[Lieu]

Hi! I've been reading this forum for a while, and I'm finally getting around to take part. Visiting family over the last few holidays has really made it clear how wonderful and how wrecked different pianos can be, and also drawn my attention to how I actually need to get one of my own.

Bottom line, I gather, is to play until you find one you love, but there are so many! I'm kind of lost in what to expect. Maybe you can nudge me in the right direction? (It seems every piano seller is down south and it's been incredibly difficult finding anywhere that stocks a good number of pianos to actually try)

So, anyway. I want to spend as much as I can, the catch being I'm a student. I can maybe, maybe, scrape £4000 if I try my hardest. Everyone says to me, "Oh! Get a Yamaha!" but I really dislike the bright tone (metallic and harsh if you ask me). I like to play pretty viciously so I want something as powerful, clear and rich as possible for my budget. I've heard great things about Kawai K3s but they look small to me. How does a K5 compare? A new K5 is too expensive but how about used? Not sure about Kemble...

Or what about older painos? Would I be getting better sound-for-money for something 20-30 years old or just stick with 5-10? Or is it better to hunt down a restored upright? I've seen some old pianos around here, for example Bechsteins, valued at £2500 because of quite low demand, but dealers I'm seeing the same models priced at £6-8k. Did they have the wrestplank replaced or somesuch? What's going on here?

Please give me a hint :p Next week I'm heading to a showroom in Leeds to have a play around, but I only have a *very* vague idea of what to prioritise. So, yeah, what would you say to look for when hunting for best sound-for-money, a big sound, clear and coherent bass register, not bright, and hopefully rich. Something you wouldn't be afraid of throwing your best at.

Thank you all! I just hope it's not too tall an order. Shouldn't have gotten used to my Uni's grands :p

[Openwood]

[Jerome]

[Openwood]

[Descombes]

[Lieu]

Thanks I made sure to have a good look at several U3s and was pleasantly surprised. Most were what I expected but one was voiced rather impressively. Other pianos I saw around that price range didn't really seem noteworthy (no pun intended). Of course I'll continue scouring shops, but if I were to end up with a U3, is there anything to watch out for? Age? Nuances? Model variation? Price? Thanks!