Bechstein vs Steinway Pianos | Everything You Need to Know

 

If you're a piano shopper or performer and you're investigating the highest echelons of the piano business, it's going to be awfully tough to miss these two titans - Steinway & Sons and C. Bechstein. Sure, there are a small handful of other pianos in the same top-quality tier that garner an equal level of musical respect, such as Bosendorfer, Fazioli and Steingraeber & Sohne, but no other two piano makers have achieved the same scale and dominance in their respective markets than Steinway or C. Bechstein have.

Whereas Fazioli and Bosendorfer sell just a few hundred units per year, C. Bechstein produces over 4,000 musical instruments annually in Seifhennersdorf Germany, and Steinway also remains well into the four-digit territory between their Hamburg Germany and New York factories.

But what many don't realize is just how close in design these two instruments actually are, despite the fact that they are musically very different from one another.

In today's article and companion video, we're going to cover the musical and technical differences between Bechstein vs Steinway pianos. We’ll also look at their similarities, a rundown of their histories, and a snapshot of how things look for these manufacturers today.

Let’s start with C. Bechstein.

 

C. Bechstein

Early History

German company C. Bechstein has been producing pianos for over 150 years. Their story begins in the city of Berlin in 1853 when German Master Piano Maker Carl Bechstein began constructing highly personalized, bespoke upright pianos for the top artists of the day - a tradition of excellence with the vertical format that continues to the present day.

The small shop quickly grew to a large-scale operation, and by the turn of the 20th century, C. Bechstein was producing several thousand pianos annually.

 

WWII

At the height of C. Bechstein's popularity, their pianos were the preferred choice of European and British aristocracy, as well as the preeminent concert halls of the day due to their superb build quality, musical capabilities and stunning cabinetry.

Unfortunately, the tensions and the destruction resulting from the two World Wars virtually ended the company. Luckily for us, C. Bechstein has undergone a complete rejuvenation over the past couple of decades.

 

Today

With new ownership and a massive investment of capital into the company, C. Bechstein has been experiencing a renaissance since the early 2000s. With the purchase of the already existing Bohemia Piano Factory in the Czech Republic, they've also begun producing pianos under the C. Bechstein Europe umbrella with the resurrected W. Hoffmann brand, serving as a high-value European alternative to the top-level professional Japanese pianos from Kawai and Yamaha.

In addition to that factory acquisition, they've also revamped many of their flagship piano models with more advanced scale designs, improved cabinetry, and very notably, a brand new action and hammer division, making them one of the few piano companies worldwide to manufacture their own hammers in-house.

 

Current Piano Lineup

In addition to the three quality lines from their Czech factory, C. Bechstein produces German-made upright and grand pianos in two quality levels. The lower-priced Academy Series line is on par quality-wise with the very best handmade Japanese pianos and certain other German companies.

The higher-priced C. Bechstein Concert Series sits right at the top of the heap for overall quality and craftsmanship in terms of what’s available anywhere in the world today.

With extensive recent redesigns throughout the entire C. Bechstein Academy and Concert Series lineups, the current C. Bechstein pianos are noticeably superior to what the company was producing even 10 to 15 years ago.

Certain C. Bechstein grand pianos and C. Bechstein uprights are regarded as the best pianos available for their specific size - the C. Bechstein Concert 8 is held by many as the finest upright piano money can buy, and the C. Bechstein C234 is widely considered as the best semi-concert grand piano currently in production.

 

Differences Between Academy and Concert Series Lines

Materials

Some of the specific material differences include the AAA Austrian white spruce in the Academy Series versus the much more expensive Val di Fiemme spruce used in the Concert series - this is an extremely rare red spruce, and is sourced from the same forest that Stradivarius cultivated for his legendary violins.

Mahogany hammer moldings are used in the Academy line versus the stronger and lighter walnut hammer moldings in the Concert line. From there, C. Bechstein uses the high-quality Silver Line Action in the Academy Series versus their top-tier Gold Line Action featured on the Concert Series. The geometry is quite similar between these two actions, but the Gold Line Action is built to an even stricter tolerance level.

Manufacturing Time & Designs

The manufacturing time for the Academy series is roughly half that of the time they spend on their Concert Series. Certain specific design differences include non-tapered soundboards in the Academy Series versus tapered soundboards in the Concert Series. A thicker, full hardwood rim with more laminations is used in the Concert Series along with solid beech bridges and a pinblock that also has more laminations, contrasted with a slightly thinner rim and less complex bridge design and pinblock in the Academy series.

There is some debate amongst C. Bechstein lovers throughout the world as to which design is superior. The mid-20th century C. Bechstein’s had a very romantic sound with a less complex tone and less projection often described as intimate.

The present-day C. Bechstein models use virtually every best practice and design feature known to the piano industry and as a result, the tone is probably described best as something falling between a Steinway and a Fazioli in terms of the dynamic response, extremely wide color pallet and staggering cabinet resonance.

 

Steinway & Sons

Early History

Steinway & Sons is without a doubt the most recognizable piano brand in the world. German immigrant Heinrich Engelhart Steinweg, eventually known as Henry E. Steinway, opened a small workshop in Manhattan in 1853 after years of piano making in Germany.

After obtaining over 100 design patterns, multiple location changes, and of course, anglicizing the family name to Steinway, Steinway would emerge as the dominant force in American piano manufacturing. In the 1880s, wanting to expand to the European market, Steinway opened a facility in Hamburg, Germany to supply Europe and the rest of the world.

 

Rise to Worldwide Prominence

Into the 1900s, Steinway became one of the most successful consumer brands in the world, pioneering many of the marketing techniques that we would now call product placement. Steinway Concert halls in London, New York, and Germany became the center of culture for many affluent and newly moneyed successful families and business people.

The newly minted Steinway Artist Program created and to this day maintained a monopoly among touring classical pianists.

 

Today

Steinway still produces pianos in both New York and Germany, with the New York factory supplying the Americas and the German factory supplying the rest of the world.

Steinway is no longer family-owned, and it has changed hands several times throughout the last 100 years. The company has had stable ownership since about 2013 after it was acquired by a New York-based private equity firm.

While the pianos from both factories are renowned for their quality, pianos from the German Hamburg factory are often regarded as superior to New York, though, there has been an effort in recent years to bring the American factory up to a similar standard that was established by its German counterpart.

 

Current Piano Lineup

New York Steinway

Steinway’s New York facility currently produces a single upright piano, the well-regarded 52” K52, which is available in a couple of different finishes.

