Advice on purchasing a tailpiece

Even though I do not feel capable of giving advice, I will report my recent experience: having decided to replace the upright with a new baby grand, I went to try the small Yamaha and Kawai models: I had a bad impression; the sound was powerful, almost aggressive, but I felt the low-mids were too muddy and in general the harmony of the whole had something that disturbed me. After trying a few parlor grands, I immediately gave up on the baby grand; in the end, I bought the RX2 (178 cm) which I am very satisfied with. Surely I haven't discovered anything new, but I realized that those extra centimeters have an important effect on the sound.

PS: I am a musician but not a pianist.

I would say that one should reach at least 180 cm, like a Yamaha C3. Even the RX2 can be a good and sufficient instrument, even if not of excellent performance. In the coda, it is not just the length of the strings that increases, but longer models also have a longer key lever, facilitating the responsiveness of the entire keyboard

I fully agree on the fact that a grand piano starts to make sense from 180 cm upwards, rather than a baby grand; perhaps a nice tall upright is more pleasant and less disharmonious, maybe with long keys to be enjoyable even in touch.

Furthermore, pay attention to the fact that the Yamaha and Kawai mentioned are not Japanese production. When evaluating different alternatives with a limited budget, it may be useful to take this aspect into account and also consider a used medium grand of 30/40 years, perhaps from a private individual who had purchased it for their son who then stopped playing. It could even be a better product than a new Indonesian Yamaha baby grand and one that holds its value more effectively.

In the meantime, a heartfelt thank you to everyone for the precious advice

Friends, an update for you. I tried a new coda and a new half-tail. Niedermeyer gp158 and Niedermeyer gp158. I found them very good on the mids, a bit closed on the lows and a bit bright on the highs. But all in all, excellent instruments, especially in terms of value for money. The doubt I have is about their durability. That is, I wonder if these qualities will remain unchanged over time... Does anyone among you know these instruments?

Eh, many wonder about this; it's clear that an instrument built in a hurry and with cheap materials may not have the same stability or durability as one that costs three times as much. How much are they selling them for?

Thanks for the answer Giovanni, 6000 for the 158 and 7000 for the 170. If I pay in cash, maybe I can shave something off. What do you think?

In cash over three thousand wouldn't be possible. I would go looking around for some fresh used upright piano, maybe German (even from private sellers) because with that amount you could find something better.

I am looking around patiently to see what I can find. So far, I have only seen a Yamaha C3 in the ads with serial number A 4.390.098... I don't even know what year it dates back to... I am waiting patiently to see if I can track down some German [pianos] used by private individuals... Which brands, models, and years do you recommend? (I will take advantage of your kindness)

But I wouldn't know; if you tell us which area you are from, we can also see what is around.... real Germans, almost all of them are good.... I would say around 30/40 years old, which were still good vintages, West Germany though

As for the C3, it needs to be seen, but I think the price will be a bit higher

I agree, I would look for a second-hand German piano. Always better than a new Chinese one. Unfortunately, the Italian second-hand market is not very large. The Dutch one is huge and therefore you can also find a piano for a good price. But it's better to wait until the right opportunity arises and not buy a new piano in a hurry.

Thanks Hans. Giovanni, I am Sicilian. The C3 is for sale for 7900 according to the advertisement. Please take a look, I can only be grateful to you.

Bruno6 wrote:

I don't know if it's worth looking for some Yamaha GB1, or Kawai Ge 30

In my opinion, the Indonesian GB1 is an excellent alternative to a used one, if you don't know what kind of used piano it is. An acquaintance of mine owns one and it has a nice sound. Perhaps the bass is poor; they are the bass notes of a 149-centimeter grand. The Indonesian factory is Yamaha nonetheless and uses Yamaha components. I have already heard someone say the usual 'Chinese piano.' What does China have to do with Indonesia? Of course, a 180 cm like a Yamaha C3 would be ideal, but new it costs 20,000 euros, whereas you can take home a new GB1 for 9,000 euros. A new piano is tempting to everyone.

Today retailers and teachers reason as if only Yamaha existed. With all due respect to Yamaha, which makes exemplary instruments, there is also better. I don't think it's worth spending 9000 euros on a baby grand; it's an amount that allows for the evaluation of several alternatives, probably a longer and higher-quality grand piano, even if used. New pianos should be carefully evaluated regardless, as they are not exempt from defects.

giovannig wrote:

Today retailers and teachers reason as if only Yamaha existed. With all due respect to Yamaha, which makes exemplary instruments, there is also better. I don't think it's worth spending 9000 euros for a baby grand; it's an amount that allows you to consider several alternatives, probably a longer and higher quality grand piano, even if used. New pianos should be carefully evaluated regardless and are not exempt from defects.

Yes, it is true that with 9000 euros there can certainly be several better used alternatives. I have already said it myself: if you find a good used C3, it is certainly better with its 180 cm, as Maestro Paolo was referring to. But you have to find one that is good; perhaps you have to rely on a technician or at least an expert, you have to travel around, you have to waste time, and in any case, in the end, you will be getting a piano that is at least 20 or 30 years old, perhaps refurbished. Personally, I would take a new GB1 and rest easy. An excellent quality-price ratio, but NEW, WITH WARRANTY AND ALL ITS PERKS FOR THE FIRST TIME. This is my opinion.

NB. if new pianos are not exempt from defects, imagine the used/refurbished ones

giovannig wrote:

consider a used baby grand from 30/40 years ago as well, perhaps from a private individual who had purchased it for their child who then stopped playing.

Sorry, but where are you going to find a 30-40 year old, used C3, from someone whose child stopped studying? Someone who buys a grand piano generally gets it after the 5th year, and 99% of the time they don't stop. You can find an upright from someone who has stopped studying, in excellent condition. Most used C3s in circulation are all refurbished.

But why a C3? Does only the C3 exist? There are many unsold German-made pianos that perhaps cost even less and are longer than one meter eighty.

Forster of Lobau, Schimmel, Feurich....do you only know the C3? Compared to certain brands I would say it comes after...

Yes, but the same argument I made above for the C3 also applies to the brands you mentioned. You should look for a good used one that hasn't been refurbished. And I don't think you'll spend less for a Schimmel or Feurich. These pianos you are talking about, belonging to someone who stopped studying, are only found by chance, like: "you know, so-and-so's son wants to sell his new piano because he doesn't play anymore". You go and grab it immediately. But on immediate listings or various sites, they are full of refurbished ones.