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merriammusicinc · 11 months

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C Bechstein Concert 8 | Upright Piano Review

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C Bechstein has been making high-end upright pianos longer than almost anyone else in the industry. Given their pedigree, it’s not a huge surprise that today they’re known for producing some of the finest hand-made upright pianos money can buy.

In this article and companion video, we'll be taking an in-depth look at their ultra upright piano - the crown jewel of their entire upright piano lineup with the legendary C Bechstein Concert 8 Upright Piano.

The World’s Finest Upright Piano?

Whether it’s respected industry critics, elite pianists, aficionados or simply connoisseurs, there’s a veritable legion of people who think that the Concert 8 is the best upright piano on the planet. There’s a litany of upright and grand piano best-practice piano manufacturing techniques and materials employed on the Concert 8 that support this opinion, such as the extremely rare tapered Val Di’ Fiemme red spruce sourced for the soundboard, or an action so extensively regulated that it outplays most grand pianos.

We’re to cover a lot of ground as to what makes this piano so special, and why many of the 20th century's greatest artists, such as Simon & Garfunkel, Sir Simon Rattle and even the Beatles relegated their Steinways to compose on a Concert 8.

Let’s get into it.

C Bechstein Concert 8 - Background Information

Let's start with a bit of background about this instrument. As we stated in the intro, the C Bechstein Concert 8 Upright Piano has a reputation going back many decades as being the finest upright piano in the world.

Now, this is not something that we would throw out there lightly or as a Bechstein dealer trying to sell their products. To prove our point, if you refer to the Larry Fine "Piano Book", the current Piano Buyer edition states in writing that the Concert 8 is consistently held as one of the finest upright pianos ever made. Larry Fine is considered one of if not the foremost critic in the piano industry as a whole.

Country of Origin

The Concert 8 is made entirely in Germany, and it's handcrafted with fanatical attention to detail. It is the only upright piano that Bechstein label's as being part of their Concert piano series, alongside the C. Bechstein grands, at least partially because it's more than capable of the sophisticated dynamics typically only found on German grands.

Compared to their other top-level uprights, the Concert 8 has a thicker pin block, and longer tuning pins, giving better hold and control of the pins, resulting in a more stable tuning and consistent pitch.

Recent Redesign

The Concert 8 has been a staple C. Bechstein instrument for most of Bechstein’s existence, but it received a fresh design upgrade in recent years that brought it more in line with a grand piano and to an even higher overall level.

Who Should Consider a Concert 8?

If you’re in the market for a premium quality acoustic piano and you’ve got the budget, even if you haven’t previously considered an upright piano, you simply can’t avoid a Concert 8 if your list were to include the absolute best of the best.

Quite frankly, even if you even were in the market for a grand piano, in the 5 to 5.5-foot range with a budget of $70,000 - $80,000 USD, such as a larger W. Hoffmann Professional or smaller Bechstein Academy, there's a good chance you’ll get a higher level musical experience out of the Concert 8. There's no question it dramatically outplays many run-of-the-mill grands on the market.

With some background information out of the way, let’s move on to a discussion of the action.

Piano Action C Bechstein Hammers Bechstein’s ‘Gold Line Action’

Bechstein's upright actions have always been part of their overall appeal, and this is especially true of their top ‘Gold Line Action’ because they spend an inordinate amount of time regulating and prepping them - the same amount of time you can expect on grands that cost $100,000, which is extremely unusual for an upright piano.

The Concert 8 has over 170 measurable man-hours of manufacturing time at the factory applied to it. A good amount of that time is specifically devoted to regulating and weighting the acoustic assembly of the C Bechstein Concert 8, and the result is an incredibly responsive action that's also super fluid, and with the large 52" frame, you can match the sound volume of grand pianos with little effort.

Action Materials

In terms of the materials, this action is getting the same highest quality wood and hammers as their Masterpiece Class grands, even the concert grands, which is a dark burl walnut crown hammer and burl Vavona. Every C. Bechstein piano also gets its own custom-made hammers, including the Concert 8, which is again, very rare in the industry.

Action Weighting

The weight of the action is also worth noting. If somebody is used to an upright piano being a little bit lighter than a grand, you're not going to get that on the Concert 8. The Concert 8 is instead weighted much closer to a grand piano. We should emphasize that we’re not saying the piano is heavy or arduous, but rather that they've weighted it to create an authentic grand piano experience.

Upright Piano Sound - Timbre and Construction Materials Color

Let's move on to sound. If we could describe the sound profile of the C. Bechstein Concert 8 in a single word, it would be color. The tone of the C Bechstein Concert 8 is complex and sustaining, with a very clear fundamental tone. Each note produces a vast array of well-balanced harmonics, and the soundboard is responsive enough to maintain the clarity of every tone even when pushed with thick chords at high volumes.

The treble is strong with a beautiful singing attack with very low hammer noise, and the mid-range is lush with plenty of tonal palette to play with. The bass is warm without being overly resonant, and the transition to the bass from the tenor is barely detectable, like a fantastic 6’ grand.

Soundboard: Val Di’ Fiemme Red Spruce

At the heart of this magical tone and distinctive timbre is of course the Italian Red Spruce soundboard, from the famed Val Di’ Fiemme. The very same source of spruce that Stradivarius used for his violins.

If every piano could have an optimized sound development or a unique sound like this, I'm sure every manufacturer would love for that to be the case. But this is cold, hard science and engineering with an untenable price tag for most manufacturers that actually gives us the tone that we are hearing.

Other Notable Design Features C Bechstein Concert 8 Design Features

The Concert 8 has agraffes from top to bottom, a “double duplex” stringing technique, and a fully integrated frame and plate structure for maximum sympathetic resonance.

