Say goodbye to my upright piano?

visible cow · Post by **visible cow** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:38 pm

This is probably one of those questions that I can only answer myself.....but it would be so much easier if you guys answer it for me.

I've had an old, old Ivorson & Son upright piano for the past five years. It has moved with me to three different apartments and is all over our soon to be released album. It's not something you would use to record an Erik Satie piece but in the context of loud rock music it works fine. The pedals are very noisy (even after the inside has been stuffed with old socks) and in general it's not a very even sounding piano, some notes ring out in a slightly different timbre than others.

Thing is, I'm moving again (in a week) and it may be time to let her go. I really want our next album to have a very nice piano sound....more full and even. This most likely means recording the parts at a local studio and just using something as a placeholder.....something like a digital piano.

Do any of you work this way? I'm a bit worried that the digital piano thing will be uninspiring and I won't write the same. Anybody here make the switch?

Insights are very welcome.

Thanks, Sam

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:47 pm

I've recorded with a rhodes or digital piano as a place holder and it works just fine but nothing beats the real thing even if the real thing is a beaten up old upright.
I can't write on anything but the real deal. The fakes are just so uninspiring.

Why don't you look for a cheap apartment sized piano? Craigslist is full of them.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Mon May 25, 2009 8:39 pm

snag a Wurlitzer spinet, they're smaller yet still kick ass in a rock context but are also versatile enough to work quite well in other styles.

ckeene · Post by **ckeene** » Tue May 26, 2009 6:05 am

Have a professional come by and evaluate it. If nothing's catastrophically wrong with it, like a cracked frame or busted soundboard, you have a lot of options for repair/restoration.

Evenness of tone is achieved by pimarily by "voicing", a standard maintenance procedure that involves fluffing or hardening the felt on the hammers, as needed. If your pedal is noisy you could probably have the tech look at that and re-felt the cushioning, as needed. You didn't mention whether the piano holds tuning or not. If not, that can be a red flag.

Pianos are super complicated and require regular work to keep them playable. Replacing this one with some random piano off CL may just end up being a "devil you don't know" situation. Even in the best case, you'll eventually run into the issue of maintenance. I guess you need to think about whether you're "into" having a piano to the degree where you'd seek out a technician you trust, and commit yourself to keeping the instrument in good repair.

-ck

visible cow · Post by **visible cow** » Tue May 26, 2009 2:35 pm

Thanks for the advice everyone. I went to Guitar Center (yeck, I know) and tried out some digital pianos......I came home right away, hugged my piano and vowed to never let it go!

It holds tune very well and has a ton of mojo. I'll definitely look into fixing it up a bit, or at least have a professional come by and give me some suggestions.

decocco · Post by **decocco** » Wed May 27, 2009 7:56 am

Find a good piano technician! A really great piano tech will help your instrument sound it's absolute best. A bad piano tech is your worst nightmare. A modest upright piano, properly tuned and maintained, will destroy the sound of the best digital pianos.

FlowersForHuman · Post by **FlowersForHuman** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:45 pm

Sounds like you already made your decision, but here's my two cents:

I would NOT suggest getting it into your head that an ELECTRIC piano (ie wurli, rhodes, or synth) will replace your acoustic piano, even in convenience...a high quality DIGITAL piano would however if you plan on getting your album sounds from a nice studio anyway. I own all different types of keys, including an upright, and their sounds all inspire me differetly, not to mention that those classic plug-in pianos all require maintenance too. If you want piano sound then piano sound it has to be!

If you require portablilty then shop around for a digital piano with a decent action. It will definitely work as a place-holder for composition and you can take it with you to gigs. Casio even came out with one about 5 years ago that comparitively had a fantastic action (but shit sounds) for around $500. I am a strong endorser of the Kawai ES1, as it has a great action and I have toured with it and it still functions 100% perfectly after 8 years. MIDI handling is weak though.

Marc Alan Goodman · Post by **Marc Alan Goodman** » Thu May 28, 2009 11:53 am

Here's one more vote for "nothing sounds or feels like a real piano". I can't imagine going back to writing on anything else since getting my helpenstill.

visible cow · Post by **visible cow** » Thu May 28, 2009 12:20 pm

The piano is definitely coming with me. I actually got a nice discount on the move since I am a regular customer.

It's been one of my main writing tools for the last few years and I think it deserves some loyalty. Plus there's easy access to the harp for when I "prepare" it with washers and such....

It would be handy to have a digital alternative for late at night but for now my wurlitzer will take care of that....

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Say goodbye to my upright piano?

Say goodbye to my upright piano?

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