In terms of the grand pianos, they offer a full lineup ranging from the 5’1” Model S baby grand piano to the 9’ Model D with four models in between. Their pianos are very popular in the high-end market among musicians and play the role of a sort of status symbol.

Despite improvements to quality consistency in recent years, the NY Steinway’s are still generally regarded as a step below their German counterparts.

 

Hamburg Steinway

Like the New York facility, Steinway’s Hamburg facility also offers the 52” K-52 as their only upright piano currently in production.

The grand piano lineup is the same except for one extra model, - the 7’5” C227. The German pianos are voiced quite differently from their American counterparts and do feature some differences in materials.

 

Differences between Bechstein vs Steinway

Sub-Brands

When we sit down to compare these two venerable brands, several key differences emerge. The first thing is their approach to their sub-brands and sublines. In Steinway’s case, we're talking about the Boston and Essex lines, and with C. Bechstein, we're talking about W. Hoffmann and Zimmermann.

Where Steinway elected to contract the construction of Boston to Kawai (Samick now manufactures one model as well) and Essex to a series of changing Chinese manufacturers, C. Bechstein directly manufactures all aspects of their five European-made lines and contracts the manufacturer of the Zimmermann line only.

The major differences between these two approaches has to do with consistency, both in terms of a model-to-model comparison, but also in terms of the overall quality of a given line from year to year.

For example, Essex have gone through different manufacturers over the years, with varying degrees of success. On the other hand, every single W. Hoffman acoustic piano from all three lines (Vision, Tradition, Professional) leaves C. Bechstein’s Czech factory with no detectable differences from one year of manufacture to the next.

 

Design

There are of course also a number of design differences between these two manufacturers when comparing lines of equivalent quality. Virtually every structural part of a Steinway grand is made with hard rock maple, including the rim. This focus on a specific, very dense wood colors the tone in a very distinctive way and also creates a very resonant structure.

C. Bechstein uses a variety of dense hardwoods in their grands as opposed to only maple. In addition to maple, they also use mahogany as well as beech. Whereas maple tends to produce a mid-range heavy tone with great projection, C. Bechstein’s use of multiple hardwoods combined with a super precise structure produces a tonal profile that is much closer to that of a Fazioli - very colorful, but with a dynamic response closer to that of a Steinway. New York Steinway & C. Bechstein actions are also quite different.

New York Steinways feature their patented Accelerated Action while C. Bechstein uses an action that is much closer to a Hamburg Steinway action. On first touch, C. Bechsteins feel lighter with a sense of a deeper key bed, whereas a Steinway will have a heavier touch and the sense that the key bed is more shallow.

 

Musical Differences

Musically speaking, Steinways tend to have a much more broad range of tone between dynamic extremes. In other words, the character of tone is quite different when playing softly versus when playing loudly. This is less consistent from model to model and less consistent through the top to the bottom of the range, however, whereas C. Bechstein’s tend to be extremely consistent throughout all ranges and across different models.

Steinway’s tend to have a slightly darker color in the upper range with less clarity, and the softer dynamic ranges are more notably flat in tone compared to a C. Bechstein. Bechstein’s are also known for their unique bloom-like character of tone.

 

What These Differences Mean

The real-world implications of these musical observations mean that anyone considering a Steinway will most definitely want to play the exact piano in the showroom that they’ll be taking home due to the lack of consistency from piano to piano and model to model.

This also brings us to another question people always ask; will a piano from either of these manufacturers increase in value over time? The short answer is no.

Although there are instances where one could sell their piano for more than they bought it for, i.e. a high-end piano purchased in the 1920s will of course sell for a higher price than one hundred years ago, this completely ignores the effects of inflation.

Ultimately, these instruments are highly complex machines that unfortunately do not improve with age over time. Unlike a violin or cello, in which age may legitimately make the instrument more valuable as the wood seasons, a piano is at its absolute peak at some point within the first five years of its ownership. When inflation is accounted for, the best that an owner can probably hope for is a lifetime of wonderful music-making with a slow and predictable depreciation against its replacement cost.

 

Similarities Between C. Bechstein & Steinway & Sons

Despite many differences, there are surprising similarities between these two manufacturers that not everyone is aware of. For one, C. Bechstein Concert and Hamburg Steinway grands use a treble bell in their larger models. This is something that was originally innovated by Steinway and later adopted by C. Bechstein.

A second similarity is that both manufacturers use a highly tapered, old-growth spruce soundboard in their top German instruments. Steinway doesn't disclose their exact type of sourcing of spruce, but by all accounts, they still use Alpine Sitka. C. Bechstein on the other hand is a little more transparent in this regard and they use a minimum of 1,000-meter altitude red spruce from the Val di Fiemme, which is in Italy, of Stradivarius fame.

 

Closing Thoughts

We hope that you've enjoyed this exploration of the history, similarities and differences between C. Bechstein and Steinway & Sons pianos. Thanks very much for reading, and be sure to check out the companion video!

The post Bechstein vs Steinway Pianos | Everything You Need to Know first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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C Bechstein A124 | Upright Piano Review | C Bechstein Academy Series

 

If you're considering a premium upright piano from Germany in the $20,000-$30,000 USD range, it's quite likely that you've come across the C Bechstein A124, and for good reason - from the material selection to the precision of the craftsmanship, the A124 is without question one of the top upright pianos available in its class, and more than holds it's own against the truly elite uprights from the C Bechstein Concert class.

In this article, we're going to do a deep dive into what makes this piano of high technological expertise so special, covering the design, sound, touch, and why C. Bechstein are one of the foremost piano makers operating today.

 

One of my Personal Favorites

Before we do an overview of the C. Bechstein A 124, I'd like to share why I feel a particular connection to it, and why it's definitely one of my favorite upright pianos in the entire world. Not to say that I necessarily think it's the absolute best since there are instruments that are two and three times the price that on an analytical objective level outperform it.

But something about this instrument holds a special place in my heart, which comes from my first experience with the instrument several years ago.

Stu’s First Time Playing the A124

The first time I played the A124 was about 5 years ago, and prior to that experience, I wasn’t overly familiar with Bechstein pianos in general other than playing on my friend and superb pianist Adrean Farrugia’s Bechstein Academy upright, which was very nice.

The first time I played the redesigned A124 was at Bechstein’s NAMM booth several years ago. I sat down at the A124 and instantly had a super connective, incredible musical experience. The bass response was so well balanced, I felt like I was sitting in front of a 6-foot grand, and clearly, the scale design had ideal proportions. It made such an impression on me that day, and it's what ultimately led to us making the A124 a staple at our showrooms (when they’re in stock that is.)