The entire frame of the instrument is designed to amplify the tone, much in the way a grand is, while deadening the less ‘attractive’ resonating components within the instrument. This same philosophy is also applied to every C. Bechstein grand piano

Cabinetry

We also need to talk about the cabinetry. By cabinetry, we’re not referring to the exterior appearance, but rather the actual substructure of wood that holds this instrument together.

At the back of the piano, there are six full-size back posts, all of them being solid hardwood. These back posts are mounted directly to the frame along with inner rim-type material to help activate some of the less naturally responsive parts of the soundboard.

In terms of aesthetics, on the top left at the back is a beautifully milled-in Bechstein logo that's just an extra nice little touch of elegance and precision on the instrument.

Optional Sostenuto & Vario System Upgrades C Bechstein Concert 8 Vario System

It's also worth mentioning that the Concert 8 is available with an optional sostenuto pedal, and recently, it's also available with Bechstein's Vario System add-on, which allows for silent practice with headphones.

Conclusions

As much as one must marvel at the high price tag for this instrument at over $80,000, the inevitable question gets asked: even in a grand piano, could you purchase an instrument with a finer tone for less money?

The answer of course is no. We have the occasional Shigeru Kawai in our showroom that may come very close, but by and large, most customers would, on average, need to spend $100,000+ to achieve this level of finish and detail in a piano.

The Concert 8 is as deserving of the claim “Finest Upright In The World” in 2022 as it was 50 or 100 years ago, and every bit worth a try if you can find one.

The post C Bechstein Concert 8 | Upright Piano Review first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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rkass--man · 1 year

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alphawave-writes · 5 years

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Play me a memory--A sigma fic

Summary: Sigma hopes to transcribe the universe's melody, in hopes of awakening his true powers, but gets more than he bargains for when the government facility he has escaped from has found him once again.

Read it here, or find it on AO3

Sigma sits in front of a piano. Not the Bechstein studio grand piano that used to sit in his apartment in The Hague but a cheap, upright Yamaha instead. He knows it is old just from the touch, the damp thud of the keys and the slow responsiveness of the pedals. Most aggravating of all is the tuning, the way the notes sound off to his ears. He does not have perfect pitch, and he never will, but if he concentrates hard enough, he can feel the shape of a note. Middle C is a yellow circle, and if he rises it up to a D, it transforms into an orange triangle. He hypothesizes that his abilities over gravity have given him a sensitivity to the electromagnetic waves that make up sound, but he cannot test this without rigorous testing. The beauty of these powers is that there are so many potential experiments and possibilities.

It’s been a long time since he’s played. Or at least, he thinks it’s been a long time. The last time he had touched a piano was one week before he went up to the international space station that caused his accident, but time is no longer linear and memories no longer make sense and he cannot say how many years have already passed since then. Has it been three years or longer? He cannot say.

He very much prefers listening to music rather than playing it, but he does not have that luxury. Talon is many things but it is not a musically inclined organization. His previous request for an parabolic microphone must have fallen upon flat ears for the next day he gets a regular microphone, the kind used for karaoke parties. It didn’t even have the batteries in it. So it is a miracle of sorts that his request for a piano got through. It was probably salvaged from a nearby dump, but it is still in working order, and he is grateful for whatever gifts Talon bestow upon him.

His body suddenly stiffens as he feels a shift in the air. He turns his head slowly, eyes wide as he finds himself staring back into his face. Only it’s not his face but another version of him, decked out in the orange jumpsuit that government facility crafted specifically for him. His copy smirks sinisterly.

“Gravity is like sanity. All you need is a little push.”

“W-w-what?”

“They called the geniuses of old insane back in their times.”

He is frozen in fear, staring into a face that is his but not his. The other approaches him and places his hands on his shoulders. He can feel the energy being sapped away from his body, his twisted mirror image growing larger, impossibly larger than him. As the energy leaves his body, he can feel his mind clearing. As his mind clears, he can see this twisted alter ego for what it truly is. It is sin, the devil in disguise. And behind that disguise is the black hole that destroyed his career and his mind. And it laughs. It laughs so viciously.

He feels his body suddenly being rattled back and forth, and his mind is clouded once more. The cloned image of him is gone, replaced by an annoyed woman with chocolate skin and purple lips. Her hair is parted to one side, showcasing the cybernetic implants glowing on her skull.

“Are you OK, old man?” She huffs.

Sigma is about to say “no” but he shakes his head and clears himself of the hallucination. It is easier to keep the fractured pieces of his mind together when he has a familiar face by his side. “Y-yes, I’m OK. Sorry if I scared you, Miss Olivia.”

“Ay, don’t call me that. Call me ‘Sombra’ like everybody else.”

“Sorry. I’ll…try and remember for next time.”

“I give myself a cool name and no one takes it seriously anymore,” she mutters to herself. Her eyes fall on the piano. “We have a piano? When’d we get one?”

Sigma smiles, relieved for the change of subject. “I asked Talon to provide it for me. I told them it was necessary for my experiments.” He raises his eyebrows. “I guess you could say this is an instrument in more ways than one.”

Sombra makes a face that is a cross between a cringe and a wince. A lot of people make that face when he tells jokes. So many years later and people still do not appreciate a good pun.

“A-anyway, I had a breakthrough last night,” he continues. “I have harnessed the harness that is gravity, but I have yet to maintain it in whatever shape and form I desire. I was at a roadblock. Then, it hit me! I’ve been thinking about it all wrong, you see. I’ve been trying to use my equations and quantum instruments to further my research, but I’ve yet to use the most important tool at my disposal.” He smiles in excitement. “I’ve got the universe’s melody in my head, playing on repeat. I’ve heard it so many times before, so I must be able to play it in the real world. If my theories are correct, it is as simple as transcribing a piece of music by ear.” He plays a chord and frowns. “Unfortunately, it seems music appreciation does not equate to music composition.”

