Piano?

Duke wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sFK0-lcjGU

Needs more acid.

wearymicrobe wrote:

Derick Freese wrote: Personally, I want one that looks like crap but plays well.

Gaze upon the 100+ year old Steinway that adorned my hall. Never has something so ugly made such a great sound. Refinished in what I can only assume was Home Depot varnish and missing at least a dozen ivory keys that had been replaced with plastic. But best sound I have even heard out of a upright at any price.

Steinways are friggin' absurd. There aren't more beautiful pianos out there. It's a shame that they're selling Steinway Hall, their Manhattan gallery/building packed to the gills with ancient pianos, all meticulously repaired. Sure they're relocating, but there's something about hundred-plus year old pianos in an older building.

Place is like Piano Mecca. Who cares about Carnegie Hall across the street...

I'd rather have something like that than a 20 year old Yamaha. Even with the Minwax varnish going on there, that's an awesome looking instrument.

Derick Freese wrote: I'd rather have something like that than a 20 year old Yamaha. Even with the Minwax varnish going on there, that's an awesome looking instrument.

I wish I had a full picture of it saved. Though I might on the other host it was so ugly.

Its a full K52 so monster sound board and harp, as big as some mid size grands. But it was used on a boat and got water damage at some point so they tossed the original case and put a Steinway 42/8 case on it which had had its key cover removed at some point as well, or it was broken off. Everything was cool except that the case was ~8 inches too short so they built a little cage out of marine plywood to finish it off at some point. It was hideous.

But it played like butter and it did not have any of the issues like a 70's Steinway like the plastic bushings.

1988RedT2 wrote: We've seen a few threads on guitars and whatnot. Anybody here play piano? Own a piano? Had a piano fall on your head? My younger son is beginning lessons today. I figure he's an All-Star baseball player already. Might as well round him out a little. Actually, he's very enthusiastic. We'll see if it lasts! Picked up a 1940's Chickering upright from Craigslist over the weekend. I've had some experience moving pianos, but it never gets any easier. Got it up some stairs and settled into my son's room, where I hope it can stay for some time. Anybody got any words of wisdom? Amusing anecdotes? Anything?

My first bit of advice is to use what you have available. I have a performance degree from the world's largest music school and have played everything from the casino in Cincinnati to the White House. I have far too much money invested? (tied up) in instruments. The reality is that unless the child's instructors indicate that you have a talent on your hands, anything will do. My primary instrument was saxophone and I am surprised with what you can buy in the digital piano realm for very short money. Old Selmer saxophones like my group of horns are worth significant sums, but old wood and digital pianos are worth significantly less than their asking price unless one is dealing with a very old steinway. My immediate recommendation is to rid yourself of the instrument and buy a calvinova, roland or alesis. The real touch digital piano doesn't need tuning which will pay for itself in very short order as an older piano will need frequent attention from the tuner.

As an aside, if the kid(s) is (are) serious about music they must head to NYC or Los Angeles (or Nashville if they are country music fans.) Networking is always important in any job but in music it is THE most important thing.

I have wanted to learn piano for many year, but never did it. My biggest problem is I have zero room in my house for a traditional piano. My sister-in-law has what I guess you would call a keyboard, but it has 88 keys, and they are weighted like a piano, so maybe it really is a piano, but digital? I'm not sure. It is cool, and I could get something like that, but I'm just not sure it is the same a real piano. Any input?

In reply to mattm: You have played the White House? Please elaborate if possible. That sounds interesting.

I understand the appeal of an electronic keyboard, but the instructor was quite adamant about them being an altogether inferior instrument on which to learn. I'm pretty happy with what we have and it should more than suffice for our short-term needs.

I think it's a bit early to consider relocation. My kid's taking piano lessons, that's all.

Having always been the guy with a pickup truck, pianos are the "one and done " moving rule. Pick what you want and where you want it and I'm done. My contribution to the musical arts, since all I can play is a casette tape

I briefly had a roommate who was from Vietnam, and was getting his masters in Piano Performance. He had a Yamaha or a Roland electric Piano, and would ride his bike every day 4 miles to play on the school's Stienway. I took him to the music store in town (I was buying guitar strings) and he sat down at a $50,000 Kawai Grand and made that thing sing--probably the best person ever to play that piano. He said it was a good piano, but nothing like a Steinway.

That Steinway in question was just a console too.

Now I want to learn Piano.