Looking at budget pianos. Advice?

jaxn slim

jaxn slim

Your Worst Nightmare
I've been considering getting a piano for the house for a few years. I've played around with a USB one on my computer for recording, but I want some analog for the family to enjoy. Something vertical.

I came across an Acrosonic by Baldwin spinet that sounds great, but the seller was asking too much IMO ($600). I'm thinking a spinet or console would meet my needs.

Any recommendations?

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Keep an eye on CL.
I see free pianos a lot. You just have to pick it up.

I got one like that
 
DFB said:
Keep an eye on CL.
I see free pianos a lot. You just have to pick it up.

I got one like that
Click to expand...
This. of the three pianos we had at Premier the good two were free from people just wanting to get rid of them. We have a 1903 Everett upright grand in my living room that only cost me a piano mover.


Any affordable piano new is going to be made in china or russia and they are not worth owning imo.
 
My advice would be for you to grab the best digital Yamaha you can within your budget.

With a decent speaker, it'll sound better than acoustic piano within your budget; will stay in tune, moveable, a hell of a lot less hassle, etc.
 
Flamencology said:
My advice would be for you to grab the best digital Yamaha you can within your budget.

With a decent speaker, it'll sound better than acoustic piano within your budget; will stay in tune, moveable, a hell of a lot less hassle, etc.
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I get the practicality of digital, but I'm charmed by the analog. There's something nostalgic for me about the one we used to play in my grandma's house, and even with all the BS of moving and tuning it, I think I'd end up playing one more.

Could be wrong, though. You do have a good point.

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We have a Yamaha digital piano (88 keys, weighted), and it's great. Sounds and play nice, plus lots of features. It can be moved easily. :) The current P-115 looks to be the current version of what we have.
 
jaxn slim said:
I get the practicality of digital, but I'm charmed by the analog. There's something nostalgic for me about the one we used to play in my grandma's house, and even with all the BS of moving and tuning it, I think I'd end up playing one more.

Could be wrong, though. You do have a good point.

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Finding someone to tune them can be a challenge. Some friends went through this not too long ago. You'd think there would be lots of piano tuners in Chicago.

One upside to your plan is that you can get acoustic pianos for free off CL, provided you move them. I see free upright pianos on CL all the time.
 
Deep Eddy said:
Finding someone to tune them can be a challenge. Some friends went through this not too long ago. You'd think there would be lots of piano tuners in Chicago.

One upside to your plan is that you can get acoustic pianos for free off CL, provided you move them. I see free upright pianos on CL all the time.
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I looked on Yelp, and Houston appears to be flush with highly-rated ones.

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jaxn slim said:
I looked on Yelp, and Houston appears to be flush with highly-rated ones.

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That's good. My friends located some, but they had trouble getting tuners to actually show up and perform the work. Maybe they were not calling the right people. YMMV.
 
Deep Eddy said:
That's good. My friends located some, but they had trouble getting tuners to actually show up and perform the work. Maybe they were not calling the right people. YMMV.
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Yeah, no telling. It's definitely a risk I hadn't considered.

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jaxn slim said:
I get the practicality of digital, but I'm charmed by the analog. There's something nostalgic for me about the one we used to play in my grandma's house, and even with all the BS of moving and tuning it, I think I'd end up playing one more.

Could be wrong, though. You do have a good point.

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You are wrong. I promise you.

I do totally get the appeal, though. There are pianos in my home.

Other bonus: headphone practice. Especially if/when you have a child practicing.

Buy an acoustic when someone in the house gets good enough to entertain.
 
I know nothing about pianos, but my aunt who has played for 60 years just bought a brand new Yamaha "disklavier" thing. It is an analog piano that has digital recording and player piano tech built into it. I saw it during my recent 'visit everyone before leaving the US' tour and it was a damn impressive bit of technology. I have no idea what it costs and it was not an upright piano, but it might be worth looking into if you want something to record with and stuff. The think had MIDI and even had internal mics and stuff to output piano sound to a direct box. It even had a silent mode that only output through the DI/MIDI and a headphone jack.
 
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Pianos are kind of like boats...the two happiest days in the owners' life are the day they get it, and the day they get rid of it. I'd recommend getting a digital piano. They're always in tune, much more portable than a real piano, and good ones can be had for not too much money. OTOH, if you're really set on getting an acoustic piano, then I second the craigslist option, or if you know any real estate agents, ask them to keep an eye out for you. Folks often leave pianos behind when they move.
 
I think he is looking for on as a piece of furniture also.That's the main reason I got one. there was an empty spot in the Living room and the piano fit it perfectly.
 
DFB said:
I think he is looking for on as a piece of furniture also.That's the main reason I got one. there was an empty spot in the Living room and the piano fit it perfectly.
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That's true. But I'm starting to come around to the practicality of the digital option.
 
I bought I bought this one for my wife.

Digital.
Furniture-like.
MIDI ports.
Floppy drive for player-piano function. Plays MIDI files.

It breaks down into parts. So, while it's not portable, it's easy enough to move.
If you have to move it across the room, two people can just pick it up.

IMG_5559.JPG
 
Oh, the keys 'feel' is adjustable with controls on the panel, but I think it could be a bit better.
That's really my only gripe with this particular model, but it's not horrible.
 
DFB said:
Keep an eye on CL.
I see free pianos a lot. You just have to pick it up.

I got one like that
Click to expand...
Yup. Came here to post exactly this. My local CL always has a few really nice Pianos in the "free" section that only require you come and haul it away. Most of them were bought brand new for the purpose of learning to play, and quickly relegated to giant obstacle status after the would-be pianist lost interest and motivation. I've seen several that were in dead mint condition that cost thousands new, just sitting there waiting for someone to claim it.
 
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I'd absolutely stay away from any kind of spinet. Horrible reliability and builds, plus the tone really isn't that great.

If you really want a good "beater" piano, contact a local piano teacher and see if they have any recommendations on students that might be selling to upgrade, or ave any teaching friends that are looking to unload them. Free pianos on CL are a gamble and you have to be careful to make sure they don't have cracked soundboards, mechanical issues with the keys and hammers, and have no idea how well they will hold their tune... all reasons spinets are a no-go.

With that said, I'd keep your eyes peeled for an older Mason & Hamlin (1920's to 60's) or a Model 50 and before you take the plunge, see if you can have a tuner give it a look over; we had great luck with those at LMA, and my father has a beautiful Model AA that I'll be inheriting someday. For newer "baby grand" pianos, we had Young Changs fairly often due to their decent secondhand costs and inexpensive maintenance, but they're not the best sounding instruments. An older Yamaha U series could be a good score .

Last tip: hire piano movers. You don't want to move one yourself. :embarrassed:
 
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