 

C Bechstein A124 Overview

Here’s some general background information on this piano; the A124 is of course 124 cm tall, which is just shy of 49”, and is 100% made in Germany by C. Bechstein - a company with more than 160 years of piano-making experience, and one of the leaders in piano manufacturing today.

 

C Bechstein A124 - Academy Line

The A124 is part of Bechstein’s Academy line, meaning it’s part of the second highest quality line of pianos they produce, under only the top-quality C. Bechstein Masterpiece line, and was designed by the top C. Bechstein engineers and sound specialists at the C. Bechstein R&D department. The rich Bechstein heritage is known today for the blending of traditional craftsmanship with high technology.

Some of the material and design costs are reduced with the Academy series, but they are built to the same quality standard, on the same production site and by the same craftsmen schooled in the Bechstein tradition as the Concert line. Bechstein makes their own hammers, one of the few piano manufacturers still doing this, and every single model has its own hammer made specifically for that piano. This goes a long in helping to achieve the distinct character each C. Bechstein piano displays, and the A124 is no exception to this.

Piano Sound

If I had to use one word to describe the overall sound of the A124 it would be a balance - everything about this piano is incredibly balanced, and it doesn’t require much effort on the part of the player to achieve this.

 

Soundboard

The response is amazing, and one of the main reasons for this is how picky Bechstein is with the mountain Spruce they select for the soundboards in their instruments. In every Academy upright, Bechstein uses Alpine Spruce exclusively grown at a minimum of 800 meters, which means the wood is going to be incredibly consistent and have very little moisture. Spruce grown at these altitudes is consistent with what you’ll find in other pianos at the very top of the market.

 

Hand Wound Bass Strings

Another contributor to the tone, especially with regard to the bass, has to do with the fact that the bass strings are hand-wound, and sourced extremely selectively. There are no fall beats, and the bass is super clear, as is the treble. There’s not a ton of complexity to the mid-range and treble, but its select sound is laser-focused in its clarity and boasts impressive sound volume.

 

C Bechstein A124 - Piano Action

Bechstein’s always been well known by piano players for their action assembly in their acoustic pianos, especially with regards to the lever ratio, accuracy and how well-regulated they are. The overall control and repetition speed here is super impressive.

The resistance is closer to a grand piano, which is a huge plus since this is a typical drawback of upright piano actions - a lack of resistance which can make playing classical music a challenge.

 

Bechstein’s Silver Line Action

The action assembly is specifically referred to as Bechstein’s Silver Line Action. This is the second-best action Bechstein makes, bested only by the Gold Line Actions that are used exclusively in the Concert series uprights and grands.

What separates the Silver from the Gold? Simply, tolerances. While the Silver Line Actions are built to very high tolerances, the Gold Line Actions take this a step further, with fanatical level tolerances.

 

Cabinet

The A124 is available in two cabinet styles of timeless design, the A 124 Imposant (featured in the accompanying video) and A 124 Style. It’s also available by special order in a variety of finishes.

Conclusions

The type of person I think will be most intrigued by this piano is not only someone not constrained by budget, but someone who had no idea an upright piano could provide the musical experience of a premium piano. Also, if you’re already looking at a grand piano with a $30,000 budget, such as a Yamaha or W. Hoffmann, you should definitely consider the C Bechstein A124 as an alternative with an equally voluminous sound.

For some, making that jump from a mid-range grand to a premium instrument in the form of an upright is worth it. Ultimately, the A124 is going to meet the requirements of both professional pianists, and those seeking a top-class instrument, for a relatively affordable price when everything is considered.

The post C Bechstein A124 | Upright Piano Review | C Bechstein Academy Series first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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W Hoffmann T177 | Tradition Series | Grand Piano Review

 

 The W. Hoffmann series of pianos from the C. Bechstein Europe parent company presents many choices for today’s piano buyer. The Vision series is the entry point to the line and offers a modern, handcrafted European piano from the Czech Republic for about the price of a professional Japanese instrument, while the top-end Professional series serves as a lower-cost near copy of the German C. Bechstein Academy series.

Unlike the modernized scale designs of the Vision and Professional series, the Tradition series is built with the intention of capturing the essence of the great German pianos of the past.

Today, we’re going to be looking at the middle model in the Tradition line as we dive into the W Hoffmann T177 5’10” grand piano. We’ll be focusing on the sound, action as well as some design specifics. We’ll get started with some background information on the piano.

 

W Hoffmann T177 - Background Information

Made in the Czech Republic

The first thing to know about the W Hoffmann T177 is that it is a 100% European piano, made by C. Bechstein in the town of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. This is important to clarify because many so-called European grand and upright pianos are actually primarily built in Asia.

There's of course nothing wrong with that, but this is something that people can be quite sensitive about so it’s important to understand that when talking about a W. Hoffmann Tradition or Professional, we’re talking about a completely European acoustic piano.

The Vision by contrast uses strung-backs imported from Asia, but all of the assembly is done in the Czech Republic. Certain other pianos may feature a number of components, but all production and assembly occur in Asia.

 

Tradition vs Professional Series

The Professional series is the most expensive line from W. Hoffman while The Tradition costs a little bit less and sits in the middle of the pecking order. There’s no question that the T177 sounds quite different from a Professional series piano, but interestingly, it’s not really accurate to call the Professional series superior.

They're much more of a parallel product with two different design and tonal philosophies and both exemplify European quality. The T177 produces a warmer sound with a rounder attack than what the Professional series is delivering, which has a very specific bell-like tone.

The Professional series is also very forward in terms of its treble bias. In contrast, the Tradition series is darker, with an almost Shigeru Kawai-esque tone that manages to be warm and dark, yet colorful at the same time.

With some context out of the way, let’s move on to some specifics with regard to the T177’s design and features.

 

W Hoffmann T177 - Design Features

Duplex Scale

The T177 is equipped with several features which are important to highlight. For one, it's got a duplex scale which means that there are metal fulcrums behind the top treble sections to give the strings extra speaking length which adds to the top-end harmonics.

Most higher-end pianos feature duplex scaling as it’s a staple of premium piano making.

 

Solid White Spruce Soundboard

The T177 features a solid spruce soundboard - white spruce specifically that is grown in the Alpine region of Europe. This soundboard is not to the level of what you’ll find in a C. Bechstein Concert series, but this is still a very high-quality soundboard of slow-growth mountain spruce.

 

Hardwood Rim

Another key feature of the T177 is the fairly thick hardwood rim. It’s not hard rock maple as is somewhat common in the price range but instead, the rim features a combination of mahoganies, beaches and some maple.

