Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Swayed by looks

I don't think it was said, but that purple Yamaha C7 was made specially for Prince. I forget which tour.

Prince had a Schimmel Pegasus - a very good piano that is also something of a design statement.

Personally, although I wouldn't entertain anything that would look too out of place in the home or that would irritate other members of the family, the sound and feel of the piano and the quality of its build are by far the most important aspect to me.

All my pianos were purchased used/pre-owned. My first grand piano was ebony polish, and I learned to like it. Now, I have a satin ebony grand, and a satin cherry grand, a satin walnut grand, and a satin walnut upright. I like them all. If I had to choose one, it would not be because of the exterior cabinet finish.

I do agree that tone and touch are most important, but looks/exterior finish, is important too, but not the most important.

As someone else here mentioned, if I came across a really good deal on a very nice sounding, playing, high-quality brand piano with a white finish, I'd take it and learn to live with it, or refinish the exterior to my liking.

There are those who would try to sway and convince
That your way of thinking is not heaven sent
And, you should want this or that, based on their way of thinking
And you should want it right away without even blinking

But as has been said, one must be cautious and careful
So as not to do, or believe or think something that is fearful
It is best to find our own way, and do our on thing
And not be lead by others by the nose with a ring

Swayed a certain way by looks, you say?
Yes, it can happen, and happens every day
But even so, if that makes you happy and proud
It is alright, and sometimes we just have to follow the crowd

Rick

Sam,

Spot on! In fact, here is the story behind the piano. It actually never went out on tour:

Also, here is Yamaha's video made to release the piano. Obviously, the tour never happened.

Yep, that's exactly how piano finishing happens. That fast, that easy, and they even resemble like your refinishers...right, Rich?

Looks like you need to upgrade to an even larger paint booth (than the one I saw two days ago), eh, Sam?

Not my solution....

"Any customer can have a car piano painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." - Henry Ford

I WISH!!

I hardly know what to say except that we have had two uprights which were in wood finish. An old Broadwood in a really beautiful cabinet perhaps Mahogany, a Gors and Kalman in lovely walnut and
a U1 in PE.
All the time we had these my Kawai 500 grand was there. It was a dark Mahogany finish.

When we searched for an upright in 2018 we mainly tried different brands and of course most were in polished Ebony. I was always more focused on the musical aspects of the piano. This for me was the most important thing.
We came across a Bluthner upright about 46" in Walnut very nice. I was looking for something taller
so did not spend much time with it.
We did see a Sauter 130 in a nice wood finish in the store near our home. I did not try it however although we both had tried the Sauter downtown which we both liked very much. It was in polished ebony.(in my piano room now) Later when I tried a different Sauter pianos I discovered the walnut had been sold. It was actually cheaper than the one in PE which I liked. So it was probably in walnut.
(these are cheaper than polished ebony ones of Sauter)

The finish aspects of pianos was not something I really thought about until I joined PW.
If one finds the piano which you really enjoy playing, I say take it, if you can afford it.
I would be really confused though if the "one" I loved was a white piano. I probably would not take it.
One thing which I do not advise is ordering an unplayed, unseen piano of some brand and model in a wood finish because one liked the sound and response of the black piano in the store.

In my experience looking into buying a rebuilt Steinway, to have a piano refinished with the Polished Ebony finish is one of the more expensive aspects of the restoration, in the $7-$10K range just for that.

I bought a walnut upright to match the walnut furniture in my office.

The only purple piano I would ever want or buy is the Yamaha built for Prince. The only red piano I would ever buy is Elton John’s Yamaha. The only white or rhinestone encrusted piano I would ever buy is Liberace’s Baldwin. Certainly not because I like purple, red, or rhinestone but because they’re signature pianos of famous entertainers, two of which are no longer with us. Of course, I couldn’t afford a single one of those pianos, so pretty much a moot point.

I do wonder about Vladimir Horowitz’s Steinway’s.

I believe those were black.

yes, I knew that but just wondered what happened to it.

I love the look of Bubinga finishes but those pianos are priced at a premium.

I am happy with my Satin Ebony.

Lately I have grown very fond of black satin cabinetry, especially the quality of finishing of the Bösendorfer 214, which matches beautifully with its golden red plate. It looks gourgeous and sounds even better. But perhaps it would match a silver/chrome plate as well. Haven't seen one yet.