STAFF PIANO PICKS: APRIL 2021
Our sales staff of pianists/piano teachers (Beethoven Pianos in Manhattan, Absolute Piano in Brooklyn) will offer monthly staff piano picks to assist you in choosing the perfect piano for your home/studio.
Please visit our website to view our full inventory:
Beethoven Pianos Absolute Piano
Jo’s pick: Yamaha Continental Console in Teak finish
Yamaha Continental Console in Teak finish
My favorite pick at Absolute Piano is this fully refurbished Yamaha Continental Console.
The Yamaha brand has been a long-timed cherished and respected brand for acoustic pianos and is of great and reliable quality. As the largest piano manufacturer in the world, their pianos are purchased by some of the best classical, pop, and jazz pianists in the world.
The tone of this piano in particular is very warm in comparison to what we expect from Yamahas, a brighter and crisper tone. The medium-light action of the piano will make your fingers glide across the keys with even action throughout. You would be amazed to see how resonant this piano is for its tiny size!
I recommend this piano for any beginner/intermediate/amateur pianist, and guarantee that it will be a lovely lifetime addition to your home for a very low cost (that includes delivery to 1st floor/elevator buildings, bench, and a first free tuning).
Continental consoles are the smallest 88(full)-key case-design you will find for an acoustic piano. A great minimalist design and color choice for your NYC apartment! (I should know, I have one at home as well!)
Dimensions are 42.5” bottom-top, 22” back-front, 56” L-R.
Other Yamaha: Grand Pianos Upright Pianos.
Kaoru’s Pick: Sauter Rondo in Birch finish
My favorite is the Sauter Rondo. We have the same model in black polish finish but I am really a fan of the Birch color! Established over 200 years ago, Sauter is the oldest piano family-owned piano manufacturer in the world; Yet they have a modern design range called Peter Maly. This Rondo piano is custom-made, but normally it comes in dark wood. This particular one is in a Birch color and would look great in Scandinavian themed home or with modern white furniture.
Sauters aren’t just aesthetically beautiful but the workmanship is also excellent and extremely high-class. It has reliable, solid, even, and quick action that suits beginners to concert pianists. The Sauter Rondo has a strong bass sound and brilliant treble range. The winged top/lid design allows for the sound to travel like a grand piano.
The brand, Sauter, is not well known in the US but remains very popular in Europe. Hand-built in Germany, the price range of Sauter pianos are between the mass-produced Yamaha and hand-built Steinway uprights. It is only available in small quantities, being one of the rarest pianos to own.
Joshua’s Pick: Steinway M Flame Walnut (1938)
Steinway M Flame Walnut (1938)
My favorite pick for April at Beethoven Pianos is this beautiful rebuild of a 1938 Steinway M with an open-pore finish on a stunning, flame-walnut, veneer. With the original soundboard still in excellent condition, this instrument has been entirely rebuilt using only Steinway parts. The piano’s sound profile is wonderfully warm and has a bell-like percussiveness that helps maintain a clear and balanced tone. While still providing a satisfying level of resistance, this piano’s action leans slightly towards the lighter side. It is at the same time both a truly beautiful and impressive instrument that would make a perfect addition to any home and provide the finest quality playing experience to musicians both professional and amateur alike.
Other Steinway : Grand Pianos Upright Pianos
Tomoko’s Pick Yamaha M450 TAO (2002)
YAMAHA pianos can be an excellent option for pianists of any level. YAMAHA pianos remain one of the most consistent choices among pianists, and I personally love their pianos the most. This is primarily because they offer superior/consistent quality, impeccable music range, and excellent design. YAMAHA’s history began when Toraku Yamaha, founder of Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd (later renamed YAMAHA Corporation) repaired a broken reed organ. Shortly thereafter in 1887, he successfully completed building the first reed organ in Japan. The first piano to be made in Japan was an upright built by him in 1900. Just two years later, the Nippon Gakki factory resonated with the tones of its first grand piano. During this early period, the company focused on manufacturing instruments for the Japanese market, where interest in Western classical music was still relatively new. Today, Yamaha has grown to become not only the world’s largest manufacture of music instruments but also a leading manufacturer of semiconductors, audio/visual, computer related products, sporting goods, home appliances and industrial robots. This incredible name recognition has allowed them to price their pianos at a high price point.
Though the body of this Yamaha M450 TAO is small, the sound is pleasingly bright/deep/clear, and the action is surprisingly so even, fast and responsive that you can easily control and express musicality. As a piano teacher and person who has been enjoying the piano for more than 30 years, I personally and specifically love the YAMAHA tone, action and price. Not only is this piano well-made but we are providing a home-rental option on the instrument. If you like it then you can purchase with up to 12months rental credit! Practicing on a well-built piano will likely make you feel better and play better. You will enjoy the piano for many years to come!
Other Yamaha: Grand Pianos Upright Pianos.