Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Fun Grand Piano Comparison - Medium Size

For the fun of it, here are two pianos that are of similar price, age, condition and size to compare. Both are in the 6' range ( slightly above ) or 182 CM+ for you metric folk. Both pianos are generally highly regarded.

There are two videos each of piano A and piano B.

I tried to make the comparisons as fair as possible. Same tech prepared both pianos. Same acoustic. Same recording engineer, equipment, set up and settings. Same pianist and same music.

After I feel that most everyone that wants to participate has, I will reveal the instruments. I hope everyone enjoys this and I look forward to reading comments.

WOOPS! Videos can be seen now! Sorry!

First of all, fantastic playing and beautiful voicing as usual, Keith. Both pianos sound "warm" and American to me. Both are either Baldwin, Steinway, or maybe Mason? Piano A has more characteristics that remind me of my vintage Baldwin, so I'm going with Piano A is a Baldwin (L?... but vintage... it doesn't sound like a modern L). Might be a Steinway O? Piano B perhaps Steinway L. I'm probably way off.

Thanks very much for your comments. Piano B cannot be a Steinway O or L, because piano B ( and A ) is over 6' long ( 182CM + )

Ah, I see, I missed the "slightly above" 6' part. I was thinking around 6', not necessarily longer than 6'.... How about a Steinway A?

I like them both but I like Piano B more than Piano A, it sounds sweeter to me, and clearer. I haven't played a bunch of pianos in a long time so no idea which makes they could be.

Well, this is fun. Thanks for posting Keith.

I prefer piano B from the Scriabin recordings. Piano A almost sounds like it might have a strike point issue, particularly in the high tenor/low treble. There sounds like there could be more fundamental there to my ears.

Piano A is instantly recognisable as having the signature tone of the Pearl River 6'6" from 1992.

I thought at first that Piano B was a Kimball console from the mid 50s but then I saw it was at least 6' so I'm stumped.

Hmm....no idea why or how you came up with the strike point idea. Maybe listen with a higher quality system? Both pianos are in new condition with superb prep and both pianos have the original factory strike points which I strongly suspect your best trained technician familiar with strike point set up would fully agree.

Thanks for comment...

My initial guess is
PIANO A is a Baldwin (on the brighter side, esp in Mid-High Treble)
PIANO B is a Steingraeber (solid in each of it's prospective ranges/areas - Bass/Tenor/Treble etc)

Just my take!


brdwyguy

PS I heard something to Rich G on the A but didn't know what it was that I heard. LOL

both doesn't have too big bass for 6',
piano A has very sweet "Petrof-like" mid tones (from the Scriabin),
piano B seems to have wider dynamic range & better treble, less strong sound character - sounds japanese to me😊

ben
CRW190

I'm going with a Steinway A for Piano B.

I preferred piano A, especially in Rachmaninoff, it sounds more tame and clean. In Scriabin, it is hard to tell, I almost preferred B (have you reversed them?
I am no expert in piano makes, but B reminded me of Mason & Hamlins with their big, meaty sonority in treble.

I can't tell which pianos these are, but my ears greatly prefer piano B for both pieces. I'm very curious to find out the answer! :-)

B by a a mile.

I listened as closely and as critically as I could on good headphones. I can't identify the brands, but generally prefer Piano B, especially in the Scriabin. The Piano B tones seem to meld together better. Some of the Piano A bass notes in the Scriabin sounded just a little harsh(?)--I didn't hear this in the Rachmaninoff transcription.

Why does the 1st recording, for those two repeated notes at :54, have a hollow, percussive sound? My piano does the same thing.

Anyway, my guess is Piano A is a Steinway A, and Piano B is a Steingraeber B-192.

I have no idea which piano is which brand but overall I prefer piano B.

When choosing a piano I have to play it but if choosing by sound alone I’d take B.

Thanks to everyone who has participated so far. There have been some excellent guesses and some are way off the mark
I'll let this keep going for a little while longer.

I liked both pianos but liked the tenor, midrange of B.In B it was more difficult to tell later on in the second piece. At 2.56 the chordal section in B sounded rather bright in the treble.I preffered the pianist's ending of the second piece in piano A .(second piece), more of a harp like sound in the grace notes, arppegioated chords.Piano B sounded "harder and brighter here.
I am listening through small earbuds on a cell phone in a rather crowded place.Perhaps when I listen more carefully at home with proper head phones I shall come to a better conclusion. Both sounded like very good pianos however.