This specific combination of hardwoods produces a great amount of projection, and also means that the T177 is built to last a long time.

 

C. Bechstein Hammers

After a massive investment in recent years, C. Bechstein is now making their own hammers in-house - they're not sourcing their hammers from a supplier. This means that every single model receives customized hammers with specific weighting and design to help maximize each piano’s tonal potential.

There are not very many piano makers still making their own hammers in this day and age and certainly not any other high-end boutique piano makers. C. Bechstein makes about 5,000 to 6,000 pianos per year compared to Kawai or Yamaha who make hundreds of thousands of pianos a year and also make their own hammers.

For C. Bechstein to have made this substantial investment shows their commitment to controlling as much of the production process as possible and not leaving anything to chance.

 

Grand Piano Action

Bechstein “Silver Line” Action

The T177 features a C. Bechstein-built action which they refer to as their “Silver Line” action. This is exactly the same action that goes into the W. Hoffmann pianos of the Professional series, and even the C. Bechstein Academy series.

The “Silver Action” shares much of the same fundamental design as the top “Gold Line” action reserved exclusively for the C. Bechstein Concert series pianos, but the big difference is the amount of time that the wood has been dried, the number of hours in the factory that it takes to assemble and regulate the actions.

So, essentially we have the same basic design, but everything is just a notch down from what the “Gold Line” action is delivering. There are still dozens and dozens of hours of prep time going into “Silver Line” action, it’s just not refined to the same fanatical degree as the “Gold Line”.

Feels like a Steinway

This action actually feels a lot like a slightly lighter version of a Steinway. The key bed feels a little bit more shallow than a Japanese piano, and a lot more shallow than a Fazioli.

Extremely good repetition speed and the responsiveness is totally on point. This is not going to be a torturous action for daily practice, and it’s more than fluid enough for the high demands of the most advanced repertoire.

 

Grand Piano Sound

Strong Treble

The first thing that really stands out about the T177 with regards to sound is the treble; it’s just so powerful with excellent projection.

The harmonics are very well controlled and crystal clear, yet there’s a good amount of color too. The attack is very immediate.

 

American Sounding Mid-Range

The Mid-range is what would typically be associated with a classic American sound- very much in the vein of a Steinway M or a Mason & Hamlin Model A.

The response and dynamic range are also very much in line with the American sound.

 

Bass Register

The bass is actually quite edgy which is a little bit unexpected. Even though we're in a lower price range than the C. Bechstein Academy series, the design is such that the notoriously difficult ‘break’ area is actually very smooth and more on par with a German instrument.

 

Closing Thoughts

Overall, the T177 is a very capable instrument that also happens to be very satisfying to play. It’s probably one of the most American-sounding European-built pianos we’ve ever played, which is really interesting given the fact that the T177 is marketed as being a German throwback instrument.

 

Great Value

What you're getting for the money here is really quite extraordinary. In our opinion, the value proposition is definitely stronger than say a New York Steinway given how exorbitant their pricing is, and quite frankly, there’s an argument to be made here that the value is better than a C. Bechstein Academy.

 

Wrap Up

Next time you’re in a Bechstein dealer’s showroom, see if they have a W Hoffmann T177 on the floor and give it a try. It just may be the perfect combination you’ve been looking for.

And with Bechstein’s optional Vario System add-on, the T177 might be your solution if you’re looking for a silent piano too.

The post W Hoffmann T177 | Tradition Series | Grand Piano Review first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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W Hoffmann P162 Professional Series | Baby Grand Piano Review

 

C Bechstein’s W Hoffmann brand offers an undeniably intriguing set of pianos. Consisting of three different lines of different quality, the W. Hoffmann is a fully European handmade alternative to a German piano for a fraction of the price.

In this article and review video we’ll be looking at the entry point to the Professional line - the top W. Hoffmann line - with the W Hoffmann P162 baby grand. We’ll do a rundown of the piano action and piano sound, as well as some other cool design/aesthetic tidbits.

W Hoffmann P162 - Playing Experience

Of all the instruments in the showroom right now, it's worth mentioning that this one has really managed to grab our company President and resident piano reviewer Stu’s attention and inspire some very creative moments.

Anyone who spends a lot of time around pianos will know what Stu’s referring to here - “it's very unusual for me to sit down in front of a piano that is less than $90,000 or $100,000 and have it genuinely take my breath away and cause me to play differently than I would normally. “ Stu opined.

He continued, “To me, that's one of the most interesting effects that a great instrument can have.”

Read on for our in-depth review of the W. Hoffmann P162 baby grand piano!

 

Baby Grand Piano Background

The C. Bechstein Europe’s P162, produced under the W. Hoffmann Professional brand is a baby grand with a massive musical range, a clear precise tone, fluid, and expertly-prepared action, and an attractive and unique silver color scheme.

 

Professional Series vs Tradition Series

The W. Hoffmann Professional series along with their Tradition series are both highly regarded all-European grand pianos that offer a high-value alternative to more expensive German pianos. The Professional series differs from the Tradition series in subtle ways, but nonetheless important to mention.

Both pianos use a different hammer and voicing style, different plates (and therefore also slightly different scale designs) as well as different bridge designs. The result is that the Professional series produces a more bell-like attack with long-sustaining trebles, as opposed to the darker and warmer tone of the Tradition series.

Made in the Czech Republic

The W Hoffmann P162 is made in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic at the old Bohemia piano factory which Bechstein acquired in 2006. Bechstein made a considerable investment in modernizing the factory with new CNC machinery and modern technology while maintaining much of the experienced workforce.

We generally don't spend too much time discussing specific piano factories in our reviews, but in this case, we're behooved to highlight Bechstein's Czech factory. This is a factory that's currently at its maximum possible output with the staff working day and night to try and fill back-orders.

Between the workforce, equipment and the substantial investment Bechstein has made, the result has been a stable of incredible instruments that more than compete against high-end Japanese options from Kawai and Yamaha. The Professional Series W. Hoffmann pianos are right at the top of the heap when it comes to what that Czech factory is putting out for Bechstein.

Alternative to the C. Bechstein Academy A160

The P162 is essentially a sister product to the Bechstein Academy A160. If you are ever fortunate enough to be able to sit down in front of an A160 and a P162 side by side, you're going to quickly notice that the scales designs and cabinets are virtually the same.

It's quite clear that Bechstein have exported some of the designs and a lot of the expertise out of their Berlin factory down the road two hours to the Czech factory and are producing a very similar product to the Academy, for about 20-30% less money.

