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Piano Review: Boston GP-163PE Grand Piano

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The Boston GP-163PE benefits from Steinway & Sons’ design to create an unrivaled class and value instrument. This particular model has been further enhanced to create a Performance Edition. This features improved materials, specification and performance, which you are unlikely to find in a mid-price range grand piano.

GP163EPAt five-feet four inches, this smaller model of grand piano is perfectly sized to fit into most homes, while the wide tail design delivers the deep rich sound of a far larger grand piano. It features a duplex scale which has been adapted from the design made famous by Steinway & Sons. This adds a richness to the harmonics which cannot be emulated.

The Boston has a less tension in the springs than other models of piano. This reduction in tension facilitates a tapered and larger soundboard, allowing longer sustain and greater quality of tone. The GP-163PE benefits from a vast array of other engineering and design enhancements. This includes the optimal placement of the bridges, braces and ribs to accentuate the stability and tone.

The soundboard on the Boston has a larger soundboard when compared to pianos of a similar length due to the innovative design of a “wide tail”. This is a wider construction of case allowing for a greater soundboard area in smaller models. Boston quote that the wide tail design provides a soundboard area of a 6’2 piano within a 5’10 Boston. Overall, this creates a more powerful and rich sound which has creates the feel and experience of playing a larger piano.

boston_grand_pianoThe soundboard has been crafted from Sitka Spruce, which is widely believed to provide the greatest resonance. It is precisely tapered for freer vibrational movement. When operated in conjunction with the innovative and patented technologies of Steinway & Sons, it creates a sustained powerful tone.

The Boston GP163-PE does not merely provide a great quality of sound. The overall design and finish has been combined to create an elegant aesthetic which is available in walnut satin and polished, mahogany satin and polished and ebonized fine veneers. This creates an attractive and lovely finish which enhances the playing experience. The classic cabinet style is accentuated with these crafted touches and solid brass polished hardware.

This quality of finish and tone, together with the price range, makes the Boston GP163-PE a great choice for pianist of any skill level. It provides the perfect instrument for beginners or even more experienced players, offering a fantastic playing experience with the reassurance of Steinway & Sons design aspects. The rich sound will create the ambience of playing a far larger instrument, which can provide a deceptive playing experience. The aesthetic appearance makes for an attractive addition to any home, while the smaller stature makes it more practical to comfortably be accommodated within a domestic property.

 

 

Piano Review: Roland HPi-7 Digital

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The Roland HPi-7 is a fantastic example of the type of Roland Digitals which Atlanta musicians have been enjoying for years. It allows the enjoyment and fun of creating music in your own home to even higher levels. It incorporates the technological advancements of  a color LCD screen, interactive visual lessons and great connectivity to provide an instrument which will encourage and reward anyone seeking to learn the piano regardless of their age and experience.

The Roland HPi-7 digital piano features an easy to read, wide color LCD display screen which enhances the unique Roland Digiscore notation and makes the interactive visual lessons easier to follow. The lessons provide a readily available music tutor with three programs for practice allowing music exploration for pupils of any age. The 128-voice polyphony feature together with the innovative key off resonance of tones combines to produce an authentic acoustic sound. This unique sound benefits from subtle tonal changes which occur when the keys become released.

roland_digital_pianoThe HPi-7 also benefits from the library of Roland stereo sampled sounds of the latest pianos. This creates a realistic and authentic piano samples which creates a rich resonance of sound. There are a number of nuances of acoustic pianos which have been cleverly emulated and integrated into the software of the HPi-7 including damper resonance, hammer response, string resonance and velocity sensitivity of the keys.

Roland has filled it to the brim with innovations including the Digiscore screen which has been built into the music rest for optimum viewing. This feature allows the display of notations for all internal songs, recorded performances, midi files and downloads. There is a “bouncing ball” cue which helps the musician keep time as you are playing, while the pages are “turned” visually on the screen. This makes it an excellent teaching piano. There is a split screen facility which allows for a metronome to be set while looking at playback notations, or show the lyrics and notations simultaneously.

NKB 05Connectivity is also impressive on the HPi-7. The ports for midi and USB together with two headphone jacks have been conveniently located for easy access on the front panel of the instrument. This makes it easy to play without the need for excessively long cords and cables.

