Author: Evan Roberts

Feurich 123 Austrian upright piano; one of the best new uprights

Some features from this piano: A sliding cabinet window that can be opened for direct sound. An even touch, Marcus weighs the notes which are non-distinguishable in weight from each other. Repetition is improved with an added spring to make the jack get back to play position faster. Good repetition allows you to play the [...]
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Seiler 166 upright piano: cf. Yamaha and Feurich

Seiler is a wonderfully made piano; it may be a solid cabinet rather than veneered, which is good for schools where you might like to avoid the veneer being peeled off by the children. The action is Renner [Germany], the hammers are Able [Germany] hammers. Both makes of parts are respected. Most top manufacturers are […]

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Virtually unused Steinway M grand piano 5ft 7in, 2003

This piano has just come into stock. I like to tune pianos when they come in to get an idea of what the condition is like. It needed pitch raising, about 5 beats. This indicates normally that is has had very little use, which is evident from the slight amount of wear on the hammers. […]

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French polished (30 coats) Bechstein 6ft 7in grand piano 1925

It is made in 1925 with an interesting history. It was originally in the Hollywell music hall in Oxford. Which is one of the main classical concert room in Oxford. From there it went to the music society, and from there it ended up in the Oxford Union. It has been played by sevearl famous people […]

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Yamaha grand piano refacing

Video 2 of 2: refinements to Yamaha G2 1975 + testing your piano

This a follow up video to this video (part 1).  Video transcription: Assesment This Yamaha G2 is 5’7″ long, and made in 1975. On the assessment video, we noticed several things that needed to be done to make the piano play properly. Key weight First of all, we want to look at the key weight, […]

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Suprising issue on Yamaha G2 170cm grand 1975 + testing your grand

This is a 1975 G2 grand piano that’s 170cm long. Made in 1975 and it has come into stock. We are assesing it to see what work we need to do. It was part exchange for a Steinway grand that we have just sold. First of all if we look down at the pedals, we […]

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Comparison: Restored Steinway model O rosewood 1912 vs black 1905

 Video transcription: This is a comparison between 2 Steinway model O grand pianos. That’s 5’10 1/2 inches long. This Steinway was made in 1912 and is just recently come into stock. This Steinway was made in 1906 also recently arriving in stock: We will start off with this black polyester Steinway. This one is […]

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Steinway 5ft 7in model M 1930 grand piano: mahogany or black?

A Steinway model M, 5’7″ long made in 1960. We will see what work is needed to it. First of all it has a pretty perfect set of ivory keys they are a bit yellow but we can buff them and that will take most of the yellow out. There is a couple of very […]

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Fully restored roller action Bluthner 6ft 3in grand c1905 rosewood

 Bluthner in Rosewood finish 1905 6ft 3in long Bluthner  grand piano in stock. Marcus is showing the quality of the piano. This piano has a rosewood finish, polished by Blüthner in London. The grain is particularly attractive. With slight fading on one corner. Fine rosewood veneer Bluthner's refinishing is unique to Blüthner with a [...]
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Remarkable semi-circular 5ft Seiler grand piano

A unique semi-circular 1929 Seiler baby grand piano (150cm long) with a semi-circular case. We are grateful to have got this piano into stock. There were very few Seiler grands less than 180cm made. We had a technician from Seiler come in yesterday who said this was the case. I’m not surprised, I’ve never seen one myself. […]

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Damper height bechstein grand piano

Regulating the damper stop rail can make a difference in your pianos touch

We select the best Bechstein pianos from the  1885-1920 period. For a full list of stock please see www.robertspianos.com/pianos-for-sale for a stocklist. Differences in touch come from small changes. Small changes (measured in millimeters) when applied to all the keys give responsive, accurate touch to the pianist. After several years of playing, most pianos need […]

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How often to piano hammers need refacing?

 Small concert grand piano for sale, 22cm in length. We particularly recommend loger pianos for a richer sound. The tone of the bass hammers and lower treble is slightly different. However Marcus has matched in the hammers by voicing them. Renner is the predominant maker of piano actions, and action parts. In terms of hammers, […]

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Bösendorfer 130 upright piano 1993 + comparison with grand pianos

 128cm high vs Yamaha YUS 131cm Sloping music stand on the Yamaha to let the sound out slighly from the front, giving the acoustic impression of a grand piano. The first difference to note is the Yamaha has an opening in the music desk which allows a portion of the sound of the piano […]

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Playing the piano by ear – Lesson 1

 Playing by ear is about hearing, listening for the reaction the piano makes when you play. When you push the pedal, when you strike the black notes, etc. When you listen, you hear, learn and can respond. This openness to experimentation over time develops your ear and is very good for becoming a dynamic […]

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How often do piano tuning pins need replacing?

 Piano tuning pins are basically screws. They are the most sensitive part of the piano, as they carry out the most important job Their job is to keep the string at a certian pitch, they are sensitive because they are screwed into wood. Humidity changes can make the wood that holds the pin contract, […]

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Finely restored Steinway A 6ft 3in 1898

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKCZ5aQSKZQ[/embedyt] Highly recommended Steinway model A grand pianos are one of the more commonly available Steinway pianos in the UK. For availability please check www.robertspianos.com/pianos-for-sale. Pianos fade with time if next to a window and the lid is closed on a wooden piano the part out of the light will fade, we recommend opening […]

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Kawai K8 upright piano 1961

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocmXX_oMjXI[/embedyt] Kawai makes fine pianos in their Japanese factory, this is no exception. This piano was not made in polyester. The older ones do not have the perfection of polyester. But the design of the sound and action is superior to current equivalent models. This Kawai has 2 pedals, a practice pedal is now a […]

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1934 Bluthner style 4 (5ft grand piano) WITH OR WITHOUT SILENT MECHANISM?

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tge8VMSaM8[/embedyt] Assesment of Bluthner style 4 grand piano that came into stock This Bluthner came with a quiet time mechanism silent playing system. Which enables late night practice. This Quiet time is the best silent system available. However, silent systems do impeed pianisimo playing. Some fading on the casework devalues the piano which we [...]
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Beckstein Model IV with an extremely heavy action

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCFaasEpwbk[/embedyt] Touch weight will make a great difference in the playing experience. Often we focus on the tuning, but the 'feeling' of the action can alter the playing experience greatly. Marcus explores the action and potential issues with this Bechstein model IV grand piano. Buying a piano from an auction is a tricky business [...]
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Why is this Steinway better than others?

We have many Steinway pianos in stock, this one is a Steinway model O 5'10" long. Why is this one better. This one  is from 1904. Singability - the piano sings in the mid-treble area, important for the melody to sing through the arrangment of bass/chord and melody. A warm bass - the bass is [...]
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