Buying a new Piano
Your requirements
Usually the main choices are Grand or Upright, colour of wood finish and cost. On a grand, what you pay will sometimes determine whether you get 3 or 2 pedals. Depending on the make, the third (middle) pedal will either just raise the bass hammers towards the strings to reduce the bass volume, or it will be a sostenuto pedal which works on played notes, holding those dampers off the strings when the pedal is depressed after playing. On an upright, in most cases the middle pedal is a 'celeste' felt which on pressing (some have a lock device on the pedal) comes down between the hammers and strings and reduces the volume of playing (sometimes called a Practice or Mute pedal). Some more expensive uprights (Yamaha U3, or their SU range) also have the proper sostenuto pedal instead of the celeste on the middle pedal.
If you are buying a grand, you have a large choice of sizes. Price increases with length but so does tone quality.
With uprights you have a choice of modern or traditional case styles.
Modern has no columns and toes under the keyboard - a plain sloping fronted cabinet with a keyboard jutting out of the centre. Traditional has a square-fronted cabinet, with columns and toes (more stable due to wider base). Some makers produce both versions of the same strung back (the internal structure of the piano) so you can have a smaller traditional case. The advantage of the traditional case is the availablity of a much taller cabinet (to greater than 52") giving longer strings and greater area of soundboard (the 'amplifier') resulting a richer tone and fuller sound. This type also has a greater choice of case finishes (inlays, mouldings, feature panels etc.) than the modern.
Your requirements
Usually the main choices are Grand or Upright, colour of wood finish and cost. On a grand, what you pay will sometimes determine whether you get 3 or 2 pedals. Depending on the make, the third (middle) pedal will either just raise the bass hammers towards the strings to reduce the bass volume, or it will be a sostenuto pedal which works on played notes, holding those dampers off the strings when the pedal is depressed after playing. On an upright, in most cases the middle pedal is a 'celeste' felt which on pressing (some have a lock device on the pedal) comes down between the hammers and strings and reduces the volume of playing (sometimes called a Practice or Mute pedal). Some more expensive uprights (Yamaha U3, or their SU range) also have the proper sostenuto pedal instead of the celeste on the middle pedal.
If you are buying a grand, you have a large choice of sizes. Price increases with length but so does tone quality.
With uprights you have a choice of modern or traditional case styles.
Modern has no columns and toes under the keyboard - a plain sloping fronted cabinet with a keyboard jutting out of the centre. Traditional has a square-fronted cabinet, with columns and toes (more stable due to wider base). Some makers produce both versions of the same strung back (the internal structure of the piano) so you can have a smaller traditional case. The advantage of the traditional case is the availablity of a much taller cabinet (to greater than 52") giving longer strings and greater area of soundboard (the 'amplifier') resulting a richer tone and fuller sound. This type also has a greater choice of case finishes (inlays, mouldings, feature panels etc.) than the modern.