“Wait wait, so you’re telling me that playing the piano,” she gestures wildly at the object, “is going to help you create a black hole again?”

His eyes brighten. “Yes. That’s precisely it! I knew you would understand.”

Sombra raises her eyebrows in disbelief. Out of all the Talon operatives that Sigma has encountered, she is the least judgmental—or rather, she is the least likely to dismiss his ramblings completely. She can be rather judgmental when she wants to be, often when it comes to Reaper and Widowmaker, but she makes no remarks about him. Perhaps she thinks it is bad taste to make fun of a man crippled psychologically like he is. Or maybe she doesn’t care enough to say anything about it.

He turns back to the piano and starts playing discordant notes. It has been years since he played but he remembers how to lie his hands, where the keys were, how to make his fingers glide over the faux ivory. He’s almost startled by the ease in which he remembers, because he knows he cannot account this for mere muscle memory alone. There are some things people do not forget, he knows that, but it’s unnatural how comfortable he feels in front of the piano.

It’s almost as if he is supposed to be here. Like the universe is calling to him from within the hidden strings. His fingers fly across as if in a trance. He hears the whispering in the air, but he’s not sure if it’s the benevolent universe or the demonic other or some other creature outside the confines of time and space that have decided to play their games with him. He listens and copies their words. A dark expanse of his own creation surrounds him as his eyes turn cloudy.

He hears someone snap their fingers impatiently in his ears, and turns to find Sombra next to him. She looks annoyed but there’s a familiar shimmer of pity in her eyes. It betrays her, just like his mind betrays him.

“Earth to Sigma.”

He winces. “My apologies.”

“I don’t know what goes on inside your head. You have the thingy on. The pedal. You’re pressing on it.”

He glances down at his feet, which are currently covered in pink wooly socks. They are expensive, and currently his only frivolous purchase since joining Talon. He does not remember putting them on, or when he bought them, or why he chose pink of all colours. On closer inspection, he sees that his foot is firmly pressing down on the right pedal.

“Oh,” he says, surprised himself. “So I have.”

Sombra groans loudly. “I don’t know why they tell me to watch you. I just wanna go back to my computer and watch some videos. Play some games. Hack some dudes or something.”

Sigma frowns. “You do not have to supervise me if you don’t want to, Miss Oli—I mean, Sombra.”

“Nah, the boss will kill me if I do that. I gotta make sure you don’t get yourself into danger.” She walks over to the side and leans dramatically over the top of the piano. “C’mon, piano man. Play a song.”

“This piano is for research. It is certainly not to be played with.”

“But I’m so booored.” She rests her head on her arms. “You must know some song, right? Play me one.”

“I shouldn’t…” he begins to say, but his mind is already buzzing with the songs of his past. One sticks with him, imprinted in his soul. A song from his past that spoke of simpler times.

He looks up into her eyes and falls victim for her doe eyes. He takes a deep breath, composes himself as best as he can, and begins to play Erik Satie’s Gnossienne 1.

It’s not long before he gets lost in the melody. Music is a language as easy to speak as English and Dutch. Sentences flow from his fingertips, time condensed into notes and sounds. Dark magic threads and twists from his wrist as gravity lifts up and away from his body. His mind drifts away to become one with the song, splinters of his childhood resurfacing. Images of his piano instructor in his majestic home, stern and imposing. His father falls asleep for the last time in his study, the sky outside the window going from day to night, the stars twinkling in rhythm to the invisible song.

Objects float and fly above him. Particles transform into one-dimensional strings that ascend into higher dimensions. The piano rises with him. There’s a yelp of surprise. “Let me down, let me down!”

His eyes widen as he finally notices Sombra, flailing her arms as she floats helplessly in the air. In that instant the spell is broken and the world returns to clarity. Gravity returns with a shuddering thud as the two of them crash back down into orbit. He is able to land gently. Sombra does not have the same luck.

“D-Dios mio, you’re going to kill me!” She hisses, rubbing her backside painfully. He doesn’t want to tell her how lucky she was. A few centimetres to the right and she would have been trapped under the piano. On one or more occasion, he has commended Talon for having the mindfulness of nailing everything in his lab down. It has prevented more than a few accidents due to his ever shifting powers.

She looks at him sternly, fire in her eyes. He shrinks a little.

“I’ve theorized for a while that my abilities are linked to my mental and emotional state. It seems music is able to amplify my abilities.” Sigma puts his hand on his chin and frowns. “Perhaps later I can determine the source of this ‘amplification’ and utilize it myself. Right now, however, it is an unfortunate complication to my experiments.”

“I’ll say. You’re going to hurt yourself at this rate.”

“I realise that, but I am close, I can feel it.” His hands glide over the dusty top of the piano. “If I can just find the correct song, I might be able to harness the fullest potential of my abilities.”

“Then maybe put the piano in a different room? So you don’t destroy everything in this room if you do find it?” She suggests.

“No, I…it’s better that I am here, where I cannot hurt anyone.”

Death has unfortunately become the new norm in his life. As payment, Talon tasks him with going on missions with their officers, and that often leads to a battle to the death. No one expects an old man like him to fight, and they definitely do not expect to be flung around like paper ragdolls in the wind. It’s frightening how the guilt washes away easier the more blood he must spill. During one such mission, he almost found himself enjoying the violence.

He places his fingers back on the keys. Sombra takes her place in the far corner of the room and watches warily, away from danger. There are no more fluctuations in gravity that day.

He plays and he plays, morning day and night, but he is no closer to his goal. He has continued his normal experiments, with the piano experiments continuing during his break. He eats and drinks and sleeps, but it is at a bare minimum. Why is it now, when he seeks out the song does it decide to run away? Why is this silence louder than noise, overwhelming him with nothingness? Why is it when his mind has never been clearer does a part of him yearn for the spark of insanity?