Let’s jump over to some specifics regarding the action.

 

Baby Grand Piano Action

Bechstein’s Silver Line Action

The P162 uses Bechstein’s “Silver Line” action. This action features essentially the same geometry as the top-end “Gold Line” Action, but with lesser quality materials on certain parts, while also receiving less voicing and regulation.

As is the case with virtually all Bechstein pianos, this action is very fast, and nicely straddles the fine line between power and dynamic control.

The keybed is not as deep as a Japanese action, so it gives the player the perception of being a little bit lighter. When weighing the action it turns out it’s pretty much down the middle, but that shallower keybed definitely makes it feel lighter. We love this action and think it will be more than satisfying even for high-level playing.

 

Baby Grand Piano Sound

Nuanced Timbre

The sound of the P162 could aptly be described as both nuanced and delicate. The balance across the entire range is striking, and probably unmatched in this price and size range.

They have definitely achieved a real bell-like tone here, with characteristic mid and upper-mid-range Bechstein bloom.

The treble maintains the sense of delicacy while also boasting a remarkable sustain, and the ever-maligned ‘break’ area is very well executed.

Overall, the tone is more complex than the Tradition series, while also being brighter and clearer.

 

Design Features & Cabinet

The bridge on the P162 has some interesting contouring, which is accented with black paint and impossible to miss. It also has the duplex scale, capped maple bridges, beech/maple rims, solid Austrian white spruce soundboard, and a distinctive silver plate and nickel accents. The instrument is ONLY available in Ebony Polish and silver tones, it can’t be ordered in brass or in any other wood finish.

 

Conclusions

The W. Hoffmann Professional Series is one of the best-kept secrets of the piano world. In an industry that seems positioned between enormously expensive high-quality pianos, and hard-to-research lower-quality pianos from Asia, the Professional series might be entirely unique.

Designed entirely by C. Bechstein’s famous R&D team in Berlin, the Professional series shares many of the same materials and designs as the Bechstein Premium line of the same size.  And the pianos are hand-made entirely in Europe. All at a fraction of the price of what you normally pay for European-built and designed pianos.

The post W Hoffmann P162 Professional Series | Baby Grand Piano Review first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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C. Bechstein M/P192 Grand Piano Review & Demo

Introduction

The C. Bechstein A 192 ( formerly C. Bechstein MP192) Is Amongst the World’s Very Finest 6′ Pianos. It’s Size Makes It Ideal for Most Home Settings, and Its Length Means that A Clear, Sustaining, and Full Bass Tone Is Always at Your Disposal. Few Instruments Will Match the Long List of Industry-Topping Design Techniques Used in This Piano…While the Fazioli F-183, the Bosendorfer 185, or The Hamburg Steinway All Have Common Elements with The M/P 192, None Combine as Many in A Single Instrument.  And That’s Before Any Consideration for Equipment Modernity, Wood Processing, and The Incredibly Deep Pool of Talent that C. Bechstein Draws Upon.  An Instrument of Complete Quality.

C. Bechstein M/P192 Grand Piano Review Video Transcription

Thanks for being here with us! In this article, we'll be covering C. Bechstein's famous 6 foot Grand Piano - the A192, handmade in Germany. Before we dive into the A192, a little bit of background information on C. Bechstein; The company was founded by Carl Bechstein in 1853 and continue to manufacture high quality, luxurious pianos to this day. The durability of the C. Bechstein grand piano is long-established, and Bechstein continues to be world-renowned for their high-end pianos and that incorporates the absolute best manufacturing processes possible with a wealth of craftsmanship very few others can rival. C. Bechstein stands among an elite few at the vanguard of piano making.
The A192 is part of the C. Bechstein Concert Series, also referred to as the Masterpiece series. This series represents a collection of several acoustic pianos that are right at the very top of the manufacturing quality range that Bechstein is capable of producing. At the C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik, experienced piano-makers build instruments of exceptional quality, each of them provided with a distinctive musical personality. The A192 in the series at 6'3", larger than the 5'5" L167. Above the A192 is the 7' B212, semi-concert grand piano 7'6" C232 and then, of course, the D282 9'2 full concert grand.

A192 Design/Materials Overview:

Let's get right into the Bechstein Model A192 and why this is one of the top 6 foot pianos on the planet. For starters, I really like the size of this instrument and there are a couple of features present that really excite me as a piano player. The first of these features that immediately jumps out is the soundboard. The spruce used for the soundboard is harvested from the Val di Fiemme forest in Italy. This is exactly the same source of spruce that Stradivarius used for his violins. Fazioli, another high-end piano manufacturer are the only other company that sources soundboards from the Val di Fiemme. All of this is to say the spruce is highly exclusive - very consistent, dried at a very low percentage of humidity and it's very light as well. Added together, these features result in a soundboard that is extremely lively and doesn't take a lot of energy to activate, and Bechstein's membrane-soundboard-system retains the excellent tension and vibration characteristics for decades.
A second feature that is common among some of the very best pianos in the world is the presence of a vertically laminated bridge. A vertically laminated bridge consists of multiple plies of a highly engineered hardwood that are all laminated together to form this kind of vertical highway to transmit the vibration from strings down through the bridge to the soundboard.  Vertically laminated bridges are something that Steinway & Sons first innovated more than a hundred years ago and their inclusion is pretty much considered best practice today in the finest instruments. On the top of the bridge is a maple cap that collects energy to anchor the bridge pins - another really critical feature.
All of this adds up to equal an instrument that is highly stable, but also capable of transmitting huge amounts of energy from the strings down into the soundboard. And of course, the A192 also benefits from C. Bechstein's brand new internal hammer factory. All of Bechstein's hammers are now hand made in house, the first time in many years that this has been the case. Very few manufacturers make their own hammers, so it was a pretty big deal in the industry when Bechstein ventured to do so once again. What's also remarkable is that they custom-make different sets of hammers for every single instrument they build, meaning every set of hammers are exactly weighted and shaped for their specific model.
The wood Bechstein uses for the hammers in the grands of their Masterpiece series is dark walnut, which is quite unusual. Dark walnut is an ultra-premium wood due to it's scarcity, but Bechstein has chosen it for very good reason as walnut is lighter and denser than mahogany, which is the material you'll typically find in premium pianos. Walnut also produces a different tonal quality, which was surely another consideration in Bechstein's decision to use walnut instead of mahogany.

