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Member
Member
Hello everyone, what do you think about refurbished Yamaha uprights?
Today I tried some at a well-known dealer, and they didn't thrill me...
From an "expressive" point of view, they present a sound that is often too muffled, which doesn't "project"
very standardized, poor timbral as well as dynamic range... as if they had lost a bit of "soul"...
Moderator
The restoration of a piano must achieve the characteristics it originally had. Most likely, the voicing of the hammer rail was incorrect or, if new and not shaved, the choice of the hammer "type" was wrong. Then everything else affects it (regulation, repetition depth, etc.). The hammers must offer a good forte and fortissimo and must be able to play the pianissimo easily. Also the state of the plate and the crown of the soundboard significantly affect the sound. You, it seems to me, also have a Schimmel, prince of uprights, which constitutes an excellence for its design and the materials used! So you can well make the comparison! It is evident that the state of maintenance and preservation has a great influence. Bye
Member
Yes, I also have a Schimmel from the early eighties, but it is also a piano that
has never particularly enthused me despite the name...
in particular "I don't understand it" from a mechanical point of view for now...:
one doesn't clearly perceive "the key travel" under the fingers...
where exactly does the key end?? It leaves a so-called "rubbery" sensation that I find
particularly annoying.. and which, in my opinion, does not allow you to fully appreciate
the play of manual dynamism in brilliant and flowing passages...
(I should preface that it has always been like this since it was new... and has always
been kept in non-humid places..).
I am going to try Yamahas because I am realizing that they satisfy me very much from a
exquisitely mechanical point of view.. they almost always have a light and smooth keyboard and which,
specially, allows you to perceive very clearly where the key starts and where it ends, even if, unfortunately, they leave much to be desired in other aspects... especially
a limited tonal range and dynamics, bass poor in harmonics, a global conception of sound that is very "consumer"...
anyway, I will make this object into another post...
Moderator
Everything you say depends on friction and perfect regulation. The sliding keyboard becomes such when, once excessive friction is eliminated, the downward weight decreases and the return weight of the keys increases. The perception of the perfect key dip depends on the perfect regulation of all the mechanics and, last but not least, on the quality of the round hammer felt (mollettoni tondi) that limit the key travel.
I add: naturally also on the state of the hammer felt (vertical) and on the flattening of the roller (tail).
Member
If nothing else, the refurbished Yamahas have a manufacturer's warranty certificate....
Member
Tell me you didn't replace the Schimmel with a Yamaha! If I were you, I would have the instrument you already have refurbished. Pianoexpert restored the action of mine (a Pleyel-Schimmel grand piano) and the keyboard has become very similar to that of many Yamahas.
