🎹Steinway K-52 Traditional Upright Piano Review - Handcrafted Upright🎹
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
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#K52 #Steinway #UprightPiano
The Steinway K52 is NY Steinway’s top upright model and something we’ve never had a chance to review here on the channel. A 500,000-series K52 came into the shop in brilliant condition and we thought that it would be an amazing opportunity to take a look at it and share our thoughts and musings on the piano.
Stu’s impression playing this instrument was generally quite positive - the lower half of the piano exhibited some remarkable separation and warmth that is seldom there in vertical pianos - or grands shorter than 6’ for that matter. The sustain was good, and there’s a massive tonal pallet that makes you want to live in those lower octaves for hours on end - whether you’re writing or just playing some Brahams or Beethoven.
The large spruce backposts really work in tandem with the large soundboard to create a large amount of lower-end resonance that remains well defined.
The upper end of the piano has a more traditional sound - something similar to a Mason Hamlin 50 or Heinztman & Co, vs some of the more modern German uprights like a C. Bechstein Concert 8, or a Bosendorfer. Less complexity and accuracy in the touch, less projection, and sustain, but still a good level of clarity. The use of the solid maple bridge also gives it a distinctive tonal colour, one that’s darker and more ‘woody’ than other modern designs offer up.
It’s a familiar sound and touch and certainly offers up a well-made instrument to those wanting this type of sound. It may not offer the kind of high-performing harmonic pyrotechnics that precision-built European 52” monsters deliver, but it still certainly has its place.
Thanks for watching, and we hope you’ve enjoyed!!
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Honestly, all the "German" pianos sound similar, all distinctly different but all clearly play in the same league. This piano sounds like it plays in a different league.. not better or worse, just different. It has a kind of antique old wooden sound. More Soulful, beautiful in its own way, not objectively beautiful like the German uprights.
I've played almost every high end upright in the industry, each maker has their own thing going on. I'll say this, nothing else really sounds like a K52. Question is do you like that sound or not
When will you review Mason & Hamlin?
Hey can you do a review on the alesis recital pro.
This is an impression of a certain Steinway K. If I were to buy a piano, I would try out lots of K's and probably find out that they are all different.
I would certainly try a Hamburg one. They are much brighter in the higher end although the design is similar.
There may be slight musical differences from specimen to specimen of the same model. This notion is true for some piano builders more than others depending on their manufacturing approach and process. :)
@@MerriamPianos No serious piano player would buy a Steinway piano (at least from the Hamburg factory) without comparing it to other specimens. Piano shops go to the S. and S. factory to pick their piano's. They don't necessarily do this with Japanese brands.
It's just not well voiced. That doesn't mean the K-52 isn't a worthy instrument. Stu doesn't vibe with Yamaha or Steinway so there's a certain there's good but... sense to the review. And that's fine. To me, so long as it is not because they're the two top dogs in the industry and it is just something about the character of the instruments that he doesn't connect to in the same way as other brands.
Hey Benjamin - agreed wholeheartedly, it is a worthy instrument. And if this were 20 years ago, could have safely been called a top 3 on the planet. If someone handed me one, I’d accept with open arms 👍.
I suppose there’s an aspect of holding those two brands to a higher standard because of the market positions they hold - and I’m often left feeling like they’re “good but...” For what it’s worth, there are in fact several Yamahas and Steinway that I really dig - without reservation. Both of their concert grands are pure adventures to play (a well-selected D and pretty much any CFX), and I think the M is one of my all time favorite sub-6’ pianos. I also recall an S6 and more than a few C7’s that really stood out to me. It’s been my experience that some of their more ‘bread and butter’ models under-innovate because their brand reputations permit them to maintain a strong sales position otherwise - something most other brands don’t have the luxury to do, and often end up producing more interesting or innovative pianos than the Y or S brands as a result. For those who have ever raced before, it’s a well-known paradigm that your best lap times come when chasing, not while being chased. Cheers Benjamin, always appreciate your contributions here!! - stu
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for the response, Stu. I appreciate it.
@@MerriamPianos It's obvious this review is commercially driven. I wonder what you would choose given the choice of the top selling brand or a close competitor... in let's say... shoes.
Could anyone tell me the piece he's playing in the first half?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I would have to check with Stu, but it is quite beautiful! :)
This Looks good! It’s been so long since U guys truly reviewed acoustic pianos back to back! Please keep these reviews going. We all love and treasure your opinion on acoustic pianos too!
As a musician, it’s interesting to see how you’re trying your best to find the positives of this instrument but are just not digging it on a visceral level.
I looked at how many demo-only videos he did on a piano to tell when he really liked a piano, such that the C. Bechstein B212 (he recorded 4 full demo pieces/videos on it, as if he kept wanting to play on it). Then in this video, he spent most of the time playing on the lower half! LOL! I love Stu and his reviews!
