Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum My new C.Bechstein Concert 8 have arrived ( pictures )

Hey my new concert 8 arrived today I'm so happy right now. This is the best day ever! I will remember this date all my life and celebrate it every year. Here are the pictures my friends:











I was really lucky because there was a big hole through all the security layers but it missed the piano by a millimeter. At the end not a SINGLE scratch is on the piano. It's perfect!

The piano is like a quarter tone high. How long should i wait to get a tuner to tune it? i cant play it yet cause i can't stand the sound.

x

Beautiful!

Congratulations!

Rick

Very nice! Congratulations!

If you do not like the way it sounds, you can get it tuned any time. The only difference is that you may have to tune it again sooner.

Pianos in Europe are often tuned a few cents sharp. I keep mine at 442-444. If you don't like that, you can have the pitch lowered.

Plus it's a new piano anyway...it will need to be tuned more than once.

I've got this answer from bechstein about the tuning of my piano.

"As your customer describes, the piano seems to be so out of tune that he cannot play, in that case it may make sense to have it tuned now.
However I suggest to have the piano acclimatize for about 2 weeks after delivery.
As to pitch, please advise him not to tune the instrument down.
We ship the instruments with 445 Hz.
If the instrument is exposed to higher humidity, pitch may rise above 445 Hz.
A quarter tone is about 6 Hz, so if he believes pitch of the piano should be 440, pitch 445 Hz is in fact almost a quarter tone higher.
However, the strings will stretch during the first ½ year and pitch will automatically gradually decline to 440Hz.
Dry environment during winter will contribute to declining pitch.
If he tunes the instrument down now, he will have to raise pitch in about ½-1 year and he causes instability of the tuning."


I cant really understand what he means in the end. First he say that i can have it tuned and then later he says i cant lower the pitch.

would it damage the piano to tune it down in the upcoming days?

can someone fill me in on tuning of a new concert 8 more. I would be eternally grateful.

It won't damage your piano to have it tuned just now, no.

The reason they say it might cause unstable tuning in the longer run, isn't because it will do something structural to the piano. It is because pianos change pitch over time and need to be kept at pitch by the tuner.

The reason it is tuned higher is to allow for it to settle lower - pianos usually drop in pitch. Also, it has just been moved, so the tuning will be unstable at the moment. This is because of different atmospheric conditions.

If I were you, I'd play it quite a bit just now, in it's current state of tuning. give it a few weeks, call your tuner, have it tuned, play it hard again, keep an eye on the pitch, have it tuned again.

PianoDad is correct. Most European symphonies and a growing number around the world are abandoning A440 for A442 or A443. It is, of course, your piano and A445 is way up there. I would think a year of patience is more expensive than a few tunings.

Congratulations ! It seems to be pretty universally agreed that this is the premier upright piano.

It is fortunate for Clarinet players that 442 is becoming more standard as all the major manufacturers make a clarinet that only tunes well (across the scale - throat tones especially) when the concert pitch is A=442. On the other hand you will encounter some who say that A=438 or less is better for singers. (No joke.)

I would recommend that you lower the pitch with a tuning to A=442. To go from A=445 to A=440 would be a larger change and what ever instabilities (meaning temporary changes in tension to the wood frame and soundboard etc) would mean your piano would need to be tuned again sooner.

Lowering to A=442 would mean you would not have to have it tuned quite as soon, and on the second tuning, if you prefer A=440 you can then have the pitch lowered at the time of the second tuning. This would be the preferred route to A=440.

Might the room in the photos be a bit too reverberant for the piano?

what do you mean? what does reverberant mean?

Flute players prefer 440. Get much higher than that and contortions ensue ...

I know. My son rams the head joint as far in as possible and rolls the aperture to try to get to 443. He is not a happy camper working with a sharp piano.

Here's one example: http://www.xix-acoustics.com/studiy/2008/04/09/diy-building-acoustic-treatment-for-a-piano-room/

Congratulations!

I think they say that the piano is more stable if you keep it at 445 instead of tuning down.

Coming weeks it will be unstable anyway but I suppose they talk about longer term stability. I understand that they say the tuning becomes more stable if it settles on 440 by itself instead of having it being cranked up every tuning.

Your son needs a new flute. About 6 years ago I switched from a Haynes at A=440 to a Powell at A=442. I got tired of trying to "lip-up." The head joint cannot be shortened as the newer flutes are built on a totally different scale design.

Congratulations! It is a gorgeous piano. I have a special affection for C.Bechstein pianos as I once had a Model 10 vertical which was a delightful, small vertical.

Kind regards,

Robert.

I've decided to wait 12 days and then have it tuned to A 440. This will not hurt the piano in any way right? I'm am really worried It will only lead to me having to get it tuned faster the second time right?