looking to replace my upright...

[Stephen Airy]

My emotions are changing, if they haven't already.  :-/  I wanted to
install new hammers in the piano also, besides just restringing it, but a
couple techs that I know personally have advised me not to do it.  I feel
that my hammers are too far worn for voicing to bring the tone to what I
want to have, so based on recommendations not to put any more money into
this piano, I'm thinking about looking for another one.  Besides, I'm
getting somewhat unsatisfied with the scale design, also.  It has wound
strings a couple notes too high, for one thing.  The fact that it doesn't
really have a severe hockey stick in the tenor section helps, though.

I might be able to make some sacrifices, namely, if some notes don't play
at all, or if the piano is grossly out of tune, I might still be willing
to take it, so long as the pinblock will hold up well enough to hold the
piano in tune at pitch for a reasonable length of time, and the
non-functioning notes could be gotten working fairly well with minimal
replacement of parts.  I also don't mind if the cabinet is in poor
condition.  I'm mainly concerned about getting a good SOUNDING musical
instrument, not a piece of furniture.  Having a potential for a
well-performing action (even if it doesn't come that way) would be nice,
seeing that I'm a somewhat advanced pianist.

Do you or anyone have suggestions on any types / brands / vintages /
whatever pianos to look at, even if they don't quite meet my specs?



----- Original message -----
From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 07:17:17 -0400
Subject: Re: looking to replace my upright...

Stephen,

It's hard to believe you're serious, but based on what I've read from you
in
the past, you probably are.  The first challenge is to find any kind of
half-decent piano for $750 or less.  To add ten or more specific criteria
to
your projected price probably eliminates every piano in southern
California
(the area you specified) and even the entire world.

A year or two ago you spoke adoringly of your Ricca & Son.  Unless your
emotions have changed, keep the Ricca.  After you have a several hundred
thousand bucks to throw around, you can see if anyone is interested in
custom-building a piano to your specifications.

Regards,
Clyde

Stephen Airy wrote:

> Hi all.  Right now I have a 56" Ricca & Son upright, which has served me
> well.  I got it from some friends that were storing it, but they were
> moving and were going to take it to the dump.  Instead, I used it to help
> learn piano tuning and repair.  It has served me well and has a halfway
> decent tone, but I am almost ready to move on to another piano.  I'm not
> quite sure yet exactly what I plan to do with the Ricca, but I have some
> ideas.  I am thinking about getting another piano in a few months or so.
>
> So...  I was wondering where I could get some information on pianos to
> look for?  Basically, I would like to spend no more than $500 to $750,
> although that figure could change over the course of a few months.  I do
> not have space for a grand, but am a fairly advanced pianist.  (I'm a
> technician also, but still learning some things.) :)  I basically would
> like a very powerful, rich bass tone, with a fairly long sustain.  I also
> would like a midrange that has a fair amount of bright, rich overtones
> (but not harsh), and a bell-like upper treble section.  Because of the
> lack of space, I regret to say that I would be forced to settle for an
> upright.  Because of the tone I am looking for, I think that anything
> less than 57" tall would be too small, unless someone can suggest a
> smaller piano that has a good tone.  I would like a tone that is
> definitely superior to the current piano I have.  Samples of what I have
> now are at http://pianoplayer.hey.nu/HHMA_CD but I would like a more
> powerful low bass, a richer midrange, and a better high treble (for
> example, less false beats, more sustain, clearer tone).  I definitely
> need at the bare minimum 88 keys, because my playing style calls for it.
> Also, some of you may get on my case for mentioning stringing scale, but
> I've heard pianos that are similar to AND different from what I have.
> Basically, I can often hear the difference between wound strings and
> plain strings in certain ranges, and I would like plain trichords down to
> at least A#2.  Because of personal preference, I would also like to have
> wrapped trichords down to F2 or lower, because I've heard pianos with
> that that had a richer tone in that range, but that's not a strict
> requirement.  Also, I would prefer NOT to have a hockey-stick end tenor
> section of the long bridge, although I suppose I could settle for a
> little bit of minor blending on the lowest couple notes.  An exeption to
> the hockey-stick rule would be if I find a piano that has plain trichords
> all the way down to F2, and has a few-note hockey-stick section, so long
> as it doesn't extend above A2, A#2, or B2 or so, and is otherwise well
> scaled.
>
> What types and brands of uprights would you all recommend, based on what
> I have said above?  Also, about cabinet style, I don't really care if I
> get a plain cabinet or a fancy one, but I would prefer something that's
> in reasonable shape, if possible.  Also, about the action and other
> internal things on the upright, I don't mind having to do some minor
> work, or even full regulation on the piano, but I would definitely prefer
> not to have to make major replacements to parts for a while.  (i.e. I
> want to be able to bring the piano into good performance condition with
> what exists in the piano.)  As far as preferred brands, I don't really
> have any preference/requirements, but brands that have a good reputation
> would be preferable.

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-- 
  Stephen Airy
  stephenairy@fastmail.fm