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Appreciate all the comments. So I recently went on a piano search trip, and played multiple different brands - mostly in the 7-7'6" range - Steinway B, Steingraber 212, Shigeru SX, SK6 and SK7, Grotrian 225, Estonia 225, Blunther, Mason and Hamlin B. Didn't get to a Schimmel or August Forster as yet. Had a fantastic trip and met some great people. Haven't completely decided as yet but really like the Shigeru SK7, also the Steingraeber and Mason and Hamlin. If I purchase an SK7, I have the option of trading in at full value anytime to the Shigeru SX. The SX is just an unbelievable instrument, but I played it in a room larger than what mine will be. My attraction has really nothing to do with volume, but rather depth of the tonal palette and control. After all these years, I just now learned about key and action length and how a longer piano allows a longer action mechanism, which thereby gives the pianist more lever power and control. So the question isn't necessarily one of volume accommodation as it is whether or not the advantages could be realized in a home environment. I do appreciate the comments about selling capacity if it comes to that - and perhaps why the concerts can be had for cheaper when used. Also the moving issues, although 7'6" is pretty big instrument too. So for now I'm perfectly content with a 7'6" model, but looking to see opinions on whether the extra size/money/effort truly are worth it. The purchase of the 7'6' piano will not be influenced by the future potential of a concert - the purchase will hinge on the love of the initial piano itself.

Thanks again.

What’s a Shigeru SX?

A Yamaha SX.

I bet on Shigeru EX.
First, There is no Yamaha SX model, there is SxX series.
Second, I don't think there is shop in the US thar is dealer for both Yamaha and Kawai.

Well Sonepica has a S7X I believe.Here is a recording of a smaller S5X.

Some people do in fact have concert grands in home settings. I sat in front of a good one a couple of weeks ago for the first time in my life, a Fazioli, and it was simply great. They can certainly be played quietly, too.

If you really want concert length keys, try out the Schimmel Konzert line, it's a major selling point for them. I think for any brand/model, at 7ft+, you're already getting the vast, vast majority of the benefit of the long pivot length.

Ellis Piano in Birmingham Alabama carries both Yamaha and Kawai, new.

Piano Solutions “Plus” in Indianapolis also is a dealer for new Kawai and Yamaha.

Yeah sorry it's a Shigeru SK-EX. Their concert grand. Definitely going with a semi-concert initially, this is more for future potential. I probably will find out that I'm perfectly content with a semi-concert, but there's always that notion in the back of my head. Both the 7'6" SK7 and SK-EX are amazing instruments. But I would throw away the notion if the general feeling is that it's not worth the changeover and not worth thinking about it.

While Yamaha used identical hammers for the CFX and CX series, for the SX series they chose different (and I'm assuming softer) hammers. They were keen to point out that the SX series is ideal for "smaller" concert venues like salons. They apparently believe that the different hammers (and perhaps other changes in the piano) gave it a beautiful sound but also reduced it's volume. I think particularly in the treble some pianos have a more "piercing", "percussive" or "metallic" quality which is good for competing with a loud bass, and Yamaha wanted to remove these frequencies from the piano. I think this is what they mean when they say pianos like the CFX are for the audience - projection in a large hall is a key consideration but wasn't for the SX series. Having banged away at my S7X for an hour or two this evening with the lid closed, and now experiencing some ear fatigue, I'm not too concerned about any reduction of volume

Plenty of pianists have all the different Yamaha models including non concert grand size CF and CX series for their home. So they are also suitable for the home. That's why the comments someone quoted from Yamaha technicians earlier in the this thread were silly since they implied that before the SX the other models weren't suitable for the home.

And many pianists own other models of Yamahas and don’t consider the tone to be percussive, piercing or metallic. I don’t understand why company techs would feel the need to use disparaging adjectives regarding their companies other models. Seems quite unprofessional and inappropriate.

Yep. The biggest change I noticed was from the C to the CX series, when testing back-to-back, in the same room.

It sounds like you’ve decided you’re going to buy something in the 7 foot range, for this purchase. So the questions about 9 foot pianos seem a little academic, and I’m definitely not qualified to offer a perspective on this. I’m sure folks with more experience will opine on this area.

What I will say is that in terms of the decision you need to make in the near future, I would really try to focus on figuring out which piano you like the most/best suits you, as opposed to thinking about a potential next piano. It seems like your top contenders are the SK7, the Steingraeber 212, and the M&H BB (I’m guessing you meant BB, as the BB is 7 feet and the B is 5’4”).

I will caveat this by saying that my experience is limited to a sample size of 1 of each, and playing each for pretty brief periods of time in the same showroom, but the Steingraeber 212 and M&H BB I played were instruments with very different personalities. I had a very clear preference for one over the other. There really seemed to be enough differences in the characters of the pianos that I would think a lot of people playing them would have a pretty distinct preference. I have not had the pleasure of playing an SK7, but from what I’ve heard and read, it seems like this piano would also be quite different from the other two, such that I would expect to have fairly strong feelings about it vs the others.

