Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum "new" Bluthner with clunky action??

I played a Bluthner model 2 this week at an authorized dealer. I presume it's new or made in the last couple of years (never sold).

The piano was extremely hard to deal with; some soft notes were not sounding, even when I wasn't going for a pianissimo. And, I couldn't ever get a good fortissimo out of the thing.

The action just felt clunky. My experience with other top-tier pianos has always been that the instruments make expression easier and feel like an extension of your hands. This was quite the opposite.

This was my first time playing a Bluthner. Was this one just in need of a good action regulation and some voicing?

It would appear so.

It's true that sometimes the preparation on Blüthner 'out of the box' can be a little raw. They need a good technician to set them up. This has been my experience with Blüthner London. In the showroom in Vienna they are much better at setting them up before sale. Well, to be fair to London it's been a couple of years since I sat down in their showroom and played one of their pianos.

A Blüthner needs to be mellow otherwise it has an overbearing tone because it has a lot of natural power in it, so any clunk in the action, and hammers not well voiced, can actually make it feel like a horrible piano when it isn't - more so than on a Steinway for instance (that's why I single that issue out on Blüthner, when it's almost too obvious to mention that regulation and voicing make all the difference...)

Fair point, Carey. Let me rephrase: Are Bluthners known for needing more post-factory prep than other top tier brands? My experience with others (at a number of dealers) has been overwhelmingly positive. I've never played a "bad" Bosie, Bechstein, Fazioli, Shigeru, or Yamaha S...

Joe, thanks for sharing your experience.

Pity that dealers won't put the necessary prep in...if I were an uneducated customer and didn't know Bluthner from Brodmann (not knocking Brodmann here, it was just alliterative), I would've discounted this venerable brand from my experience.

I have never heard of Bluthners needing more post-factory prep, and that idea seems contrary to the German tendency to be very meticulous about factory prep .... well, outside of VWs and their little cheat devices.

I have only played Bluthners at one location (in NY at Faust-Harrison) and it was sublime.

WELL..... in that case it leaves me with one conclusion that I hadn't thought of - that the technician working at Blüthner London at that time was really not up to the job.

OR Faust-Harrison prepare the pianos before sale?

(OK that's two conclusions....)

This is surprising, especially since I went to this dealer last year in October (not Faust Harrison BTW, which has stopped carrying Bluthner a few years ago), they did not want me to try the model 2 they had just received as it was not yet prepped.

First ever time when I played a model 2 was at Faust Harrison in 2007, at the time they carried the brand. It is the best piano I have ever played, I thought the tone to be supremely balanced and preferred it over the model 1.

Did you try other Bluthner models while you were there? This dealer had the huge upright S which I would love to try someday at well.

This was a smaller, satellite location, and the 2 was the only acoustic Bluthner they had.

Apologies, for some reason I got thrown off and thought you tried the piano in NYC.

I have played all kinds of pianos that needed extra prep work..I also played a Fazioli right out of the crate,and it was ready for a concert.Played really bad Steinways in NY and then some great ones in Los Angeles.I was told that the pianos in LA were prepped for a few days..They were fantastic.
I played a Bluthner Model 2 in Vienna and it was THE best piano I have ever played.. I know they spent time on all their pianos..They had several pianos that were prepped totally different from one another..They had a model 6 that played really easy and a model 4 that played rather hard..The model 2 was in-between and by far my favorite..I ended feeling that these pianos are so good and they really respond well to a techs inputs..

Doubting the quality of Bluethner is missing the mark by a huge margin.
These are among the finest pianos made in Germany.

Instead the doubt should be directed at the dealer, not because the piano wasn't set up right. But because he didn't bother to tell you and - obviously didn't care.

Norbert

Hey Guys I just wanted to add this!!
I just got my Model 2 delivered to my house In NC(same dealer)
They brought the piano in its crate..The piano has been sitting in customs a week
and they just delivered it a few hours ago..
The piano is in concert ready condition!!!
It is actually in tune and the action is amazing!!!
I am thrilled that this piano is in my house!!!!
Joey

Congrats! Can we have some pictures?

Wow, congrats!! I played a Bluethner at Alex Hernandez's store in CAL. It has to be one of the best pianos I have ever played. Sublime.........

Wow! Congrats Joey! Hoping you can post some video at some point!

Mazl tov.

Vienna is one of the best places to buy a Blüthner - they have wonderful technicians there, and the showroom is run by a fine pianist, Thomas Neubauer, who is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the product he is selling.

Did you order your piano from Vienna? Is that the one you bought?

Yes they respond beautifully to a technician, they are pretty much the perfect balance between warmth and power, and the model 2 is one of the best semi concert grands available. Well done, please take pics and post a vid so we can all be very jealous!

Who actually needs more than 7'8"?

Gorgeous piano. May it bring you much happiness for years to come!

I had a mixed bag experience with the pianos in Bluthner London a couple of months ago. Think some of them needed some attention, some played amazing, others I think were just ****** (before I put my flame suit I am talking of the Behemoth upright they make, felt like an oversized toy, the smaller one were MUCH nicer and the grands were fantastic)

I think we can all have experiences when a great piano just doesn't measure up to our expectations..I went somewhere to try a Fazioli and I was not thrilled by this particular piano..But I have played some that were great..
Sometimes when a piano is settling I guess it can play a little under par..
What truly amazed me is how great my piano played right after coming out of the crate..just now is it starting to go out of tune a little..
I am beyond thrilled to have this piano in my house..
There is something very special about the sound of a Bluthner..
i don't know how to post pics but i have a few