There is madness in his actions, but it is controlled and tempered. His equations are correct, as they always have been. He has ripped out a bit of paper to write sheet music on and has done his best to interpret the song. He can only work through sound. If only he knows an expert in music composition, or sound engineering. His understanding of sound is limited to his extensive knowledge of electromagnetic waves. Tonality, timbre, chord structure, they are patterns he hears but does not understand.

It’s late at night but he presses onward. He’s close, so very close, and he must work now while his mind is still whole. The pieces never hold together for this long, and sooner or later it will fracture, but he must press onward while he still has control. He wants to feel normal, and to feel normal is to surround himself in his research, pushing forward to new limits and new heights. The stars call out for his name. First he must understand and master his abilities. Then he can continue his original dream to see the stars outside their humble galaxy and walk on the surface of planets that are not his home.

He doesn’t hear the thudding footsteps approaching in the dead of night. He doesn’t notice the red light on the security camera suddenly go dark or the crack of his lab door breaking open. It’s only when he hears the unmistakable sound of a gun’s safety being taken off that he finally notices that he’s no longer alone. Three men stand before him, each training their guns on him. The sigil of the government facility he escaped from is displayed fully on their uniforms. It taunts him in a way that a gun to the head cannot. His heart leaps out from his chest.

“Subject Sigma,” one of them barks. “Come with us quietly, or we will shoot.”

Despite every instinct in his body, he cannot move. He is frozen in place in front of the piano, trapped, as if he is still tied down to that accursed bed, like his freedom and everything since is a dream he has conjured. He can imagine their hands forcing him into horribly itchy orange jumpsuit, the unprofessional way they injected their sedatives into him, the way they talk about him like he’s beneath humanity, a hideous creature without thought or intelligence.

“Didn’t you hear what he said?” A second soldier growls. “Get a move on!”

His eyes glance around, desperate for a way to escape, but there is none. The exits are watched by more soldiers. The very safety features within this room, designed to minimize the harm he can cause with his powers, are now the portents of his doom. In this section of Talon’s HQ, no one will hear him if he screams, and even if someone does, he will have less than a second before he’s shot dead. He might be able to block or absorb most of the bullets, but it will be futile. It will buy him seconds, maybe a minute. It’s not enough.

Even the voice that screams for violence in his ear is unnaturally quiet. It knows that taking the offensive will not help them survive in this situation. They’re trapped.

The third man steps forward, a curious smile spreading across their face. He orders the other men to stand down. As Sigma watches, he sees that this man is not dressed like the others. He wore glasses over his eyes instead of the tactical masks everyone else did, and his uniform has the markings of a combat medic rather than a soldier.

“It’s good to see you again, Siebren.”

The realization floods him with a feeling of terror but he hides it behind his gritting teeth. This is the doctor that was in charge of him back then. This was his torturer above torturers, Satan amongst the demons. “Dubrovnik,” Sigma spat.

“You’ve done well for yourself, haven’t you? A nice fancy lab, some powerful friends on your side,” His eyes glance down. “Loving the socks. Really sells the old man look.”

“What do you want?”

“To finish my job, and that is to keep you contained,” Dubrovnik said.

“You cannot stop progress.”

“You are a threat to humanity.”

“I am in control.”

“Until when?!”

Sigma stiffens. Dubrovnik puts his gun away and approaches slowly, the hunter coming to collect his prize. Sigma doesn’t react when Dubrovnik tugs his chin forward, jerking his head up to look into those cold, black eyes. Dubrovnik is significantly shorter than him, but in his seated position, their heights are roughly equal. It’s a frighteningly familiar feeling, being manhandled like this, like he is just a piece of trash on the ground.

He wants to choke him, make him suffer, make him hurt in all the ways he has been hurt, but he can’t and Dubrovnik knows this. Dubrovnik relishes in it. He was, and still is, a sadist.

“Out of the oven and into the fire, right, Siebren?”

“What are you talking about?” He rasped.

“You don’t know what Talon is?”

“They saved me!”

“You never thought why?” Dubrovnik’s lips curl. “I’ll tell you why. It’s because they want a weapon. They want Excalbur, and you happen to be the one who pulled it out of the stone. They want war, Siebren, they don’t care about you. As soon as they can wield Excalibur for themselves, they will throw you away like trash. And when they have Excalibur, no one will be able to stop them. They are terrorists. You know this.”

He wants to tell Dubrovnik that he’s wrong, that Talon is an organization of intelligent men and women who want to help humanity take the next big step, but he sees the heat in Dubrovnik’s eyes and he cannot help but take pause. Dubrovnik truly believes this. But why? He is needed, he is important. They will not go through the trouble of saving one man unless he’s important. They have been so kind to him, provided so much for him. They will not abandon him…right?

Dubrovnik takes a step back, Sigma rubbing his neck self-consciously. He’s not sure he imagines it but there’s a flicker in Dubrovnik’s eyes, almost like he pities him.

“If you come with us, we will help you subdue these powers. No one will hurt you or use you. I promise.”

“How can you promise that, you Croatian hypocrite?” Sigma snarls.

“Because no one should wield the powers you wield. Not you. Not Talon. No one.”

Dubrovnik puts his hand out and Sigma is left dazed. He glances around at the guards, emotionlessly watching the exchange. As far as Sigma can tell, Dubrovnik is sincere. And that terrifies him, because Dubrovnik knows something he doesn’t. About Talon, probably.

Sigma realizes in that moment how little he knows about Talon. All he knows is that they support cutting edge research, and have a private military to protect themselves. What is Talon’s goal? Why did they bother with an old man like him?

He almost reaches for that hand, but Dubrovnik’s form swirls and shifts and suddenly his mirror image is standing there, orange jumpsuit and bitter smile and all.

