Pianos

I have a Samick upright.  My teacher has a Grand by the same manufacturer and when I start my lesson I’m always startled at the difference.

  Steinways are my favorite, the best combination of gorgeous midrange, deep but not overpowering bass, and beautiful treble.  Bechstein impresses with its deep bass and solidity, particularly with late German Romantic composers such as Brahms, but they aren’t particularly well suited for French music, imo.  Yamaha are bright and nimble but a little to fast for me

Angela Hewitt has also sung the praises of Stuart and Sons pianos made in Australia.  That is Australia, not Austria.

I'm not sure where you are located but Piano stores seem to have a big selection to play to get a feel.

We ended up with Kawai SK -2. The lite action was the biggest factor. They use carbon fiber to keep the weight down.

If your around San Antonio call Alamo Music and ask for Kevin. He will let you play one of each brand of the top pianos.

As a jazz pianist I’ve owned several. Bosendorfer, made in Germany, is the most expensive piano ever made. For a high quality piano and something affordable I’d recommend a Yamaha C series. This is a piano that’s in most jazz clubs. The Yamaha C3 is a 6 foot grand piano with excellent tone and action. The C series is Yamaha’s finest piano. The company spends extra time and better parts building them.

Steinway is also excellent. But expensive.

If I was looking to purchase a grand piano today I’d purchase a Fandrich & Sons piano. It contains the patented Fandrich action. It’s the action that you’re actually playing. The Fandrich action is smooth as butter. They actually have grand piano’s from $13,000 to $19,000. That’s just about the least expensive quality piano available today. They’re excellent pianos. I only know about them because they’re built near my home. I use to visit them often because their piano’s are pure joy to play. A 6’ is desirable, and is priced at $19k. A 5’’7” is priced at $16.5k.
They can be located on line at:

http://www.fandrich.com/mobile/index.php?PHPSESSID=88fpgr0ejfui426bl782se25c4&location=

If you’re desiring an upright I’d stay with a Yamaha 5’3” upright. Young Chang also makes quality piano’s. If you can afford it I’d recommend purchasing a grand., which has the best tone. A 5’7” grand won’t break your budget and will fit nicely in a moderately sized room. The piano is best located near a corner where the sound will reverberate back to the player.

An upright’s sound is right in your face because the piano’s soundboard is vertical. A grand’s sound is preferable because it’s soundboard is horizontal, and the result is it’s sound is more open and appealing.

And know too that some uprights can be as, or more expensive, than a grand. So, probably more information than you wanted to know.

When I was in college, I played on a fully upright Mason & Hamlin. It was a beautiful piano in every way. A friend of mine had a 1927 Weber grand. That's a great piano to own but the Weber name is now owned by Young Chang and in my opinion are not the same as the vintage Weber pianos. At work we have two Steinway's. My thought in general is that almost any piano maker can make a great piano for $200,000.