Piano Action:

The piano action is one of the most important parts of any piano as it functions as the user's mechanical interface - the action is how the player tells the piano what they want it to do. Building a good action is really difficult. The A192 has over 500 hours of manufacturing time applied to it and a good chunk of those hours are devoted to the assembly, weighting, and regulation of the action. I can tell you that even right out of the box without touching these pianos the actions are perfect - beautifully fluid, weighted perfectly, and just a real delight to play.
While the parts for the action are supplied by German company Renner, Bechstein designs and assembles them in their Berlin factory. Many other high-end European manufacturers use actions built entirely by Renner, so the fact that Bechstein designs and builds their own actions is somewhat unique for high-end European made pianos. Bechstein builds their own actions for all of their pianos, but their absolute top professional action, the Gold Line Action, is reserved for the pianos in the Masterpiece series.

Piano Tone:

I can say confidently that the A192 has one of my favorite scale designs,  it's just beautifully balanced, which is of course another crucial reason why it sounds so good. If there's one word I would use to describe the tone it would be color. There are so many overtones and wonderful colors contributing to what is definitely a super unique and distinct tonal profile.
A lot of people don't realize that a given piano tone is actually made up of seven or eight harmonics that are all combining for your ear to hear what it hears as a single note. When I play a C for example, you're not hearing just one defined pitch, but rather multiples of that frequency and specific harmonics of that frequency in different ratios. What I really love about the A192 is the almost perfectly even distribution of the volume of all of those harmonics right from the fundamental right up through the seventh harmonic.
Many pianos tend to emphasize either the very top of the harmonic range as well as the fundamentals and sort of cut out some in the middle. Some don't even make any attempt to do even this because there's just not enough engineering time and quite frankly, budget to apply that type of scrutiny to the instrument.
The other thing I would say about the tone is just how lively it is. You kind of invent your own language sometimes to talk about pianos, but this bass is definitely very active and lively. The piano feels like it almost wants to play itself once you get the bass going so you're not constantly having to work hard to get the bass projecting. The powerful bass is also super clear and remind me of a really good Steinway Model B 7 footer.
The treble is very delicate and not as pronounced as something like the B212 or even the Concert 8 upright piano to my ear, but not to say that it's unbalanced. It really is just a beautiful curve from the bottom to the top of this instrument, resulting in a highly lyrical voice.

Conclusions:

I hope you've enjoyed the summary of this beautiful C. Bechstein 192. This is a 6-foot instrument with convenient dimensions capable of meeting and exceeding the demanding requirements of music conservatories,  high-end recording studios, music conservatories, and pianists of all levels - both professional musicians and non-professionals who appreciate the finest in craftsmanship.

The post C. Bechstein M/P192 Grand Piano Review & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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C. Bechstein B 212 Concert Grand Piano Playing Demo & Review by Merriam Pianos

Introduction

The C. Bechstein B212 is one of the world's great 7-foot grand pianos. It has been a part of European musical history for over a century, and with a manufacturing time of 15 months, still remains one of the rarest and most sought-after instruments of any kind on earth. It's immaculate carpentry and design have created a complex machine which resonances as a single entity, and its build-quality virtually guarantees that examples will be here a hundred years from now to continue to delight our fingers and ears. For new grand customers, this is one of the true treasures of the industry. Stu Harrison of Merriam Pianos takes us through a review of a current example of C. Bechstein's B212, covering several areas of interest, as well as playing it.

C. Bechstein Concert B212 Grand Piano Review Video Transcription

Background
All right. So, now we're in front of the C. Bechstein B 212 grand piano, their 'salon grand' model. This is their top 7 foot model and it's the piano that probably gets compared to the Steinway Model D or Model B more often than any other instrument (not including comparisons to their own model, the C. Bechstein c234 semi-concert grand) . Now, I need to put C. Bechstein as a brand as well as this Concert Series into some context because for people who know C. Bechstein, people who have heard of C. Bechstein or are familiar with what they've done a century ago or some of the instruments from the golden age, will need to reintroduce themselves to these instruments. This is not the Bechstein of the 1920s, this is not the Bechstein of the late 1800s. The sound has changed, the direction of the company has changed. And what we are looking at is now rather than a company entirely focused on preserving tradition and entirely focused on creating instruments to sound like they used to, this is a company over the last 20 years that has completely turned itself on its head to create a lean, profitable, stable, growing company super focused on just making unbelievably killer instruments for contemporary tastes, discerning connoisseurs from international markets, and modern tonal demands.

The current state of C. Bechstein reminds me so much of NY Steinway from the later 1800s in New York - constantly evolving, constantly pushing themselves, and leading through innovation and quality. I think C. Bechstein is very much is enjoying a similar moment in their history, but rather than 120, 130 years ago, it's happening right. Which...is pretty cool for those of us involved in the industry at this moment, or even customers who are doing their shopping for a lasting heirloom or a defining instrument. I have got with me to my left a breakdown of some of the common elements that you'll see, not just in the 212, but some of the other C. Bechstein models within the Bechstein line. And of course, we're gonna be contrasting that with the Steinway that we were just in front of and just pulling in a few other comparisons as well.

Construction & Design

Let's start with the construction of this piano. If you've listened to our review of the NY Steinway B, we were discussing the extensive use of maple in the Steinway pianos, and how it affects the timbre and really provides much of it's character. What you notice on the C. Bechstein instruments if you happen to visit a store that has one of these layouts, you're going to notice that rather than the piano being built of one or two types of wood, Bechstein is using a wider variety of hardwoods in its room construction than any other piano currently being offered that I'm aware of. So, instead of just being hard rock maple in the rim, you actually have a really wide variety of woods and fibre lengths being built into the inner and outer rim of the piano. We're talking about birch, beech, mahogany, and maples all included with different lamination thicknesses and pressures.

Why use all of this different wood? If Steinway was using all maple and it seemed to work just fine, what's the advantage of using all of this other wood? Well, first of all, some of these other woods even though they're still hardwoods, are actually quite a bit lighter. Which means it requires less energy to get these woods vibrating. That's a really important thing. The second thing is with any type of wood, different hardwoods because of the pore size and the length of the fiber in those woods will be better suited for the transmission or vibration of certain frequencies. And so by combining a wide variety of hardwoods in a precision format like this, you actually get a rim which can speak in a wider hertz range than something that's exclusively maple. So, whereas the Steinway sound has a lot of clarity in the mid-range, a lot of beautiful sustain in the mid range and you can also get a lot of growl because then you get this mid-range punch in the bass.