“Will you really submit yourself to him again?”

“What else can I do?”

“You know what to do.”

The mirror image gestures behind Sigma, pointing at the piano. His skin pales.

“I-I can’t. I need to hold it together.”

“A little push,” they say as Dubrovnik appears once again from the smoke. The mirror image is no more.

“If you’re done with your muttering, would you kindly come with me, Siebren?”

Sigma turns back to the piano, his eyes wide. He can hear the melody again. The universe is speaking for him again. It asks him to play its song. It shows him the chords. It tells him the price it will wreak upon his mind.

It’s a price he is willing to pay this time. He turns around and opens the lid for the piano.

“What are you doing?” Dubrovnik asks.

“Let me play one more song before I go,” he says. “It’s my final request.”

He sees the blank faces looking at him in the reflection of the lacquered wood. In the darkness he finds his place on the faux ivory easily. He presses his foot lightly down on the pedal, spreads his fingers on the keys, and pushes his fractured mind off the cliffside. With perfect precision he plays a song of his own creation, a tribute to the song the universe sings.

Memories of his past resurface. The bitter judgment of his academic rivals, the callous disregard of his piano instructor, the stars in the sky, the sorrow of losing his home, the rage of knowing no one cared enough to find him. Dark emotions coalesce into space as gravity releases itself from its chains, sending everyone in the lab flying. There’s screams and shouts as guns are ripped from people’s grasps. Dubrovnik is saying something to him. A plea, a beg, something along those lines, but all Sigma can see is the cosmos expanding, with him at the epicenter. He’s no longer playing the piano; gravity is doing the work for him. He flies above everyone else, his hand outstretched. With every bit of himself he loses, he gains control. The dark voice in his brain laughs in murderous glee.

“D-d-don’t do this, Siebren, please! You’re better than this! You’re not a murderer!”

Alarms are going off above his head, painting the room a bright red. People are holding onto each other, trying to hold on. They know what is coming before he does. Despite the chaos and turmoil before him, he is strangely at peace. The universe sings its lullaby to him from the piano. There is no time signature, no bars, no rhyme or reason. It should not work, but it does.

A placid smile escapes his lips as he brings everyone crashing down. The crunch of broken bones is followed shortly by the bellows of pain. The dark voice takes over, grabbing one of the guns, still hovering up in the air. He shoots—not accurately, but he shoots. There is silence, save for the klaxon above his head and the whimper of one more person.

Dubrovnik crawls towards the door, broken. His left shin bone is sticking out from his pants, trailing blood. Sigma calmly floats forward, the dark voice in control as he pushes the might of gravity upon Dubrovnik’s head. There’s a gasp of air, and then the crunch of bone, and finally a squish. Red liquid oozes out of every hole of Dubrovnik’s head.

It’s not long before Talon realizes the reason for the breach in their HQ. Reaper and Widowmaker are the first ones there, guns at the ready. They round the corner to Sigma’s office down, ready to fight, only to discover the aftermath of a bloodbath. The entire lab is splattered in crimson, dead bodies lying in crooked angles and twisted postures. A pile of guns are stacked in one corner, all crushed and broken. By the door, a man's head looks to have been squeezed together.

Sigma sits alone on the piano stool in front of the cheap, upright Yamaha piano. He is perfectly clean, as is the piano. As they tiptoe over the bodies, careful to not step on the blood, Sigma turns to them with a stern but relaxed expression.

“You’re late,” he says, before waving dismissively. “It’s fine, though. I handled it. I think I even learned a new trick or two.”

If Reaper is not wearing his mask, they would see his mouth open and shut. He’s speechless.

“Since you’re here, how about a song?” Sigma cracks his knuckles and places his fingers on the keys. “How about ‘Piano Man’ by Billy Joel? An old classic.”

No one says anything. Reaper and Widowmaker stand there while Sigma plays and sings along from memory. They do not move. Their eyes are concentrated on the swirling dark energy hovering over the piano, bopping in tune to the beat of the song.

#Overwatch #Sigma #Sigma overwatch #Siebren de kuiper #alphawave-writes #I've already written 3 fics on this character #and I haven't even PLAYED HIM YET #I will when he comes to PS4 but that's like WEEKS AWAY #UGH!#Anyway if you like this story you can help me out by reblogging #or by giving a comment on the AO3 link #I wanna hear what you guys think #even if you're just screaming into the void #Which is understandable

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humoringthegoddess · 2 years

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Pianos

1905 Erard Grand Piano Bogányi Grand Piano Blüthner Lucid EXO Piano Heintzman Crystal Piano C. Bechstein Sphinx Grand Piano Yamaha AvantGrand N2 Piano Casablanca Piano 1857 Kuhn & Ridgeway Harp Piano Alma Tadema Steinway Piano Fazioli M Liminal by NYT Line Piano French Giltwood and Vernis Martin Piano Schimmel Red Pegasus Grand Piano Boulle Upright Piano Prince’s Yamaha…

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#instruments #Music #Pianos

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industrystudyreport · 5 years

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Piano Market Research Report Including Top Players, Regions, and Type

The Global Piano Market is estimated develop at a substantial CAGR for the duration of the prediction. The statement revises trades in terms of intake in international market; particularly in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. It concentrates on best companies in these regions. The statement delivers a general idea of the international market together with descriptions, categorizations, uses.

The market on the source of Type of Product shows the Manufacture, Profits, Price, Market stake and Development percentage of respective category. The market is divided into Acoustic Pianos [Upright Piano, Grand Piano], Digital Piano. The market on the source of Type of End User concentrates on the position and viewpoint for the most important uses and the end users. The international market is divided into Domestic, Music Presentation and Music Education.

