed me to trade it back at full value to put toward my current piano, a C2X studio grand.
I would absolutely love a steinway as I played on them regularly at university and they just seem to fit my playing so perfectly. However, the C2X is really quite beautiful and really fits better for where I live and what I have access to for support. Definitely worth keeping in mind since a piano is going to need a lot of care to keep the action regulated and the tone sounding its best.
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Steinway is my favorite in both uprights and grands of varying sizes. It has an amazingly sonorous sound. I’ve played on many different brands. Yamaha is my second favorite.
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Certainly an interesting thread here, with lots of good new information. Thanks. (And I think a better place for it than during the livestream.) 1. To me the inertia weight of the keys is extremely important. Our Baldwin 6 foot from the mid-1980s has marvellous tone but it is difficult to play extended fast runs/etudes without developing a bad habit of trying to muscle the fingers. I suspect most players who develop into real virtuosos did not learn on super heavy actions. 2. To the average listener/non-aficiando, I think most grand pianos all sound about the same; 3. Best piano I have ever played was a Fazioli baby grand. It had a perfect action and great tone control. 4. Falcone (I think out of Boston, Massachusetts) made some great pianos in I think the 1990s. 5. Maria, it sounds like you could open a piano shop! :)
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1. To me the inertia weight of the keys is extremely important. Our Baldwin 6 foot from the mid-1980s has marvellous tone but it is difficult to play extended fast runs/etudes without developing a bad habit of trying to muscle the fingers. I suspect most players who develop into real virtuosos did not learn on super heavy actions.I agree; most Baldwins I have played have been slow/unresponsive/stiff. My Seiler has a heavier action but is quite fast and responsive. I actually think heavier actions are easier to control sometimes, as long as they are also fast.
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2. To the average listener/non-aficiando, I think most grand pianos all sound about the sameI can usually tell the brand and model by sound, and also visually, but I think a lot of people can't. I think most people can learn to identify pianos, though!
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3. Best piano I have ever played was a Fazioli baby grand. It had a perfect action and great tone control.
I have played an F228 and an F308. The F228 seemed "uncooperative" and I think it had a lot of potential but may not have wanted me to play it!
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4. Falcone (I think out of Boston, Massachusetts) made some great pianos in I think the 1990s.
I know there is a company called Falcone that manufactures stencil pianos in China. I believe they are owned by Parsons. Are they related?
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5. Maria, it sounds like you could open a piano shop! :)
I want to be a piano tech. Maybe I will open a piano shop at some point!
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most Baldwins I have played have been slow/unresponsive/stiff. My Seiler has a heavier action but is quite fast and responsive. I actually think heavier actions are easier to control sometimes, as long as they are also fast.Have you tried the SD-10? It has a Renner action and mine is actually on the light side, which is ideal for me. It's actually lighter than that of the excellent M&H BB on which I made a recording last year.
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It would be interesting to know the knee height of everyone's pianos.
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Another question for everyone:
Which piano do you think is best for each composer's music?
For example: Bösendorfer for Debussy and Ravel
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I owned a Baldwin L but really wanted a Steinway B. I looked for five years and finally found one that would not let go of my heart and brain. It was a worthwhile purchase.
A couple a weeks ago, about ten of us who met via Tonebase (Thank you, Dominic) toured the Steinway Factory in Astoria, NY -from the kind courtesy of the Steinway dealer in Columbus, OH, Graves Piano.
It was jaw dropping to see the meticulousness of these pianos being built by smiling employees. I spoke to several. They had worked there for over 30 years, loved it, and have no intention of retiring.