The Tone

The point of all of this design is of course to produce the highest quality of tone and production as is possible. What Bechstein has done is really built on I think what Fazioli started experimenting with in the 1980s which is the use of these multiple types of precision hardwood laminations to get an even wider frequency range. And now they have just taken it to a whole new level. So, what you have with the B 212 but you also get this with the 192 and the concert grand is you get this complete membrane all around the outside of where the soundboard would sit. Not just around the rim, but across this front cross member, cross support that is all rim material. It's all vertically laminated like this and the entire thing is capable of vibrating almost like its own drum if you want to think of it like this, in addition to the soundboard. So, that's the first thing that you really hear out of this piano is when you compare it next to Steinway whereas the Steinway, as I said, where you have this lovely mid-range tone. When you have the advantage of playing them side by side, there's just a lot more frequency that you're hearing. There's a lot more color and harmonics happening in high end, there's a lot more color and harmonics happening in the low end.

Now, this takes a little bit of adjusting to when you're playing because, of course, we're not used to instruments producing this much tone. But once you get used to working with all the different colors, you wind up with a very much an orchestral palette that lets you do things that your ear is telling you you want to experiment with, and after a few minutes, you just settle into it like crazy. It's a wonderful instrument to play. You'll also notice if you can see this on the camera that the Bechstein just like the Steinway also uses the treble bell. So, on top of all of the different hardwoods in the rim now starting to resonate a little bit better than just an exclusively maple rim, you also have this innovation that Steinway produced quite a while ago now being introduced on Bechstein as well just even further strengthen the treble. A lot of technicians and performers will tell you, brand aside, that one of the hardest things to get happening really, really nicely is good treble sustain and good treble clarity and projection on an acoustic piano. It's a sign of great design. This comes in spades. So, that's another very, very interesting feature.

A third feature would be the bridge. Now, the bridge - like the rim - is vertically laminated and capped just like the Steinway. And what's interesting is the bridge on the Bechstein looks an awful lot like the Steinway, or Shigeru Kawai who also notably (and proudly) uses a virtual Hamburg Steinway bridge copy. So, rather than go away off in the deep end and try something completely new, in that particular case, Bechstein is actually sticking with primarily a maple bridge, maple cap and vertically laminated core. But the lamination style that they're using is quite interesting. You really have to just take a look at it when you're in front of one of these designs so that you can look at how perfectly matched the grains are in the bridge.

The pinblock is also a feature that Becshtein feels

The Soundboard

Another thing I'm gonna point out with the Bechstein, soundboard which is quite unique and nobody even pointed this out. We noticed this when we were really doing a deep dive on some of the training on these instruments a few weeks ago is that the planks between all of the... or the joints between all the planks on the soundboard are actually serrated. So, rather than just being one end a plank, another end a plank and you're gluing those like a standard lamination. Of course, people who really know Bösendorfer well will know that Bösendorfer does a tongue and groove. So, they don't do just the straight planking like most do. But what Bechstein has done here is they serrate them. So, you'll see almost like a jagged three or four back and forth between each one. Now, what that means is you're doubling the surface area that each plank is touching. Which means for double surface area, you can now have a thinner amount of glue and a higher amount of connection point between those two.
A very big deal to point out as well is that the soundboard material on the concert series Bechstein comes from the Val di Fiemme. So, this is exactly the same quality wood source that Stradivarius got for his violins. It's a very exclusive wood lot. Very few trees come out of this place. Every tree is accounted for and there are not very many wood suppliers that have access to that area of the world. And so there's only a handful of instruments and piano manufacturers that have the privilege of using that wood in their instrument.

So, again, the entire point of everything that we're talking about because I realize it's a lot of detail but just bear with me here. The entire point of what we're talking about is a piano that is supposed to be capable of responding to very low levels of energy. And so the hallmark to all of this because, as I said, I know this is very technical but the hallmark to all of this is when you sit down at a C. Bechstein Concert B 212 and you play a single note, the most uncanny thing happens. And it's the first piano I've ever had this happen to and it was shocking the first time I heard it. As you play the note, there's actually a bloom to the note for about a quarter to a half second. The sound actually grows a little bit as that sound and that energy dissipates throughout the whole structure of the instrument. It's like the instrument is just sitting there primed waiting for the tiniest little bit of energy to be sent through the strings and then the whole thing just comes alive. And you're getting more back from the instrument than you're putting in which is such a satisfying exciting thing as a musician. Very few instruments will give that to you regardless of whether you're talking about piano or drums or violin but I do think that some string players can relate to this. A really great violin or a really great cello has this amazing bloom to the tone as well.

Comparisons to Bechstein Academy Grands

There is no doubt that C. Bechstein's slightly less expensive line of grands and upright pianos, the Bechstein Academy line, also achieves a very high quality of piano. However, there are some very real differences in the design, materials, and construction of these high-value instruments, in comparison to the to Concert Line which the B212 is a member. Those differences include tapered vs. non-tapered soundboard, Val Di' Fiemme spruce vs generic alpine spruce, hammer quality, Treble bell vs no treble bell, solid beams vs laminated beams, thicker rims, and a much longer production and preparation time.

Thank you for reading and watching, and we hope this has been an informative and helpful exploration into C. Bechstein's B212 Salon Grand Piano. We hope to see you back for more in the future!

The post C. Bechstein B 212 Concert Grand Piano Playing Demo & Review by Merriam Pianos first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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C. Bechstein Classic 124 Upright Piano (R124) - Demo & Review by Merriam Pianos

Introduction

The C. Bechstein Classic 124 upright piano is being reviewed by Merriam's own Stu Harrison. This piano is an absolute favorite upright in the Oakville showroom right now. We are going to be covering what makes this piano such an exquisite musical instrument and why so many have an excellent overall impression of the piano.

And for people out there who are thinking, "Why would anybody ever spend this amount of money on a new upright when you could get a very, very good grand piano for the same amount of money, or why not just go for the 124 Imposant?" Well, it all comes down to tonal clarity, it comes down to sympathetic resonance out of this instrument and of course, it comes down to exquisite touch.

Because for people who are really focused on the very best musical experience possible, achieving the same quality control, materials, and design sophistication in a grand is going to run you into the $100,000's.

So, while it might seem unusual to be thinking about an upright piano in this price range, for anybody who is space challenged but wants a fine, fine, fine instrument, this actually turns out to be an incredibly good value to invest this level of dollars into an C. Bechstein upright piano of this caliber, of this prestige, of this heritage.

And so, we are going to be talking specifically about where this instrument gets this crazy level of sustain that it has, how it gets this amount of just intense sympathetic resonance out of the instrument. When you play this piano you genuinely feel like the entire body of the instrument is speaking to you, not just the soundboard. And of course, this silky smooth action assembly which piano makers C. Bechstein has been famous for, for well over 100 years. So, thank you so much for spending a little bit of time with us today.

