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Now is the best time! |
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Call:
905-855-1030 |
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Call: 905-855-1030 |
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Welcome
to... |
www.pianoteam.com |
buying guide 1 page |
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new_pianos_used_pianos_toronto_mississauga_samick_grand_piano_yamaha_upright_pianos_kawai_piano_steinway_grand_heintzman |
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Affordable
Excellence Inspired by Family Tradition |
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Few notes ...
You've been looking forward to having a piano in your home and making music a
part of your life. You're ready to buy a piano. How will you decide which
instrument is best for you?
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A piano is many things - an instrument, a fine
piece of furniture, an object of sentimental
value and a long-term investment that yields
musical dividends. Keep in mind that you'll be
listening to and looking at your piano for a
long time. The average lifetime of a good
piano spans decades, and you will probably own
it long after you've sold many of your present
belongings, including the furniture, or a car. |
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I advice you - buy the best piano you can
afford. Don't economize on a piano, especially for a child who's starting
lessons. Making music on a quality instrument is one of the best ways to keep
your young pianist interested. It does make a sense.
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Boris |
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Did You Know? |
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Good quality acoustic piano is considered to be a lasting
investment. The piano represents one of very
few purchases that offer years, rather
decades of usage and enjoyment with minimal
maintenance. Pianos last for a long time and
hold their value.
Many of our customers have pianos they
purchased years ago from us - today those
instruments look and perform well, in
most cases they are just like new pianos.
Eight, ten even fifteen years-old piano of
good quality is just about to start
its prime life.
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A.
Sounding Board ("Soundboard")
B.
Pin-Block (Wrest
plank) in which tuning pins are anchored
C.
Action (consists
of up to 9000 parts)
D.
Key-frame ("action
frame") on
which action and keys are mounted
E.
Cast-iron plate -
bears the strain of stringing ( up
to 35000 lbs. of tension)
F.
Bridges (Bass
and treble) through which
vibration of strings is transmitted to
soundboard
G.
Braces
("Support-Beams") provide
additional support to a tremendous
string-tension
H.
Case ("rim")
into which the plate and soundboard are
fitted and anchored
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In creating the
content of the following pages: Buying guide
1, 2, 3 & 4 as well as through some other
pages of this web-site,
www.pianoteam.com
and Clarkson Piano Centre Ltd. used the
materials published by the world-renowned
expert Mr. Larry Fine, the author of "The
Piano Book". Materials used with permission
of Mr. Larry Fine and Brookside Press.
Clarkson
Piano Centre Ltd. and Boris V. Hrovat wish
to express sincere thanks to Mr. Larry Fine
for his generous assistance and is pleased
to suggest to our site visitors Mr.Fine's
web-site:
www.pianobook.com |
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A piano
...not
only serves the art of music, it is a work of
art itself. A wonderfully complex
machine, it has thousands of moving parts, a
framework and soundboard supporting tremendous
string tension, and beautifully finished
cabinetry.
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Piano strings are made of high grade steel drawn to exact sizes. The bass
strings are wound with copper or copper-clad wire to add mass for lower tones.
The
plate is made of cast iron and is bolted to the frame. It anchors most of
the 20 tons of pull exerted by the tight strings. At the top of the plate, the
strings are wound through and around tuning pins. These are set into the
pin block, constructed of layers of carefully seasoned hard wood which grips the
pins in place for better
tuning stability. |

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pin-block |
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The soundboard
("sounding-board")amplifies the vibrations of the strings. It is made of fine,
straight grain spruce in many top-quality instruments. The hard maple
treble and
bass bridges transfer the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard. These
assembled components are called the strung back, or
the
back-structure. |
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The
playing mechanism of the piano is called the action. As many
as 9,000 parts
play a role in sending the hammers against the
strings when the keys are struck.
Grand pianos have horizontal actions, and upright pianos have
vertical
actions.
There are two kinds of vertical actions:
"direct blow" which pushes
the mechanism that controls the hammer, found in most consoles, studio pianos
and professional uprights; and "indirect blow" or
"drop-action", which pulls the mechanism in spinets and some consoles. |

grand piano
action |
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Piano hammers are made from sheets of felt molded around a wooden hammer
under tremendous pressure. A 12-pound hammer refers to the weight of a sheet of
felt used to make the hammer, not the weight of the hammer itself.