The Piano market on the source of Type of Sales Network could span Wholesaler, Direct Sales. The market on the source of Area with respect to Trades in terms of intake, Profits, Market stake and Development percentage in these areas, for the duration of the prediction could span North America [U.S.A, Canada], Europe [France, Germany, U.K., Italy], Asia Pacific [India, Japan, China, South Korea], South America [Brazil], Middle East & Africa [GCC, South Africa].

Get Sample Copy of this Report @

https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/piano-market/request-sample

The statement revises Trades in terms of intake in the market; particularly in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. It concentrates on the topmost companies operating in these regions. Some of the important companies operating in the field on international basis are Huapu Piano, J-Sder Piano, Artfield Piano, Nanjing Schumann Piano, Shanghai Mendelssohn Piano, Hailun Pianos, Yangtze Piano, Fazioli, Mason & Hamlin Piano Company. Bechstein, Steinborgh, Samick, Yamaha Pianos, Kingsburg Piano, Shanghai Piano, Harmony Piano, DUKE Piano, Good way, Xinghai Piano Group, Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Co. Ltd., Group, AUGUST FOERSTER, Boesendorfer, Steinway, Youngchang, KAWAI.

Additional notable companies operating in the fields, on the international basis are Grotrian Piano Company GmbH, Casio Computer Co. Ltd., Baldwin Piano & Organ Co., Fazioli Pianoforti s.p.a., C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG., Julius Bluthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, Kawai America Corporation, Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Young Chang Co. Ltd, Kemble & Company Ltd., Walter Piano Company, Inc., Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc., Schulze Pollmann Pianoforti s.r.l, Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd., Petr of Spol s.r.o., Korg Inc. L. Bsendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH, Piano Company, Inc. Stuart & Sons Terra Austral is, SAUTER Pianofortemanufaktur and Roland Corporation.

Browse Related Category Market Reports @

https://www.millioninsights.com/industry/consumer-goods

#piano #pianoplayer #consumergoods #music #musiclover

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marketfuturereports · 5 years

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Piano Market Forecast, Size and Gross Margin Analysis by 2022

01st April 2019 – The Global Piano Market is estimated develop at a substantial CAGR for the duration of the prediction. The statement revises trades in terms of intake in international market; particularly in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. It concentrates on best companies in these regions. The statement delivers a general idea of the international market together with descriptions, categorizations, uses.

Access Piano Market Report with TOC @ https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/piano-market

Key Vendors

• Steinway

• Boesendorfer

• C. Bechstein

• Yamaha

• Kawai

• Young Chang

• TOYO

• Roland

• Pearl River

• Goodway

• Xinghai

• Hailun

Key Applications

• Commercial

• Household

Request a Sample Copy of Piano Market Report @ https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/piano-market/request-sample

Key Questions Answered in this Report

• What will the market size be in 2022?

• What are the key factors driving the global piano market?

• What are the challenges to market growth?

• Who are the key players in the piano market?

• What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?

#Piano Market #entertainment #media #Consumer Goods

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josephlrushing · 4 years

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Gear Diary’s Best of NAMM 2020 Awards

The National Association of Music Merchants Show, better known as NAMM is wrapping up. A lot of amazing music gear came out this year; these were the items that blew us away.

IK Multimedia Amplitube Joe Satriani App

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IK Multimedia comes through with the Joe Satriani AmpliTube App, which can be used as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) plugin or as a standalone app. The app includes 11 brand new models including 3 amps, 3 cabinets, and 5 stomps. When used as a standalone application, AmpliTube Custom Shop features a 4-track recorder section and a song-player for easy play-along capabilities. The SpeedTrainer function allows you to slow down the audio so you can learn Satch’s signature licks note for note without affecting the pitch.

dB Technologies KSL-Sub Soundscape Subwoofer

The new KSL-SUB is a beast. It measures 39.4 x 35.4 x 17.7 inches and weighs a whopping 181 pounds. Driven by d&b D80 amplifiers, it has a stated output of 139 dB. It has two forward-facing15-inch drivers and a single, rear-facing 15-inch driver and is driven by 2-way active amplification. This provides cardioid directivity control and a booming sound. This isn’t a subwoofer you’d buy for your home, but if you are in charge of making sure that the music in your coffee shop, theater, music venue, house of worship, or concert hall sounds as impressive (and 3D) as possible, you’ll want to speak to them about how to make that happen.

Roland TD-27KV (From the V DrumsAcustic Design Series)

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The Roland TD-27KV is described as a “mid-level” drum kit but it sure doesn’t look that way from here. It has a powerful new TD-27 sound engine that creates “premium-grade, fully-customizable drum and cymbal sounds.” It not only looks impressive but it has features that musicians of every experience will appreciate. These include:

Mid-size V-Drums kit with flagship-class sound

TD-27 sound module with advanced Prismatic Sound Modeling derived from the flagship TD-50

14″ digital snare and 18″ ride cymbal with high-resolution, multi-sensor triggering for unparalleled dynamics and accurate positional detection

Large-diameter pads and cymbals provide an acoustic-like playing experience

Drum in a variety of hyper-realistic sound spaces with newly developed PureAcoustic Ambience

Hands-on interface for quick-and-easy selecting and personalizing drum sounds

Import your own WAV samples via an SD card

Stereo mix output and two assignable outputs for sending individual drum sounds to a PA mixer

Integrated 28-channel USB audio interface for professional computer music production

Three auxiliary trigger inputs for easy kit expansion

Onboard Bluetooth for drumming with music from a smartphone or laptop

Built-in practice functions for developing drumming skills

Gibson 70s Flying V

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The music of our youth was typified by a few things. There was long hair, long drum solos and soaring lead guitar lines that were, oftentimes, played on the iconic V-shaped electric guitar. With the 70s Flying V Gibson has brought back a classic of classic rock and we love it. Available in white as a right-handed guitar, the 70s Flying V pays tribute to some of the greatest rock of all time. But the 70s Flying V isn’t just a trip down memory lane. No, this guitar has a classic design but is ready to create great music today. At just under $2000 it is a bit pricey but can you really put a price tag on recapturing your youth?

