Piano positioning!

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Munckee Jr is a keen piano and guitar player.  She has a roland go piano but I know she really wants an actual piano at home.  The only space we have for a piano is in the lounge but would be very close to the radiator.

I'm wary of the effect of heat on a wood piano, is that a straight no no?

Also how often does one summon a piano tuner?

Thanks in advance!
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Comments

  • I would not want to put a proper wood piano near a radiator at all, it'll cause havoc with it. There's a lot more to go wrong from heat in a piano than a guitar
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • Close to radiator is kinda ok, butted against is a no. Importantly the piano needs to be against an inside wall.  After first tuning you'll need to do a second 1-2 months later. It'll then be stable and thereafter maybe once a year depending on the piano (pin block quality, strings etc) and how often its played. 
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Get a good quality electronic piano- much less maintenance (ie none) than an upright and the action can be almost as good as the real thing, plus you can turn it down or use headphones if you don't want to annoy people.

    I have a Yamaha CLP685- they are about £3k but there are cheaper options available.
    Can be lifted by two normal people, rather than requiring specialist movers. 
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  • lysanderlysander Frets: 574
    @octatonic I've had fairly expensive digital pianos from Roland and Yamaha over the last 10 years, and now have a nice restored U3 upright, and while a good digital action can get close, the difference in sound and playing enjoyment is just night and day.

    @munckee it needs to be a few feet away from a radiator at least. We had our radiator replaced with a more compact one with the same power output because of this same issue.
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546
    My granddad's advice was always internal wall, away from any heat, humidity and direct sunlight.   But frankly, sometimes you have to make do with what you have got and just accept its going to need more regular tuning if you cant meet all those criteria

    he repaired pianos whilst his blind brother did the tuning
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Once you find a piano tuner - they'll contact you regularly
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • Jalapeno said:
    Once you find a piano tuner - they'll contact you regularly

    Or if your piano is anything like mine - old small with 2 broken strings and almost untuneable rammed up against an outside wall next to the radiator - they will pray you stop phoning them
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    lysander said:
    @octatonic I've had fairly expensive digital pianos from Roland and Yamaha over the last 10 years, and now have a nice restored U3 upright, and while a good digital action can get close, the difference in sound and playing enjoyment is just night and day.

    @munckee it needs to be a few feet away from a radiator at least. We had our radiator replaced with a more compact one with the same power output because of this same issue.
    Sure, I totally get that.
    One day, when I stop travelling I'll probably get one too.

    My point is this is for a child and there is plenty of time to get a large, heavy upright that requires fettling to stay in tune.
    There is no way I'd buy a full sized acoustic piano for a child, no matter how dedicated they are.
    A quality electronic piano will be a much easier fit, IMHO.
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    When I say child she is 15 studying music GCSE and is taking her grades on piano.

    An electric piano would be easier to manage but I think she really wants the actual piano, heat is my fear though.

    Maybe I'll need to reshuffle the house!

    Thanks for all the answers.
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3614
    munckee said:
    When I say child she is 15 studying music GCSE and is taking her grades on piano.

    When my son started playing his teacher’s advice was that a keyboard would be fine up to about grade 2 but he’d need a real piano afterwards. 
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Jalapeno said:
    Once you find a piano tuner - they'll contact you regularly
    I saw what you did there. ;)

    munckee said:
    I think she really wants the actual piano

    An actual piano worthy of the name will be seriously expensive. The feature that an advanced piano student needs is a proper hammer action key mechanism.
    Be seeing you.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    munckee said:
    When I say child she is 15 studying music GCSE and is taking her grades on piano.

    An electric piano would be easier to manage but I think she really wants the actual piano, heat is my fear though.

    Maybe I'll need to reshuffle the house!

    Thanks for all the answers.
    Ah, that could be different then.
    I would still probably go for electronic route but perhaps try them and see how she responds to it?
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    Jalapeno said:
    Once you find a piano tuner - they'll contact you regularly
    I saw what you did there. ;)

    munckee said:
    I think she really wants the actual piano

    An actual piano worthy of the name will be seriously expensive. The feature that an advanced piano student needs is a proper hammer action key mechanism.
    So a gumtree cheapo piano won't cut it?
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  • lysanderlysander Frets: 574
    edited February 2020
    Don’t get a gumtree cheapo piano.
    Find a shop that restores pianos, you can buy a very decent one for 2.5k and an excellent one for 5k.
    But if you buy a cheapo and find that it needs work, the work can easily cost several thousands, it’s not worth taking the risk.
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7732
    edited February 2020
    munckee said:
    Jalapeno said:
    Once you find a piano tuner - they'll contact you regularly
    I saw what you did there.

    munckee said:
    I think she really wants the actual piano

    An actual piano worthy of the name will be seriously expensive. The feature that an advanced piano student needs is a proper hammer action key mechanism.
    So a gumtree cheapo piano won't cut it?
    Yamaha uprights are a safe buy generally, U1's are nice. You can find Gumtree bargains but it takes sifting and some know how. Pianos are like cars, when they wear out mechanically they're worthless. 

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  • I have a Yamaha upright, but it's probably 1980s, but they generally seem to be well regarded across the board. Mine was my Nan's cousin's piano though she had died sold years before, I bought it ridiculously cheaply when her husband died after he had kept it in her memory. When it lived at my parents' house they used to get it tuned every year or so, but I've lived here 4.5 years and I've not had it tuned yet! Still is in tune  (I've pretty good relative pitch) but the tone would maybe benefit from it. It's kept in a warm room but nowhere near the radiator so it does not get the sudden temperature changes which are also problematic to guitars
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    I wouldn't want it near a radiator and I wouldn't want it near the neighbours. People don't like loud piano plonking through the wall. 

    I'm amazed anyone wants a piano these days, they are so unrelentingly noisy! You can get amazing digital pianos these days and you can either adjust the volume or play with headphones on. I can play at 12.30am without disturbing anyone in the house and likewise 7am weekends.
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  • axisus said:
    I wouldn't want it near a radiator and I wouldn't want it near the neighbours. People don't like loud piano plonking through the wall. 

    I'm amazed anyone wants a piano these days, they are so unrelentingly noisy! You can get amazing digital pianos these days and you can either adjust the volume or play with headphones on. I can play at 12.30am without disturbing anyone in the house and likewise 7am weekends.
    For proper dynamic and expressive playing though, playing through headphones just doesn't do it. Similarly with guitar stuff.

    The feedback of physical input to sound just isn't there

    Digital pianos sound decent, but proper pianos sound beautiful, even average ones
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • paulmapp8306paulmapp8306 Frets: 829
    edited February 2020
    Yeh that.

    I have an RD2000 - OK its a stage piano and has control functions and much more than piano sounds - BUT the hammer action is great and the V-Pianos pounds are really good.  I play it though good sound reproduction - originally a pair of Adam A5Xs then more lately Neumann KH120s - but with a Yam sub.  Cost of the monitoring and keyboard itself is circa £3200

    Now the sound itself is great - BUT one trip to a piano shop looking at used models in the £3k to £5k range..... lets just say the feeling of the wood resonating, and pure projection from the pianos.....  If I was only interested in Piano sounds, didnt need to gig it (ie home use only) and had room Id have the real piano without blinking an eyelid.
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