Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Bottom end of the scale for many . .

But . . . .
Small room, not big enough for an upright due to the volume usually emitted by such an instrument.
However, in the past, I've always enjoyed playing smaller (spinet) uprights which seem to have an even response albeit lacking in the fuller bass tones.

The Yamaha B1 is as small as they come; plays pleasantly and, possossing of a non Spruce soundboard, is less prone to tuning frequirements. It is nowhere near as loud as a Kawai k300, but has a better dynamic range in my opinion. And it comes with Silent mode facility which I would need.
It also has a sloping front, which gives it a contemporary feel. All the pianos I've played with sloping fronts have been good ones and they look nice.
Now I realise that last statement doesn't sound too intelligent, and, well, I'm never gonna make it to "Young pianist of the Year" on two counts.
It'd be interesting to hear if anybody has had any dealings or thoughts on this little piano. Its characteristics seem to be tailored to perhaps, beginners, or . . . those with a small room to put it in. But it'd be darned nice to have a real piano to play. And one that isn't too loud!

The B1 is an entry level piano, no doubt. It will not have the breadth of sound that a larger piano will naturally have, but when it is well prepped and well regulated this piano can make music. It is designed to not dominate a space in terms of size and it looks quite nice as well. The one downside is that because this is an entry level piano, some retailers do not bother to put a little work into improving this little beast. Frankly, when the work is done, it can shine.

Since you are also getting the silent mode, you might enjoy this video on the model:

Good luck!

How small is the room? During grad school I used to play in piano practice rooms on campus, and I found I could not stand to play the uprights in super small rooms because after even a short practice session, it was so loud and the sound was so much in my face that my ears would just ring for the rest of the day. On the other hand, the smaller grands that were in practice rooms were always better because even though the piano was larger, the sound goes up more, and of course a lot of the rooms were just a little bit larger to accommodate those grands, and maybe the volume was easier to control (not sure about that and it's been a few years). But anyway, the point is, a small upright in a super small room can still be hard to handle...

You should be fine with the silent option though!

If there is reverberating sounds in a very small room this could happen with a small grand or an upright.Sounds flying back in one's face around one's head is something not experienced by everyone.Perhaps the uprights I have played have all been well spaced away from the wall and there has been the right furnishing in the room.
I once attended a concert and mainly students and amateur pianists performed.The hall had truly terrible accoustics.It sounded as though everyone held down the sustaining pedal contually.All the sounds and colors were mashed together.
I later found out that no it was not the piano nor the performers, it was the accoustics of the church hall.
Perhaps the Yamaha B1 will work out well.I have heard the B2
is rather nice as well.Another problem about a very small room is that there may not be enough space for a piano technician to work on the piano if it is a grand.

I forgot to mention the piano in that concert was a nice Yamaha grand.I thought I should just mention that.

I won't be doin' any concerts . . . . . but the minimalistic B1 is super good-looking to me at least. I can never understand why it doesn't also house the more expensive digitals . . .
My room is approx 12 by 10. Nice home office space.

My room is a little smaller at 12x9 but does have quite a large bay window so the total area is probably much the same. In it we first had a big Yamaha U3 and now have an even larger 53" Kawai K800 and do not find it over loud at all (although you can clearly hear it almost anywhere in the house :-). Having a sensible balance of reflective and absorbent sound surfaces in the room is I believe more important than either the size of the piano or the size of the room itself. That is within sensible limits of course - stuffing a large grand into a broom cupboard wouldn't be a marriage made in heaven.

Why is it that you think your room would only take a small piano?

FWIW - I grew up with and learned on a 1962 Story & Clark 42” console with a vaguely “colonial” oak styled cabinet. I liked it. My mother loved it. It served our family well. It was the ‘60’s version of the B1. If that’s what you want, go buy it and enjoy it.

Normally I would recommend a used U1 but it is rather plain looking. Best Wishes.

Two suggestions….

1) get a nice pair of earplugs. My room was really bad acoustically, and these helped a LOT. Piano sounded much clearer, they eliminated the extra reverb. Mine were $15 on ebay and even now that I have corrected my acoustic issues, I still use them sometimes.

2) That style of piano sometimes has a tendency to tip forward. Make sure it’s stable, ESPECIALLY if there are children around.

It’s not all that small of a room. Enjoy your piano.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I popped into the shop today on my bike; they have a silent B1 now; it was tucked into a corner similarly to the space I'd place it at home.
It looked a million dollars in polished ebony and sounded very good; I played my stuff on it nicely. Action felt a tad heavier than my digital but my main concern was the noise. It rang out! Yes! A great sound! But still, just too loud.
It wasn't as loud as Kawai's k150, which had a better action, or the B200 which had a lovely action.
Probably quieter than the large upright I had at home, too, many years ago. I guess my perception has changed.
The sound came at me, from all these pianos, like a wall. You could hear it through the woodwork, the piano was a total sound-chamber and it's an experience I enjoyed very much..
I'll give it some more thought. And have a chat with 'er indoors!

Be aware that acoustic pianos are all loud, massively, shockingly loud compared to the rather feeble speakers and amplifiers in a typical DP especially if you have become used to playing a DP with the volume turned down, or are comparing a real acoustic instrument with recordings.

This is a problem everyone faces when they start playing an acoustic but, really, it generally isn't a problem at all as you quite rapidly develop the touch to control that acoustic piano and produce the volume you want. You may also find that a larger better quality piano, even though it is capable of playing much louder than a small one, is also capable of playing quieter than that small piano as well.

Unfortunately the adjoining wall is not soundproof; now, whilst I'm able to play the digital reasonably loud due to the size and design of my super-massive music stand, an acoustic might well be several decibels too many for the Wise and Wonderful One who graces me with her presence. . .

The Wise and Wonderful One will appreciate the silent mode and you might appreciate buying some acoustic tile for the adjoining wall. Best Wishes!

Involving such a Wise and Wonderful One in the choice of pianos and the subsequent purchase of piano lessons can also be a good alternative to acoustic insulation :-)

Could one not acoustically insulate (isolate?) the Wise and Wonderful One?

Cheers!

Such wonderful thoughts! I'd already threatened her with a Sainsbury's bag over her head for tellin' me how to drive the car . . . .(she was with the Police once)

???

Just a suggestion include your wife in your music making activities more.Take her with you to buy the piano.She may just feel isolated. Many do now especially with Covid. Music can help bring us together.Best wishes on your new piano!