C. Bechstein Classic 124 Upright Piano Review - Video Transcription

Musical Impressions

I'm left with so many distinct first impressions. And for those of you who are privileged enough to have been able to sit down at a fine instrument, whether it's a grand or an upright, and just have one of those immediate first impression aha moments when you're in front of a piano that really touches you musically, you know what I'm talking about. You're struck with these tones in your ear, or this combination of the physical and the aural experience where it genuinely causes you to play differently immediately. And I get that when I'm in front of this instrument - and certainly more so than even the best W. Hoffmann's or Academy uprights that C. Bechstein manufacturers.

Action

For an upright piano, I would say the biggest challenge for a manufacturer is: "how do you get ultimate control at both a high dynamic range and a low dynamic range?" This is something that you really don't usually have the opportunity to choose between or really demand out of an upright, even a really high end upright. Sometimes this is super difficult to get the geometry right in the action, to get the regulation so good in the action that when you play it feels like you can be as expressive as you can on an equally priced grand.

On the Classic 124, the key responds so fluidly that as long as you've got the technique somewhere in your head or in your arms, the note speaks with total intuitiveness. Bechstein spends an insane amount of time regulating these actions in the factory, and that's one big difference between the Gold Action and Silver Actions: the stringent requirements they impose on there tech department. I really like the fact that on Bechstein's website they actually list how many hours are spent creating this instrument. We're talking about well over 40 or 50 prep hours in the factory on the R124's action. That is something that is very difficult to replicate outside of the factory because it's hard to find C. Bechstein concert technicians that are willing to do that level of work on an upright and if you did, you're paying thousands and thousands of dollars in labor just to get that happening. So, the efficiency of having that level of prep done at a factory is far higher than trying to get it done after-sale on an instrument either like this or something a little lower quality.

Bechstein is using genuine felt for all of their bushings. They're using aged hardwoods that are super stable and crafted down to 4/1000 of an inch. Once that action gets regulated, it is not gonna have the same level of change whereas a lower cost wood action where the wood simply hasn't been aged or they're using a slightly less dense wood is going to be a little more reactive to humidity and climate.

Sound & Tone

Let's move on to the tone because this is where the construction, the design of the instrument, play a huge role in producing the highest sound quality possible. And this is where another reason why C. Bechstein instruments have had the reputation with uprights specifically, over 100 years. To sort of paint this with a broad stroke, one could say that Bechstein is one of the only builders that actually puts as much cabinetry care, case design, and as much engineering care into their uprights as they do their grands. That's pretty unusual. So, what you're getting on this upright are vertically laminated bridges, you're getting triple A grade mountain spruce, which is being taken from thousands of feet up in the air in terms of...from a European source. And the concert series (what they call the Residence class) is Val di Fiemme spruce. This is something that the Faziolis use, but more famously the same wood that Stradivarius used. To get this in an upright piano is incredibly unusual.

The other thing, or I should say other things that are also contributing to the tone. That trademark scissor connecting between all of the planks on that soundboard. So, it's not simply one plank and another plank, faced right up against one another. In that joint, there's actually three or four back and forth 90 degree, it almost looks like a scissor cutter or fabric cutter. And that's doubling the surface area between those two planks, so tons of sympathetic resonance throughout the soundboard.

Then we get to the cabinetry of the instrument. And this is where visually it's very, very easy to see some of those differences. And we'll make sure that we are able to show you some B-roll of the back of that piano because what you're gonna notice is you're gonna notice a lot of tension bars and a lot of full perimeter cabinetry on this instrument, which uses the same type of laminating techniques as C. Bechstein is using on the concert grands. This is super unusual. And what does it mean? Well, it means that energy regardless of where it's being put in through bridge on the piano is actually being reflected and transmitted through the entire instrument. And that's where you get this full voice coming from this piano. And so the dynamic output of the instrument is pretty impressive. Well, I wouldn't say pretty impressive, it's just downright surprising.

The sheer volume that this piano is able to create is going to outplay the vast majority of 6 foot pianos. And so in terms of bass tone, what are we getting? Well, really full clear powerful bass. This is coming obviously from the fact that we've got hand wound bass strings on this instrument. We've got a really nice length. We're talking about a 49 inch class piano. So, in terms of a string length, we're gonna be in and about the same range as a 5 9, 5 10 grand.

In terms of the mid tones to me, obviously, super clear sustain is really quite exquisite. I mean, this tone will just keep going on and on forever. But the mid tones have a really nice balance between that first fundamental, as well as the upper three or four fundamentals. So, it's not sounding too sharp, it's not sounding too muddy. It's just got this beautiful clarity to it.

And of course, a treble with a beautiful projection. And unbelievably, like straight as an arrow upper harmonics coming out of this. The feedback that I've got from our tuners is this instrument is incredibly easy to tune on the upper end compared to many other upright pianos because it's so easy to hear the fundamental pitches up in the very top octave or two. That on its own is pretty unusual.

Summary

So, all in all, what we have here is a 49 inch C. Bechstein Classic 124. We've got a piano that for customers who are really looking for absolutely the pinnacle of what acoustic piano tone is capable of timeless design that you get when you go right to the very, very top of the best practices. And you spend this time during the manufacturing process creating an instrument like that at factory. You've got a C. Bechstein piano, that for under $50,000 is going to give a grand piano of $90,000 or $100,000 a serious run for its money in terms of the responsiveness of the action assembly, in terms of the clarity of the tone, and in terms of the sustain of the instrument.

Yes, you're missing out on the grand look. And so, for people who have the space and have the budget, of course, this often doesn't come up. But there's more and more of us who are living in urban areas and townhouses where there's just not enough room for a 6 or 7 foot grand, let's be honest. And so, this up against a wall, or even pulled out against the walls, I would suggest by about 3 or 4 inches is gonna give such an exquisite tone. And hey, you're saving more than half the budget.

So, thank you very, very much for watching. Be sure to watch the video in which I'm just gonna play this instrument for about five minutes. We're recording it with an AKG C414 for those of you who are curious, there's no EQ whatsoever. There's no compression whatsoever. So, be sure to check that out so you can just hear the instrument on its own. Thanks so much again for joining me for another acoustic piano review. Good luck with your shopping. And of course, if you're in the Toronto area, please come and join us at either one of our showrooms in Oakville and Vaughan. We'd be happy to see you anytime.

The post C. Bechstein Classic 124 Upright Piano (R124) - Demo & Review by Merriam Pianos first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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