Check out this video!

Now tell us that doesn’t send you back to your youth and your parents tell you to “turn that crap down!!!”

Casio GP-310 Grand Hybrid Piano

The Casio’s Grand Hybrid GP-310 may look like a traditional upright piano but those classic looks hide some great modern technology. It plays the way you would any piano but you get much more control thanks to the electronics built into it. There are six speakers, an amplifier, and a control panel that lets you control the sound- there are three classic “pianos” the GP-310 can mimic. So while the GP-310 looks like an upright piano but can sound like a grand piano that would be much larger and more expensive. In addition, you can turn off the speakers, plug in a pair of headphones, and play to your heart’s delight without disturbing everyone in the house or the paints next to you if you are in a music lab.

Features include:

A revolutionary piano experience designed in collaboration with C. Bechstein

Full-length Austrian spruce piano keys plus a true grand piano hammer mechanism

Enhanced EQ options, new Harpsichord tone, and new key on/off mechanical sounds

Enhanced touch response with a wider dynamic range

Three of the world’s greatest grand pianos, with improved response and longer decay

Newly-upgraded six-speaker sound system

Elegant cabinet with satin black finish New high-contrast inverted display for increased visibility

This video offers a better understanding of how this single hybrid piano can sound like three entirely different instruments. It’s pretty Coll and worth watching the entire way through!

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Fender Hand-Wired ’64 Custom Princeton Reverb

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The Fender Hand-Wired ’64 Custom Princeton Reverb is another throwback to the sounds of old. As Fender explains:

The mid-’60s Deluxe Reverb was played on countless hit recordings, becoming one of the most indispensable workhorse guitar amps ever made. Carrying on that legacy with incredible vintage-style tones, the pedal-friendly ’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb features modified all-tube, hand-wired AB763 circuitry for the snappy, crystalline tone only a Fender amp can produce.

With a solid pine cabinet, tube-driven reverb ad tremolo and a hand-wired AB763 circuit, the ’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb delivers the “quintessential Fender tone.” Fender explains that a number of benefits associated with hand-wiring an amp. It takes eight times as long to build compared to a printed circuit board. These include the sturdy connection between various internal components and the prospect of easier service if the need arises.

Other features include a 20-watt ’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb with Pure Vintage Blue Tone capacitors, a solid-pine cabinet and a 12” Jensen C12Q ceramic speaker. It has a normal channel and a bright channel so one amp can deliver some surprisingly varied experiences. The video below lets you hear the difference and it is pretty remarkable. It sounds amazing. Add in the iconic looks of the amplifier and you’ll understand why this carries a hefty price tag just south of $2500.

Akai MPC One

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When the iPod first came to market it looked like a standalone device but it relied on a computer for set up. The first iPhones did too. In recent years however that is no longer the case. The iPhone now stands on its own and rarely, if ever, needs to be connected to a computer. That’s the idea behind the new Akai MPC One. Instead of depending upon a computer to process the music you are creating, the Akai MPC One stands on its own. It is, “a total music production solution to take your ideas from concept to finalized radio-ready beats.” From beat programming to editing to mixing FX and instruments and more, it does everything without the need to be plugged into your Mac or Windows PC.

It offers:

FULL CONTROL: MPC ONE delivers a truly empowering hands-on experience, ready for any music production task. Edit and trim samples with hand gestures on the brilliant 7” touch screen display. Express your ideas perfectly with the assigned knobs and touch keys that eliminate diving through pages of menus.

STUDIO CONNECTIVITY: MPC One integrates into your creative space with all the ports and jacks you need. USB, MIDI DIN, CV/Gate, and 1/4” line-level audio input. With USB and SD card slots, you can save, transfer and share your music.

PRO PERFORMANCE & TECHNIQUES: Your favorite music production techniques come standard on MPC One. Tape Stop effect, Note Repeat for pulsing hi-hats, and 16 Levels to play that melodic 808s plus many more.

With a 7” multi-touch display, four 360 degree touch-sensitive Q-Link knobs, sixteen velocity-sensitive RGB pads, a large rotary encoder knob, and a full-size SD card slot, this small device packs a punch. Connectivity includes a 1/8” headphone jack, a 1/4” stereo input/output, MIDI in/out, USB-A/USB-B, four TRS/Gate Jacks and network connectivity, the MPC One cuts the cord without taking short cuts.

Pioneer DJM-V10

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Finally, there’s the Pioneer DJM-V10 mixer. Pioneer describes it as “a new breed of mixer, born of fresh thinking.” They go on to explain that it allows DJs to craft unique soundscapes that are sure to impress. The DJM-V10 is a 6-channel mixer with a 4-band equalizer and compressor.

Features include:

ELITE SOUND QUALITY: Feel the warmth of natural sound and hear every detail. Studio-quality 64-bit mixing and dithering processing, 32-bit high-quality A/D and D/A converters, a low-jitter clock circuit, and many other components all work to produce a full low-end, vibrant mids, and precise highs.

6 CHANNELS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF INPUTS: You’re free to create your perfect setup with 6 channels and a host of different input types.

4-BAND EQ AND COMPRESSOR: Take full control of your mix with the newly developed 4-band EQ. A built-in compressor enables further adjustment of the loudness of your tracks.

EFFECTS FOR MORE CREATIVE EXPRESSION: The expanded send/return section enables you to add external FX, or even combine them with built-in FX. Create unique sounds; the possibilities are nearly limitless

3-BAND MASTER ISOLATOR: Effortlessly control the tone of your entire mix with the 3-band master isolator, featuring new boost/cut curves and adjustments to the crossover frequencies and other parameters. Grab the large dials and drive the crowd wild by drastically changing the sound.

