[piscator]

If I sounded overly harsh toward 'baby grands' I apologize, but I have several friends who were mislead into buying them. Baby grands were created to save space, but an upright is far more space efficient and the vertical box can be the same length as a full grand. As Milt mentions, large uprights can sound just great.

To counter my negativity, let me to mention that I've 'fallen in love' with an awful lot of pianos and brand, price, size, & age had almost NOTHING to do with how much I enjoyed them.

My teacher's 1950's Baldwin grand is one of the best pianos I've played. My buddy's Yamaha doesn't do anything wrong and I like it a lot. My Steinway has a personality I love, but I wouldn't claim it's a hugely superior piano. Famous makers produce wonderful instruments, but I've played 'six figure' Steinways at the showroom that didn't 'speak to me'. It's personal taste. My mother-in-law's 40 year old, Korean spinet has a fascinating voice. I've spent whole days playing that piano and I doubt it's worth $1,000. My family has an early Mason & Hamlin console that has nice action and majestic tone, it was appraised at $2,000. I love all of these pianos.

One important note: "don't sell beginning pianists short!" They need a quality instrument, maybe more than a professional. That doesn't mean "expensive" but it does mean SERVICED properly. A piano with a funky action, or notes that ring and won't hold tune is very aggravating to a beginner.

FUNNY STORY TIME:

My neighbor is a jazz bassist who has played with his pianist partner for decades. Many years back, the duo was hired by a small town in central Canada to do a 'jazz lecture/performance'.

They flew in the night before the gig and were greeted by the head of the town's 'art's committee'. He invited them to dinner, but they asked to see the venue first. Their host drove them to the town's 'community room' where they discovered that HALF the notes on the piano wouldn't sound -- AT ALL!

For a duo that's a tough problem to compensate for.

Apparently, no-one ever played this piano and no-one had thought to check it out for the performance. There was no technician available and the nearest substitute piano was a hundred miles away.

Not to fear! These guys are 'old hands' ! They chuckled and simply extended the 'jazz lecture' part of the show. My neighbor did a rather lengthy, extemporaneous, presentation of 'field shouts and hollers' while his partner sat at the piano 'faking it' or sounding 'avarte garde'.

Funny story.

piscator