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What is your piano situation


drohm

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Piano move happened yesterday. Loving the real piano for the first time in years.
:keynana:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I have two 56'' Bush and Lane uprights , each from approximately 1924. One is at a friends house, and I have the other one.

 

I like the 56 inch height and had sought them out for a long time. Bush and Lanes have a good reputation from piano techs who know.

 

Mine seem relatively stable.... no soundboard cracks and the strings are in good shape. I haven't gotten into hammer voicing on the one I have at home. I really would like to meet a good tech in my area to address this and do some regulation but most of them I talk to look at it as " just another old upright".

 

I know better. I need someone who really knows and respects Bush and Lanes. Del Fandrich is somewhat near me in Olympia Washington but I haven't made up my mind to load it and take it to him. I am still waiting for a local person who gets it about this instrument.

 

I am hearing its potential however. The low end on this instrument is unlike any other upright out there IMO. The rest of it is pretty good too.

 

I am in the Willamette Valley in Oregon if anyone could recommend someone to help me dial this in.

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My parents bought a Baldwin Acrosonic when I was about 5. I learned on it. Like a fool I sold it. To atone, I bought another off eBay. I play it every day. Edit: I do not use the term "acoustic piano." That is redundant. A piano is the real thing. Instruments that seek to emulate it aren't pianos.

Hey David, I still have and play the Baldwin Acrosonic my parents bought me when I turned 6. It sure holds a tuning well and still sounds great although the hammer felt is a bit compressed making it a bit loud but I'm fine with that.

"The devil take the poets who dare to sing the pleasures of an artist's life." - Gottschalk

 

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Aethellis

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My piano situation is that I still don't have one (digital or analog), several years after selling my Kurzweil. But I think it's good that I waited, as the new Kawai specs are awesome. Just have to find a chance to break away from work to try one out, at the only place in the vicinity that has them.

 

I did decide that I'd rather have a digital than an upright, as uprights are more upkeep than grands and harder to move, so the advantages are quickly lost. I do have space adjacent an unused fireplace, for an analog or digital upright or console piano, so at least space isn't an issue anymore.

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1,

Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager

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After selling my U1, I have opted for a VPC 1 and various piano libraries. It suits my need for portability and serviceability at this point. Perhaps I will have another acoustic in the future.

"I  cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long"

Walter Becker Donald Fagan 1977 Deacon Blues

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never wanting to hit another "on" switch in your life.
I agree 100% for pianos. OTOH, for a Hammond or some others, that's fine. But overall, I love walking over to the piano and just playing it.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have not read the above thoughts. if you say piano to me.. I think acoustic.

In that case, my sad answer is- Never.

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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I have opted for a VPC 1 and various piano libraries.
I had a chance to try out the VPC 1 at NAMM, but thought the action was a bit on the stiff side. The action on the Kawai MP11SE was my favorite, I would like to see that action in a VPC 2, but on the Kawai website a FAQ says this is currently not possible (it would require a larger case). I am using a VAX77 "Ultra Heavy" for the digital piano touch, but it is definitely a compromise...
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I grew up on an 1893 Bechstein grand, which dominated our modestly-sized living room. It was 203 cm, and the neighbors must have hated it. Wonderful people, though, they never complained, even though my mom had like ten to fifteen students per week, my dad usually played at least an hour a day, and then me and my bro dicovered the joys of boogie woogie.

 

Now I rent a humble Yamaha upright. Nice enough piano, Im satisifed with it, but I would never buy it. Im renting because I want to be able to call the store to take it back and not deal with having to sell it on ebay or craigslist. Selling a used piano in a hurry is not going to work out well.

The store does have a lovely Kawai Baby grand with my name on it. If we ever get a bigger place, Id scoop that thing up in a heartbeat.

 

 

local: Korg Nautilus 73 | Yamaha MODX8

away: GigPerformer

home: Kawai RX-2 | Korg D1 | Roland Fantom X7

 

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in the past 20 yrs i have used digital pianos; however i had my mother's 1950'2 Steinway console made nicely playable by a piano repairman [age 80's ] who did a great job-he is the piano tech for the university's Steinway D's and Fazioli's

not using Roland RD 800 nor Cp4 since getting the console back in action but still considering korg gs or rd2000upgrade ;also eventually will get perhaps a kauai Rx7 or YaC-7 or steinway B or C[used of course!!!!!!}

 

i do have a Kimball 1920's baby grand at my sister's house that i never play-gave it to her 26yrs ago-got tired of moving it each time i moved for med-surg residencies and jobs

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I took a couple of quick shots of the piano this morning. FB friends here might have seen them already. I tried embedding the photo with the "enter an image" function but never could get it to work. Definitely computer challenged. If anyone can post the pictures without the link...please. And explain to me how you did it. :idk:
Don't worry. It's not you, Dave. These images aren't set up to be hosted somewhere besides FB.

