Kimball Pianos?

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Originally posted by pianogurl:

What would you recommend in the $500-$1000 range?

What to look for? Perhaps a Yamaha upright – U series are sometimes available in the $1K range – find someone who sells the gray market ones or who has bought one and now wants to sell it. Baldwin Hamiltons seem to last a long time – they might be worth looking in to. There are a lot of them out there. There are others too – condition will be more important than brand name.

If you like the idea of owning one, a Big-o upright is not instantly an unacceptable alternative. I will grant that MOST of them will be, but there are exceptions. If one of these really has had regular maintenance done on it over the years, they can be a good choice at your price point. Again, the key is a tech you can trust, and an understanding that this piano will not last forever.

So $1000 pianos are not going to be new, and they are going to need some work. Still, there are any number of pianists who are playing substantially less piano than I have seen for $1000, and if you search carefully you should be able to find something that does what needs to be done in your price range.

Good hunting!

I have seen various and sundry usable pianos in this price range. The trick is going to be to find one in servicable condition, and to have a tech look it over before you buy it. Your best bet will be private party – dealers just can’t afford to handle pianos in this price range any more.What to look for? Perhaps a Yamaha upright – U series are sometimes available in the $1K range – find someone who sells the gray market ones or who has bought one and now wants to sell it. Baldwin Hamiltons seem to last a long time – they might be worth looking in to. There are a lot of them out there. There are others too – condition will be more important than brand name.If you like the idea of owning one, a Big-o upright is not instantly an unacceptable alternative. I will grant that MOST of them will be, but there are exceptions. If one of these really has had regular maintenance done on it over the years, they can be a good choice at your price point. Again, the key is a tech you can trust, and an understanding that this piano will not last forever.So $1000 pianos are not going to be new, and they are going to need some work. Still, there are any number of pianists who are playing substantially less piano than I have seen for $1000, and if you search carefully you should be able to find something that does what needs to be done in your price range.Good hunting!

Defender of the Landfill Piano