Best piano in your world.

[Richard Brekne]

Topperpiano@aol.com wrote:

> Let's talk about pianos.
> ...... Your turn.

> TP


Funny to read these posts so far and find that just about all the pianos 
mentioned are 75 + years old.  And the youngest one of the group was 50 
years old. I wonder how much of these are origional parts and design.  
And I wonder how one can account for this given the <<fact>> that wood 
and pianos dont age... they atrophosize.

I've got to admit I am astounded by many of the surviving quality grand 
pianos from that golden age of building.  I ran into a Steinway A 
today... serial 207xxx  signatures from the early -mid 20's from 
pianotechs.  A New York instrument looked like it had the origional 
hammers on still. Not all that much used.. but this nice old mahogany 
stained case needed quite the refinnishing job.  The insides had been 
cleaned out a couple years back they told me... nothing new.. just 
cleaning. Evidently there had been about 4 cm of dust that had 
accumulated.  I had to tune it up for this years drop-in concerts for 
the UiB's contribution to Festspill 2004.  Just incredible that this 
instrument still had so much to give. Clarity and depth of tone.  Not 
really thinned out at all.  Some of the lower bass strings were a bit 
tubby.... thats about all you could really point at. 

Still... all in all the most astounding piano sound I have to date heard 
is our brand new Yamaha CF III.  I still have a hard time believeing 
this is a Yamaha.  The tenor has that baritone quality that you could 
die for... and the midtreble up to the highest notes simply melt into 
the ears in the most sensuous musical manner I have ever heard from a 
piano.  And the touch.... which in the end is what I've come to believe 
its really all about... the touch is simply heaven.  One student 
commented the other day she was simply dumbfounded by the transparency 
of this instrument.  She had to only sit down and start runing her 
fingers across the keyboard and the piano took care of all the rest for 
her. 

I've only run into 2 other newer CF III's in the recent past and wasnt 
all that impressed... but this one is simply amazing. And if it is 
representative of what Yamaha stands for today and in the future.... 
then I am indeed fearfull for Steinway.

Cheers
RicB