Which piano? Now or later?

[sydneysider]

Hello,

I am new to the piano world and would like to buy a new piano, although I am an absolute beginner who cannot yet play a note. My dream is to buy a baby grand as I like the idea of having one to play on as well as to have as a furniture piece.  I would also like to buy a piano to keep so I wouldn't need to worry about trading or upgrading. 

I have been looking at Yamaha GC1 but after trying to save up for it for a while, I am thinking maybe an upright will suffice with a view to trading up.  However, an upright seems like such a compromise on the dream and is probably something I would want to trade for a baby grand later (although in time I may change my mind)), so I assume I'd lose money in the trade, as well as having the hassle of trading.   I also want to buy something new so I don't have to worry about what may be wrong with a second-hand model, as I am not qualified to tell.

I would like to know you thoughts on:
-which piano to buy
-waiting and saving up for a baby grand (around $15000AUD) versus buying an upright for around $4000AUD (which I would probably want to trade for a baby grand later)

Any good advice you may have would be appreciated.  I look forward to your thoughts

[knabe31]

My best advice right now is to start playing the piano! Regardless of the piano you purchase the important thing is to find a good teacher and get going. I too would love to have a grand and after 30+ years of playing still do not own one. Someday!!! Find a good used, or new if you insist, piano and practice. Someday the grand will come along. But until then you can have many hours of enjoyment as you learn to play. I wish you the best of luck as you begin. 

[sydneysider]

Thank you; I will.  I found a place for lessons and have a view to starting off with an upright as I guess a grand can come later as they are so expensive. Thank you for your good advice andfor replying to my post.

[brewtality]

My piano tuner told me not to get a baby grand, he said that uprights were preferable (I can't remember his exact reasoning but it may have to do with string length).

As a beginner you are probably better off getting a small upright or maybe a dig, since you may upgrade in a few years (but then again I still have the same small upright I got when I was 4  ).

[Axtremus]

My piano tuner told me not to get a baby grand, he said that uprights were preferable (I can't remember his exact reasoning but it may have to do with string length).

String length is not a good reason to recommend against a baby grand. Yes, it is true that many people will perceive a less desirable bass tone coming out of a short bass string, but "tone" is a completely subjective thing to judge. If you hear the sound of the baby grand for yourself and you think the bass tone is good, then the bass tone is good for you, regardless of string length.

In most cases, for myself, I will gladly forego "better bass tone" in big uprights for "better action" in small grands. (Though this should not be misconstrued as recommending a baby grand for sydneysider, for I think an upright would support his piano studies just fine for quite a few years. )

[sydneysider]

Thank you, I really appreciate your feedback and will keep an eye on this page over the next few months as I come closer to purchasing my first piano!

[benedict park]

i had an upright before and i can tell you that you would definetly want to buy a baby grand or the upright now and up to the date where they say they will give you 100% back for the upright and buy a baby grand.

uprights dont have good reaction times since the hammer thing hits the strong from here

\)      |
 \      |        <<|
                    |
^                 |
hammer   string

but a grand hits the string from here

___________     <<<string

@____    < Hammer


so the reaction time is a lot faster.

thats just my opinion though

[benedict park]

My best advice right now is to start playing the piano! Regardless of the piano you purchase the important thing is to find a good teacher and get going. I too would love to have a grand and after 30+ years of playing still do not own one. Someday!!! Find a good used, or new if you insist, piano and practice. Someday the grand will come along. But until then you can have many hours of enjoyment as you learn to play. I wish you the best of luck as you begin. 

knabe, seeing you have played for that long i think you would NEED a grand piano. reaction times are a lot faster as im told.

[pianistimo]

i'm curious about the 'wearability' factor.  since uprights have the soundboard totally closed in and the grands occasionally get dust in them from opening the lid.  if you always shut it and put a cover on - maybe it doesn't matter.

i also really like the stiffer touch of my kawaii upright and the way the pins were set.  they tune evenly and if they go out of tune, it's fairly even, too.  seems that the piano keeps a tuning a good long time.

now with a grand - i think you could get a larger used one for 15, 000 AUD.  estate sales!  they get desperate to sell and if they used a piano as furniture (as was my kawaii upright) it's probably in good condition.  and, no sales tax.  no honky tonk pianos from schools or restaurants.  they have burn marks, right?  i hate those.  why do people want to put out cigarettes on pianos.  if i saw someone doing that, i'd smack them.  also, you get laquered felt - as though someone had a bright thought 'how can i ruin this piano.'  you don't save felt by laquering it.

[robertp]

It's a very personal matter, the choice between upright and baby grand. As it so happens, I agree with Axtremus on this point.

It's true about string length, but it can be taken to extremes. I've seen people claiming that if you didn't have a concert grand with its string length -- you might as well get an upright. For me, the action is decisive. You just don't get the same action on an upright. Period. That was decisive for me when I was purchasing (my second piano) and remains decisive. If you're truly serious about pianos tudies, sooner or later you'll want a grand's action, even if you've not got the string length of a concert grand  . My own grand, as you see from the bottom of this post, isn't a concert grand, and I've had absolutely no complaints about it, and I demand a lot. For that matter, my teacher's piano is about the same size, and she's one of the best pianists I've ever heard.

But it's also true that you can get an enormous amount done with a good upright. I was very happy for many years with a Baldwin studio upright.