Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Baby Grands vs Uprights vs DP

I've been lurking through the different postings on this site for several days now. This site is great! Anyway, I was originally interested in a Clavinova CVP 407/409. After looking around this site, I'm not so sure. I do currently have an acoustic piano, but it is a cheap Indonesian made Hazelton Brothers spinet piano. Hence my screen name. I would love to have a grand piano, but I don't have too much room. I could perhaps fit a baby grand, but I've noticed that several people on these boards have negative feeling towards baby grands. So, in your opinion, would you rather have a baby grand, a really good upright, or a CVP-409? I do like the 409 because of all the other cool features it has. I must add that my cheap piano actually sounds pretty good.

IHO, the touch repetition sensitivity and tone on a grand will nearly always trump the performance of an upright. The touch and tone performance of a CVP407/409 are awfully good for the space requirement. The new N3 AvantGrand at only 4.5' has even more remarkable performance in touch and tone.

Hi

I'm not an expert like many of the helpful posters on this board, but I have had a Clavinova CLP270 for 8 years, it was the top of the range when I bought it (apart from paying extra for wooden key tops). Now although it is still working fine for me, my frustration at a non-acoustic had reached boiling over point and I set out to buy a mid-range, good quality upright (approx £5k I guess that would be about $8k depending on the exchange rate).

I did find some lovely uprights that were perfectly serviceable, but "fell in love" with a mid range baby grand that was about 50% more expensive. The cheap grands at the same sort of prices as the £5k uprights were nothing like as good as the uprights, they sounded horrible and the action was loose and unconvincing. The salesmen implied they were really for people who wanted a piano shaped piece of furniture (the mind boggles why anyone would want to spend that much but there you go!). However the baby grand I ended up with, while not perfect, was not too far over budget and better than the uprights I could afford and much better than the equivalently priced cheap baby grands. Both the tone and the action was very pleasing and it has revolutionised my motivation to improve my playing technique and hugely increased my pleasure in playing compared to the digital piano, which just wasn't responsive in the same way.

Hope this helps.

Thanks to both of you, very much.

I think that, in the ideal world, one would own a nice digital piano AND a grand piano. The digital for the fun stuff and/or the instrumentation that can be used for non-piano pieces, and the grand for the real piano sound and more precise touch. Is that possible in your scenario? Keep in mind that a digital like the CLP370 has the same action and sound projection as the CVP407...just not in the same cabinet and without rhythms and the large screen, and for about half the price. You could use that extra money towards a grand. what do you think?

Judging from the original post, it sounds like the OP would have to buy a new house to fit a grand piano.

I went to a piano store yesterday and tried out a few different types of pianos and high end digital pianos. I don't remember the make of the DP's, but I did recognize them at the time, and they went for about $4000. The tone and feel on one piano, in my price rang, trumped the rest. How do you feel about the Ritmuller GH148R? It's a small baby grand (4'10"). I didn't think it would fit but the store owner gave me a template to try out in my house and I didn't take as much room as I thought it would. It piano goes for about $9500. Also, the piano dealer was talking about a "piano life saver system", which is basically a humidifier/dehumidifier designed to be mounted under a piano. Do you guys (or ladies) recommend one as well? I won't be purchasing for a good 6 months but I'm pretty excited about this piano. Any suggestions on comparable pianos?

Oh, a Baby grand for sure over an upright! It's like driving a "convertible" indoors!

Mine is a baby grand! As you can see, I didn't have a lot of room for one bigger. This is the perfect size and sound for me. And it was the right price too!

What a lovely piano in a beautiful situation! Very sophisticated!

I don't have room for a bigger one, either!

I would go for a good upright. I could never recommend a grand under approx. 5'5 in good conscience to anyone serious about growing as a pianist. Most 50" uprights IMO have far more balance and clarity than a small grand. Even the action on most small grands suffers terribly due to size. Not to be too negative but I personally don't think a 4'11 grand is much good for anything other than being a nice looking piece of furniture. If furniture is what you're looking for then go for it. Otherwise I would highly recommend looking at something larger than 5'5 or an upright larger than 48".

Good luck

How does everyone feel about Ritmuller? They certainly are cheaper in price than their competition.

Why would the action be any different on a small grand? Certainly, the tonal result might be different, but why would the ability to play ppp or the repeatability be any different from a larger grand?

The action on a grand is nicer and more responsive.
I have a 5.3 grand, not the biggest or best, but far better then any upright!! (Sound and action!)

At the end it is your own decision, in your home a piano sounds very different!

Have a listen here.....

http://www.box.net/shared/zeesoni3h6

And enjoy the search, once you own your piano it is like a marriage, first you have the honeymoon, then reality sets in, somedays are great some are less , but if you find your true love.....

Good luck!