 

I saw your FB post with these and thought, wow, 12 years already? I mentioned it to my wife and she said, "he has you beat" because I'll be on 5 years with my Kawai this fall.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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  • 4 months later...
  • 4 months later...

I have a 1967 Baldwin Acrosonic Spinet that I inherited from my Grandmother. Its in fantastic shape. I would almost call it mint. It needs tuning and regulation, but the cabinet is flawless.

 

My folks have a Grinnell Bros. console, which is what I played growing up. Ill likely inherit that, though hopefully no time soon. The images below arent mine, but they are the same pianos I have.

 

To be honest, Id like to get rid of them and replace them with a Kawai CA98. Uprights have a wonky low/mid sound, and the action on a Kawai digital is fantastic. You can play with headphones, and thats how I prefer to play.

 

I have a Kawai MP11 in my home studio, so a home version of it (in the form of a CA98) would be good for the living room. Someday...

 

image-70-733x550.jpeg

 

v3ns7m52aingfokjzfiw.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Sundown

 

Working on: The Jupiter Bluff; Driven Away

Main axes: Kawai MP11 and Kurz PC361

DAW Platform: Cubase

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Piano was my first instrument. My parents got a gigantic old upright for free when I was eight, and its what I first learned on, but the soundboard was cracked and by the time I started getting serious about it a few years after, we replaced it with a digital.

 

Since then I havent owned a real acoustic piano, though I got to play some lovely ones over the years in college and the occasional recording studio. When my wife and I own our own place, I hope to finally own a real piano.

 

Side note: a few months ago I was in Syracuse having my Privia repaired, and the store owner heard me playing some Elton John on one of the baby grands and took me in the back to show me the Yamaha concert grand they rent out to touring artists in the region, including (for many northeast shows) Elton John.

 

His sales pitch: Got a quarter of a million dollars you dont know what to do with?

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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Looks like the PX-5S will be my peak for now. Happily, I find it an inspiring instrument to play.

 

I've played a Bosendorfer Imperial (back in the 80's) and didn't really like it that much. My favorite no-budget-limit piano would be a 9' Baldwin grand; I just dig its tone. If I had the space (and retained my limited funding), I would quite happily settle for another piano I played on in the 1980s, of all things a 6' Young Chang.

 

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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They also had a 1914 rebuilt NY Steinway O (5' 10") that was very nice for 35K. Rebuilt with all Steinway parts- action and hammers, original sound board. A really nice sounding piano for a rebuild

 

tried to get this through the purchasing department. No luck so far. :(

:nopity:
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I have a Yamaha U100, an equivalent to the U1, I think. I bought it used in a piano store for a moderate price after being quite shocked of how tinny some new 12000 uprights can sound. The Yamaha has a suprisingly mellow and jazzy sound, I immediately liked it.

It had a silent system already installed, and sadly, that's how I play it the most, because I'm mainly practicing at weird times and I don't wanna disturb my many neighbors.

It's not a clone, it's a Suzuki.
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Wow - I'd hate to hear THOSE pianos. The local university has U100s in the practice rooms, and I find them quite tinny...but they'd be great for classic rock!!

 

Hammond: L111, M100, M3, BC, CV, Franken CV, A100, D152, C3, B3

Leslie: 710, 760, 51C, 147, 145, 122, 22H, 31H

Yamaha: CP4, DGX-620, DX7II-FD-E!, PF85, DX9

Roland: VR-09, RD-800

 

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Dave!!!! That makes total and complete sense. Thanks!

Hammond: L111, M100, M3, BC, CV, Franken CV, A100, D152, C3, B3

Leslie: 710, 760, 51C, 147, 145, 122, 22H, 31H

Yamaha: CP4, DGX-620, DX7II-FD-E!, PF85, DX9

Roland: VR-09, RD-800

 

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I have a 1984 Schaefer & Sons (regional piano manufacturer in Southern California) console upright that my parents bought and what I used when I was younger. Still keep the thing tuned annually, I have a tuner that lives less than a mile from me. Nothing fancy, but it's an acoustic piano. I use it for practicing and spontaneous songwriting. I have recorded a couple songs on it.

 

Many people fantasize about owning a Ferrari or Lamborghini, I fantasize about owning a Steinway one day.

 

...One day.

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