Acoustic upright pianos are so named due to their plane of strings and soundboard running in a vertical direction. It is this mechanism which gives the upright piano its distinctive touch. Acoustic upright pianos are extremely popular with those pianists who have limited floor space or limited budgets. Upright pianos are suited for home and studio use. Pianists wanting to perform in a concert venue would select a grand piano.
Acoustic upright pianos have been in the musical world since their inception in the late 1700's. Since then the upright piano has dramatically changed in size, shape and appearance. The number of keys have been increased from 75 in the 1840's to 88 keys in the 1890's. By 1815, the piano keys had changed in appearance from black with white sharp keys to the more familiar white with black sharp keys. In earlier times, the shape of the upright piano included some extremely fanciful styles, most notably the "giraffe" and the "pyramid".
Upright pianos fall into 4 categories, depending on their height. The taller the piano, the richer and more powerful the sound it will produce. The smallest upright piano is the spinet at 36", through to the console, studio upright, and the tallest being the full size upright, which is over 49" tall.
Acoustic upright pianos fall into 2 groups. These are the factory made and the more valuable hand crafted. The hand crafted group includes Mason and Himmel, Schimmel, Baldwin piano, and the Steinway upright piano. The factory produced brands are the Kawai upright piano, and the Yamaha, which are considered top of the line. Other factory assembled acoustic uprights include Hazelton, Kohler and Campbell, and Story and Clark.
Antique upright pianos are those built between 1700- 1830. Victorian uprights were constructed between 1850 and 1900, and anything built after 1900 is considered to be modern. Most piano restorers recommend purchasing the used upright piano built after 1900 to take advantage of the better piano technology. These pianos tend to be more sturdy and to be capable of producing a more pleasant tone. Better still, if the piano is yet to reach 100 years in age, it will probably increase in value on attaining its 100 th birthday.
The Kawai upright piano range is perfect for the environmentally conscious piano player. Kawai were the first piano manufacturers to win an award for their ecologically aware practices for building pianos. Kawai have implemented programs for reforestation, waste reduction, and energy conservation. The Kawai upright piano series come with 12 year factory warranties. They have included ABS carbon pieces to give a 16% faster response in the actions. They also feature an ultra responsive direct blow action for extremely sensitive touch and feel.
The Yamaha U series is a range of upright pianos designed for the professional pianist to play at home. Pianos in this range include the Yamaha U1, Yamaha U3, and the Yamaha U5. This range of acoustic upright pianos has been redesigned since 1999 and has many remarkable features. The U3 and U5 feature a floating support system which enables the soundboard to vibrate more freely. This has resulted in improved character and depth of the bass and mid range tones.
Old or new, hand made or factory made, there are acoustic upright pianos to suit every home pianist.