@@QuangNguyen-nh2oc more like he works for a shop that is an official Bechstein dealer... So of course he wants to sell those. (Bechsteins are gorgeous, I've played many they are great) but what I e learned about piano and sound is it's 100% subjective. What stirs your ear and creativity.
I’m here watching this wishing I could have that piano in my bedroom😕
I've had a K-52 since 1989 (the serial number on mine is just slightly newer than the one in this video). I feel his review is quite in line with my thoughts and experience with this piano.
Okay, hold on. I have a 1907 k52. Perfect condition never refurbished and I know how to do the voicing and work on the action. It is truly a vertical grand piano. I would bet that anyone who knows pianos would probably kill for it. Gustav Mahler had a similar opinion 100 years ago....I enjoy your vids, many thanks
Beautiful sounding piano👍
What's a vertical grand?
@@worldtravel101 Steinway called their full uprights Vertegrands, including the K52. They dont anymore. I like playing uprights because I have always been a rock and roll rhythm and blues pianist
Cool thanks @@ritchie9030
Can you guys also reveiw some piano VST's? It would be very interesting.
Holy smokes, he reviewed all of them hahaha Stu is awesome.
Wow!another acoustic piano review!awesome!🎹I love acoustic pianos🎹🎶
Great work.... Question : why don't you make a special video just like what you did here randomly play on your favorite sounding piano!! I think you'll be surprised how many views you'll get... I'm waiting come on do it
Why are these so fun to watch? This is coming from someone who will probably never buy an acoustic piano lol
Why
Needs tuning. How old is it? Thanks for your review Stu.
Hi there! I am not entirely sure as to the age of this particular K52. It sold from our showroom shortly after this video was published. Thanks for tuning in! :)
Hi Stu, great review as always!! Btw will there be a chance to see your review for Bechstein C118? I loved your 124 classic review and wanna compare those two for my new piano. Will be very happy to see the review from you if it is possible, since you are the one I trust most for piano review on youtube!🤍
I like Stu and respect his opinion but to be honest, this piano is terrible. Dull, colorless, and uninspiring. The Kawai K-800 he once reviewed had a much clearer and more expressive tone and it cost new less than half of what an S&S K-52 would sell for new.
Needs a good voicing and...to be tuned properly
Wow phenomenal sound.
How does this compare to the yamaha su7
Loved the tone of this piano
Fascinated by the discussion here of the difference between the sustain of the mid/lower end vs. the upper end. My piano is a 1915 Steinway K (with new carbon fiber action) and I have much the same experience (though it is mitigated somewhat if I lift the lid). I presumed the less strong sustain in the treble was due to having a century+ old soundboard (the tone is nonetheless astounding; probably Adirondack red spruce?), but after watching this video I wonder if it is simply a function of the overall scale design? When Steinway revived the K in the 80s I believe they reverse engineered a golden era one so the overall blueprint should be closely similar.
I’ve a 1928 K, and you can remove any of the three facia inserts to eq the bass mid and treble. Not just for decoration. Pretty cool.
I have played a Steinway Upright at a Community College , I do not know the Identification number , but it was one of the most beautiful sounding piano's i have ever hear , that being said it was in tune and it had a built in humidifier and was located in a climate controlled practice room . The Steinway you played sounded pretty bad to me , but it also sounded out of tune and that you were playing it in an echo chamber , it was just too noisy , i think if you had that piano tuned and regulated and moved to its own room it would sound much better .
I've played so many Steinways and they go from non-remarkable and borderline harsh to magical. There's such a high variation with Steinway and inconsistency is a weakness. But I did play a few K52s in a week-long series of workshops at a university, and two out of maybe 6 or 7 of them really were impressive in terms of both tone and action. I agree, the Steinway played here could be tuned but I don't like the voicing of this piano. And put it into another room and it might sound a lot better. And I agree about regulation as well.
Now I do agree with Stu that Steinway rests on its laurels some. They haven't come up with a really new design in a long, long time. They keep tweaking fundamentally old design. Whereas Bechstein, Kawai, Yamaha, Bosendorfer and many others have much newer designs from at least 2000. I wish Steinway was a bit less interested in fancy designer cases and would build some new designs from the ground up. They could keep the current D, B, M, etc., but have an option to get a newer design (like Bosendorfer has done). Some may say it would be like the new Coke that in did not improve on the old Coke but I don't don't think so in terms of piano design.
Interesting, that nobody else mentioned that (it´s definetely true). It´s hard to judge a piano, that´s out of tune. Also the microphones are too far away from the intrument, thats why you hear so much room.
Sounds particular... I don't like it although I like Steinways (who doesn't?). I clearly prefer the Schimmel and Hofmann/Bechstein uprights that you have presented previously. Anyway, interesting. By the way, more uprights Schimmel reviews planned? Thanks again Stu !