DUAL HEADPHONES OUTPUT AND BOOTH EQ: The DJM-V10 makes back-to-back monitoring simple and comfortable. You can tweak the sound in the DJ booth just the way you like.

If you are a professional DJ this new mixer is worth serious consideration.

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/01/19/gear-diarys-best-of-namm-2020-awards/

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researchreportinsight · 4 years

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Piano Market Product, Import, Export and Consumption Forecast & Regional Analysis 2022

25 November 2019 - The Global Piano Market is estimated develop at a substantial CAGR for the duration of the prediction. The statement revises trades in terms of intake in international market; particularly in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. It concentrates on best companies in these regions. The statement delivers a general idea of the international market together with descriptions, categorizations, uses.

View Full Report with TOC @ https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/piano-market

Market Segment:

Key Applications

• Commercial

• Household

Key Regions

• North America

• Europe

• Asia Pacific

• Middle East and Africa

• South America

Key Vendors

• Steinway

• Boesendorfer

• C. Bechstein

• Yamaha

• Kawai

• Young Chang

• TOYO

• Roland

• Pearl River

• Goodway

• Xinghai

• Hailun

• request free sample to get a complete list of companies

Request Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/piano-market/request-sample

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strategyr-blog · 6 years

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The Global Market for Pianos is Projected to Exceed 1.4 Million Units by 2024

Newer Materials and Special Woods Offering Durability, Stability, and Enhanced Feel Factor Drive Growth in Demand for Pianos, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

GIA launches comprehensive analysis of industry segments, trends, growth drivers, market share, size and demand forecasts on the global Pianos market. The global market for Pianos is projected to exceed 1.4 million units by 2024, driven by developments in the acoustic realm including newer materials, special woods, and other special materials that increase durability and stability, and better keyboards with enhanced ‘feel’ factor.

Piano was invented during the early eighteenth century in Italy. Even centuries down the line, the instrument holds major value in the music industry. The instrument’s basic components include a keyboard and cords. Keys are attached to strings made of different materials and are of different sizes allowing the keyboard to produce unique sounds. Technological advancements over the years transformed the original half-a-ton grand piano into mini, portable keyboards offering much ease to modern-day musicians with a number of variations in notes and sounds. Despite cannibalization by the new wave of innovation in electronics and non-musical instruments related audio-video products such as TV, computer and video games, and online gaming, pianos continue to sustain demand.

Future growth in the market will be driven by growing popularity of hybrid pianos that combine mechanical, acoustical and electronic aspects of digital and acoustic pianos to create an improved version with newer capabilities. Rising demand for digital pianos supported by its superior attributes of easy portability, non-requirement of tuning, maintenance-free, the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) capability, and the ability to produce a variety of piano sounds and tunes of other instruments such as organ, harpsichord, flute, strings, percussion, and others, represent another important growth driver. Major innovations poised to benefit market prospects in the near term include gesture control interface based virtual piano with ubiquitous display technology; the Inside-Out piano; user interface that can be accessed by any HTML5 compatible browser; enhanced DSP servo system; PianoSoft Audio format support; WPS Wi-Fi adapter that adds easy wireless connectivity to the controller app directly or through a wireless network; self-calibrating record and playback system; high-quality digital tone generator; and USB audio recording function. Advanced software solutions that allow users to do much more with the instrument in terms of converting music files into sheet music, download files from the internet, unzip them and store them, and also allow musicians to print the musical scores and buy sheet music on the internet, will continue to sustain pianos’ relevancy in the contemporary music industry with personalization as the key.

As stated by the new market research report on Pianos, Asia-Pacific represents the largest and the fastest growing market worldwide with a CAGR of 3.4% over the analysis period. Leading the global production and export volume is China with production sophistication acquired from European and American counterparts. The relatively immature market, burgeoning domestic demand, rising exports and growing popularity of premium models are expected to fuel the country’s volume and value growth in the coming years.

Key players in the market include Baldwin Piano & Organ Co., C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG, Casio Computer Co. Ltd., Fazioli Pianoforti s.p.a., Grotrian Piano Company GmbH, Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Ltd., Julius Bluthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd., Korg Inc., Mason and Hamlin Piano Company, Petrof Spol s.r.o., Roland Corporation, Samick Musical Instruments Co. Ltd., Schulze Pollmann, Steinway Musical Instruments Inc., Walter Piano Company Inc., Yamaha Corporation, and Young Chang Co. Ltd., among others.

The research report titled “Pianos: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a comprehensive review of market trends, issues, drivers, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities of global companies. The report provides market estimates and projections for all major geographic markets such as the US, Canada, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America, and Rest of World. Product segments analyzed in the report include Acoustic Pianos (Grand Pianos, and Upright Pianos), and Digital Pianos.

For enquiries e-mail us at [email protected] or [email protected]. To connect with us, visit our LinkedIn page.

#Pianos #Merchandising

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pianotunerwolverhampton · 8 months

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Tuning an excellent 'C Bechstein' Upright Piano dating from 2001, in Bishop's Wood, Stafford

#stafford #cbechstein #bishopswood #piano #pianotuning #pianotuner #music #musicians #classical

#c bechstein upright piano #piano #piano tuner #piano tuning #piano music #pianist #upright piano #piano tuners #wolverhampton #music #piano tuner wolverhampton #piano tuner Stafford #bishops wood

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merriammusicinc · 1 year

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

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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 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.

C Bechstein A124 Hammers 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 C Bechstein 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 C Bechstein A124 Imposant

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

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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(905) 829–2020

#C Bechstein A124 #C Bechstein #A124 #Upright Piano #Bechstein Piano

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