[ilangobi]

Hi all,
I've just started taking piano lessons, and now I'm looking for my first piano that hopefully will last me all the way to Grade 8. And beyond. =) I've been recommended a new Kemble Oxford at...*whips out calculator* 2,697.43 Pounds. (I live in Singapore)

Yamahas are very popular over here, but I've heard that the Yamaha tone is too bright and erm, shrilly. Well I've heard the difference for myself, but basically at this beginner level I can't choose between a mellow tone or a brighter one. Going by instincts alone I think I prefer a more mellow tone though.

Anyway, my main concern about buying this Kemble Oxford is...Is it too SMALL? At 110cm, can it take me all the way to Grade 8 and beyond? Let's see...for 222.042 Pounds more I can get a Yamaha U1. And the U1 is so much bigger?

Altenatively, are there any comparable Kawai pianos? Or any among these names that I see are available over here: Alex Steinbach, Seiler, Sauter, Pleyel, Schulze Pollmann, TH. Betting, Karl Schonberg.

Thanks for your help!

Edmund

[Gill the Piano]

The Yamaha U1 is generally thought to be one of the best upright pianos around, and an awful lot of professional musos like them, as do many tuners; I was talking about this only the other day with an ex Steinway tuner and he said he thought they were excellent. He was sober at the time, too...seriously, they ARE good instruments, and whilst the Kemble is perfectly good, you wouldn't be able to achieve the depth of sound and tone that you could on a U1. I had a little Kemble which got me to Grade VIII, but I found it frustrating to play big stuff (Rachmaninov and other noisy bits) on as the power required simply wasn't there. If you've only just begun to play then Grade VIII is at least 8 years away, but in the end you have to buy what YOU like the sound of; it's you who's paying and playing!
Good luck with it all!