Video idea in the benefit of Music College Students. Please, I beg you...
Hey man, I like your videos a lot and they are really helpful for buyers of Digital/Acoustic pianos. As a College Student and as a fellow piano player, I think many people like me would love to see a video that would compare all the flagship actions of the best brands.
Maybe compare these Home Digitals or Portable Digitals to an actual Key-Action of a Grand Piano or an Upright Piano, ie. How accurate is the Let-off/Escapement? How accurate/realistic are the Dynamics? How wide is the Dynamic Range? How accurate is the weight?
The video would be made with the objective of finding the best key action in Portable/Home digitals for College Students.
The reason for this is that not everyone or not all college students have the space or the budget for Acoustic Grands or Upright Pianos.
Please do it, because you as a fellow pianist who reviews both, Acoustic pianos and Digital pianos, you have chance to truly test the which digital is best for us College students.
It just doesn't appeal to me . The keyboard lid doesn't either. I had a Krakauer console when I was a kid that was made in NY. If you run across one of those in decent shape, play it! For the price Steinway wants, I would buy a cheaper grand in another brand. Stu, you sounded more like a used car salesman than a piano salesman today. LOL!
Nature of beast with a quality upright piano. Compare it to another quality upright rather than a grand.
Definitely a very unique character and a rich sound but somehow I feel sound is not versatile like C.Bechstien concert 8. C. Bechstien is my favourite. Nice review 🙏❤️
Thanks for tuning in! In my opinion, the C. Bechstein Concert 8 is unparalleled in terms of expressivity and musical potential. :)
Thank you for this explanation/opinion/evaluation. I've always felt the K just lags in comparison to other uprights. That said, for the time when the "golden era" of uprights was going on a Steinway was a Steinway. A lot for it's size at that time. Now, ??? Thanks again.
Nice video, as always. I had a look at the Steinway and Sons homepage. They claim, a K52 would have a soundboard size larger than the one on many Grands. Do you have any indications on how large a soundboard typically is on an Upright and Grand? And do you think that such a statement would be true for comparably sized Uprights from other brands? And does it actually matter?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I don't have the exact dimensions of the soundboard surface area for the K52 on hand, but I am sure that could be uncovered online. It is true that some of these very tall uprights have a soundboard surface area that is larger or equivalent to many petite and baby grand models. It certainly does matter, particularly when the soundboard material is a highly-graded piece of wood with excellent acoustic properties. The soundboard is the heart of the piano and plays a large part in defining the tonal and dynamic range and potential of the instrument. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
Nothing special tone wise IMO. Paying for the name
It is all a matter of preference of course, but I agree with your sentiment regarding relying on a name to make musical determinations. it is important to listen with our ears and not our eyes. ;)
From the C4 up sounds like an Antique Piano that's rebuilt 😮
Tone is a subjective experience of course. It is true that some piano designs and models (even current ones) possess a more "antique" or "classic" voice than others though.
@@MerriamPianos I didn't mean it sounded like a Honky Tonk but an adorable Classic Antique Sound Maybe because most Antique Pianos have the same hight? 🤔
I really like Stu‘s Reviews, great work. But this one here makes it a bit too obvious that Merriam is a Bechstein dealer. His negative opinion towards a great upright piano just shines thru … I suggest to remove this video. It does no good to no one …
I can tell from his face in the beginning. He doesn't like it AT ALL 🤣
Different pianos resonate with different players. Thankfully, the industry is quite wide in terms of the tonal and aesthetic options available! :)
@@MerriamPianos just like the wands in Harry Potter. Well said 👍🏼
I don't like those high notes at all.
Thanks so much for taking the time to check out the video! Our tonal preferences are deeply personal and subjective things, so everyone's vision of what makes the "perfect" piano tone is bound to vary. :)
These reviews are so refreshing thank-you
You're very welcome! Glad you've been enjoying them! :)
Tribble still works👀
I am not sure I understand the reference. In any case, thank you for taking the time to check out the video.
Hi Stu, it’s me again. Last September when I decided to buy a high end upright the K52 was my first choice. I tried it out just last month in Manila, and your right it surprisingly falls short. I also tried the YUS5 Yamaha the same day. I was shocked how crisp the Yamaha sounded in comparison.
Next June I have a date with Steingraeber&sohne in Bayreuth Germany.. They have the 130 and 138 cm tall uprights. In Germany I will also try out the Bösendorfer 130 and the C. Bechstein Concert 8. I just hope one of these jumps up at me like the Yamaha C3X grand did in Manila.
You know buying an acoustic piano is not easy. I love the channel and thank you for reviewing acoustic pianos,
You do a great job!
You know I think I’ll hire an interior designer and see it they can fit a C3X in my home 🤣😂🤣😂
Too much talk play the Chopin .