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What ever happened to this? Anybody know?

www.boesendorfer.com/en/archived-news.html?page=132

It fell off the web pages (except for that archive) after Yamaha bought Bosendorfer.

Never saw any real explanation - maybe the new owners felt that it could not be released at an attractive enough price to justify continued development - maybe the working examples wound up somewhere in Yamaha R&D to be used for a future product.

I could likely have never afforded one, but did find it quite interesting. Would really have liked to have heard (and played) it. As an electronic tech for half a century, I have felt that it is possible to accurately produce an electronic device that could not be told from listening nor playing from an actual acoustic grand. I would think there would be enough market world-wide from recording studios, but maybe not.

Same here! Thanks for the reply.

I played one of the three prototypes in Vienna three years ago. Since Yamaha has taken over Bösendorfer there's been no further talk of this.

I liked the idea because Bösendorfer used the action from their nine footer. The one finished version (which was on the road with Robbie Williams, I believe) looked like a black casket.

Here's a picture of the casket ...

Sweet Martin

So, bottom line: they made a piano that looked like a casket, then buried it.

It was prohibitively expensive. I also played one at NAMM several years ago. There were never enough orders to put it into regular production. The idea of a real action has been done before and since, however, Bosendorfer took it to an different level...and the price was easily as high as their expectations. Who on this forum is lining up for a $25k-$30k keyboard?

First laugh of the day! Thanks. (Why didn't I think of that line first?)

I like that meaty looking housing underneath - makes it look like a really serious piece of equipment!

Greg.

Also looks like it weighs like an upright.

The problem is apparently that technology left it in the dust while it was still in the prototype stage. Advanced digital pianos like the Roland V-Piano give similar performance at less 1/10 the price.

The problem is apparently that technology left it in the dust while it was still in the prototype stage.

Yamaha took over Bösendorfer in Jan 2008. I don't think anything else factored into the shelving of that prototype. Yamaha decided to terminate that project.


Advanced digital pianos like the Roland V-Piano give similar performance at less 1/10 the price.

You're comparing genetically modified apples with apples - the Bösendorfer prototype had the keyboard action from their nine footer ... though I'm sure the Williams Overture would have given it quite a run for the money.

You base this comment on what?

Is that the 280? Do they use a Renner action in all their models?

I was interested in that stage piano too, but it was so expensive and heavy it would have had a really limited market.

Mychal

One word:

Pedal.


If it becomes possible (for a reasonable price) to really duplicate the entire feel of a real piano, including having a pedal that works like a real pedal (giving appropriate tactile feeback, allowing sympathetic vibration of all the virtual strings to occur, responding differently in the bass and the treble, allowing quasi-infinite levels of partial depress and partial release, and responding well to being stomped on for twenty years, among other things) then I will become very interested very quickly.

The prototype I played had 88 keys and I assume it was a Renner action since Renner supplies Bösendorfer with their actions.

Imagine if Bösendorfer brought this project to fruition, you'd be hearing me always going on about the Bösendorfer hybrid instead of the Yamaha hybrid.

Seriously? You would have bought one?

Mychal

Yea, I would have bought one. The price I was informally given was around €20,000. The next company to offer a hybrid piano with the action from a nine footer will most definitely get my attention.