The editing functions allow finger numbering to be added directly to the notations. It will also allow changes to song length and editing of individual notes within the music files. This can be easily accomplished while looking at the screen display of the music. You can even save notations to your music files as a bitmap, which can be transferred to your PC for sharing or printing.

info_02R_MRoland’s HPi-7 provides visual lessons which can act as a personal music tutor. The interactive lessons feature three courses which include independent music exercises and songs with variable difficulty levels together with check, practice and review screens. This provides an excellent basis for learning and can supplement formal lessons, or teach on an independent basis.

If you are looking for digital Roland pianos, Atlanta musicians should seriously consider the HPi-7. It provides the optimum balance of authentic acoustic sound with all the innovations of an interactive digital piano. Right now we have one that just came into our used stock. See the Used Pianos.

Steinway 1098 Upright Piano Review

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Steinway 1098 Piano

When anyone thinks of a piano, the name Steinway is always the first to come to mind. The brand name of Steinway & Sons is synonymous with beautiful timbre and fantastic quality.  Steinway has been crafting pianos since 1853, when master cabinet craftsman Henry E Steinway produced his first piano, built in his own home. By the time he had formally created the company and established Steinway & Sons, Henry had built over four hundred pianos. The first officially produced by Steinway & Sons sold to a family in New York for the sum of five hundred dollars and was identified as number 483.

For the next three decades, Henry together with his sons revolutionized the development of the modern piano. They patented over one hundred inventions which were based on scientific developments and research which emerged including theories on acoustics by renowned physicists. These amazing designs were coupled with superb craftsmanship to create a nationally recognized quality of piano creation.

While many people think Steinway piano ranges are limited to large grand pianos, their hand-craftsmanship and quality have actually been used to produce a number of upright piano models including the Steinway 1098. Steinway & Sons pride themselves on using the same craftsmen, techniques and processes which they use on a typical grand piano to produce a superior quality upright piano.

Steinway Upright Piano

While many of the world’s most talented and accomplished pianists from all genres of music prefer a Steinway piano, the upright models such as the 1098 remain more practical for many musicians. The 1098 allows for much of the quality and tone of a larger grand piano without needing an excessive amount of space. Steinway uprights are still made using over one hundred patented processes and features to ensure a superior quality of sound.

The frame is constructed from solid birch and maple to provide a great deal of stability and vertical strength. The braces are taped to ensure that the back frame remains straight and allows for consistent tuning.  The soundboard is constructed in a similar manor to that of a violin to allow an even and free response across the whole scale. The design and shape allows a great freedom of movement which creates a rich and longer tonal response.  The keys are individually weighted and are created to be stain resistant and chip proof to ensure the lasting beauty and functionality of the piano. The key bed is hand milled to promote a snug fit and a solid mounting which allows uncompromising and prolonged and precise action.

The Steinway 1098 provides a clarity of sound which is unrivalled by any other upright brand of piano. It makes a beautiful feature in any room and generates a satisfaction and love of playing in the most untrained novice to the most experienced aficionado. With a little care and attention, it can provide wonderful sounds and timbre of music for generations.

Through Steinway Piano Galleries of Atlanta you can order a new one or perhaps find a nice pre-owned Steinway Piano.

Boston Piano Review – Baby Grand GP156 Performance Edition

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This Boston Baby Grand Piano GP156 is 5 ft. long and is also apart of a family of Steinway-designed pianos with over 30 design elements and patents from Steinway themselves. It is the third and newest edition of the Boston line-up and goes under the “Performance Edition” moniker since it is a piano for a more serious musician or student looking for an extremely high quality piano in a mid-price point

Like all Boston pianos, they have a wide-tail design that allows the 5’ 1” Boston baby grand piano to have the same soundboard area as larger grand piano, generating the power, richness, and feel of playing a much larger piano. It truly sounds bigger than any other instrument of it’s size from the current competitors on the market.

Beautiful walnut or mahogany veneers are available in either satin or polished finishes as optional upgrade alternatives to classic ebony black.

Some of the key improvements in the Boston “Performance Edition” line
are:

1. Hard-rock Maple inner rims for added stability, longevity and
improved tone and projection.

2. “Octagrip” pin-block – recent patent on a new pin-block design that
more closely resembles the actual Steinway pin-block. It improves tuning
stability and grips the tuning pins more effectively.

3. Plate bolts (as opposed to Phillips-head screws) that allow the plate
to be tightened down into the case more tightly – again increasing over
all stability and longevity of the instrument.

This is a great piano for homes and for institutions where the pianos
are being played a lot more than in most home settings. Steinway Piano Galleries of Atlanta is running some great deals on Boston pianos currently. Check them out.