I guess I throw this out to say — think about what you liked more and less about each piano. Were there some pieces that you liked playing on one piano but not that much on others? Were there any magical moments? If so, what were they? Also, I know you travelled to see these pianos, and I’m not sure how feasible it will be to do so again. But I would recommend that you re-visit the pianos and see how you feel about them on a different day. Feelings change, and maybe now that you’ve got things narrowed down, you can hone in on what is most important to you.

Finally, if after all this, you are still torn between those three pianos, then I’d probably make the decision based on cost. I would also talk to the dealers about maintenance/servicing of the instruments and whether this may be… not trivial. Here is a thread from a couple years back that relates to servicing a Steingraeber:

http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2719647/kudos-to-pianocraft.html

We are all different in terms of how demanding we are, but it’s at least worth thinking about how the piano will be set up and maintained. In the thread I linked, the owner ended up having a technician fly from the Washington DC area to St Louis to regulate and voice the piano. I know Kawai has a system for setting up the Shigerus, and from the posts I’ve seen here, owners seem to be very happy with this system.

Putting aside considerations about the room size, aesthetics and acoustic properties, what others may feel about these pianos is their opinion. The only one experience that counts is your feeling. When you play these pianos at the store, what is your perception. Are you happy playing the SK7 and can live with it or do you find the SK-EX to be vastly superior (for you) and that is what you want and are ready to pay the price difference (the SK-EX is about twice the price so I assume the financial side is not an issue). When it comes to high end products, the marginal gain in "quality" (whatever it may mean) is paid with exponential increase in cost.

Also I am not sure if you are buying new or used. If new, you know that pianos depreciate very quickly in the first few years. So when you buy something in the 150k range, 20% depreciation is something like 30k .....

Once that decision is clear in your head, comes the room factor and other side considerations.

I have several customers with concert grands in small music rooms, one with a Steinway D and a B. Go for it.

Pianos are not alike. In my experience for example a 7' 6" Steingraeber or Phoenix is capable of being louder than a S&S D. I have had a Steinway D at home and my current 212 is easily capable of being just as loud. Both have immense control. Both can be played as quietly as you like - this is part of the point of a concert quality piano: lots of control.

Had a concert Fazioli for a while in a studio that was about 15ft by 25ft (vaulted ceiling) and it was totally fine.

IMO large part of how a piano sounds is directly related to the player. I pretty much agree with Vibrato here. I've had three concert sized grands domestically, including long term loan of a Hamburg D, and I've had a 6" 3" Boston and my current 212.

In my home or home studios, I have never felt with a semi-concert sized piano that I need either more volume or more control.

Choose an excellent piano. Don't fret too much about length.

Our Boesendorfer 225 is 7'4" in length and with 92 keys, a few inches wider than a normal piano. It was called a half concert - Halbkonzert when we bought it. And we have seen many in smaller concert halls, those which hold an audience of 500 people. A concert artist can certainly fill our home with more volume than we would want - we had 40 guests hear Jon Nakamatsu play the Rach 2 in our living - dining room (with the orchestra part played on our smaller Yamaha S-400E). Our ceilings are sloped and rise to more than 25 feet, so lots of volumetric space in the room. I didn't have a db meter, but his crescendos were near the capacity of my hearing.

It really depends on the piano, how it is set up, how it is maintained, and of course, how it is used. There are concert grands that work great in a concert hall but not so much in a home environment. There are concert grands that work very nicely in a home environment but in a concert setting, their limitations are exposed. There are concert grands that work nicely in a home but still are not as good as smaller pianos in that same environment, even of the same maker.

Concert grands definitely feel and respond differently than non concert grands and there is a learning curve for playing some repertoire on a concert grand when one is not familiar with concert grands. The tone develops differently on a concert grand than on a smaller piano and this can confuse the timing and control of the pianist who is not used to concert grands.

IMO, most concert grands are not so successful even among top makers with very good smaller pianos. Concert grands of the same maker are also the most inconsistent.

Smaller pianos are usually better balanced across registers than concert grands and smaller pianos usually have better treble than concert grands.

So, the right concert grand with the right prep and follow up service can be wonderful in a home situation, but there are so many variables it certainly wont automatically be better than a smaller piano in the same environment by the same maker or another maker.

Finally, less technicians are familiar with working on concert grands, especially for home use, just because they don't come across them very often.

This wasn't my experience comparing the CFX with the S7X at the Yamaha premium piano centre in Melbourne. The CFX had a more "substantial" tone from the treble, while the S7X was weaker/thinner.