Today,
piano keys are almost never made from ivory. Instead, piano
manufacturers us a fine molded resin that won't crack or turn yellow. The black
keys are made of a similar material. Each key is balanced by a center pin, and
"bushed" with fine wool for proper clearance and quiet operation.
Quality upright pianos and most grands do have individually led-weighted
keys.
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Pianos may have
two or three pedals. The
one that is used most
is a sustaining, or damper pedal on the
far right lifts the dampers away from the strings so that the notes will
continue to sound after the keys are released. The pedal on the left, the
"una-corda"
or "soft" pedal, reduces the tone by shortening the distance the
hammers travel. In grands, the action shifts slightly so fewer strings are
struck. Some pianos have a third pedal for sustaining bass notes only. On most
grand pianos and some verticals, the third pedal is called a
"sostenuto".
It sustains selected notes at the pianist's discretion. Some pianos use the
middle pedal for sustaining bass notes only or for activating a practice
mute ("practice pedal") by positioning the sheet of felt
between strings and hammers. |
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Finally, there's the cabinet, that handsome piece of furniture that will take
a prominent place in your decor. Sadly, some modern piano makers use plastics
and other man-made, low-cost materials in constructing a pianos, however cabinets
(and inside) of the pianos we carry are made of hardwood (solid, laminated or
combination) overlaid with thin veneers of fine furniture wood. Many grains and
finishes are available and modern finishing techniques assure excellent
appearance and easy care for years. But,
the exquisite, massive beauty of the piano -
just like one pictured on the left (circa
1889) ...is what we won't find in new
pianos...One more reason to consider our
selection of used pianos, too! |
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A brief
review of your options: |
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New or used upright pianos - come in various
sizes, cabinet styles and finishes. The
elegant and sophisticated look of grand
piano makes it a desirable option - grand
pianos, too come in many different sizes as
well as case-designs and finishes. You may
chose a digital piano - typically not
attractive looking, however you may be
pleasantly surprised - some makes come with
great looking cabinet styles. |
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The
spinet piano was first produced in 1935. Its low cost and reduced height,
between 35" and 39", made it a popular choice after World War II.
Console pianos are 40" to 43" tail. This means longer strings and a
larger soundboard that improves the tone. Generally, the larger the piano, the
better the tone.
Studio pianos from 45" to 47" tall are often found in schools,
studios and, increasingly, living rooms. The string lengths and soundboard size
are comparable to those of small grands.
Professional upright pianos
are those ranging in height from 48" to 52" and offer the most power and tone in
a vertical piano .
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Spinet Piano- 36" to 38" in Height, approximately
58" wide. Often called "the space-saver", the small size makes this piano a popular choice. Wide
variety of furniture styles and finishes.
Note: Diagram on the left describes the
FLOOR SPACE needed for a particular piano
size. |
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Console Piano- 40" to 43" in height, approximately
58" wide. Has a direct action for balanced, better feel and easier
maintenance.
Longer strings and larger soundboard give this piano better tone. |
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Studio Piano- 45" to 48" in height approximately
58" wide. Even longer strings and larger soundboard. This is
the choice for educated buyer, teachers, professionals and institutions that
look for excellent tone quality,
durability. Taller piano is always a longer term solution and is a better
investment. |
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Modern FULL UPRIGHTS are 48-52" tall. Older Upright piano,
often called ("Upright Grand"; "Vertical Grand"; "Concert Upright" etc.) can be
up to 60" tall. In the period 1890's to 1930's tall upright was at the peak of
its popularity. Regrettably, many old uprights are in very bad condition, neglected over the
years, however some when properly restored can offer years of good performance
and warm appearance.
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Grand pianos
designed for home use have enjoyed an
increase in popularity in recent years.
Today, market offers grand pianos 4' 7"
and up. Most Grand Pianos we carry are
5-foot long (and up) - those added extra
inches provide better tone and better,
stronger construction. |
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if space is a
major consideration, we can offer you a
paper pattern ('template") on the floor to
measure - you may be pleasantly surprised to
find you have room for a grand piano!
4'11" to 5'3" Grand Pianos (Baby - Grand or
Music Room Grand Pianos) have a pleasant
tone, and are the most popular sizes for
most homes today. |
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5' 5" - 5"
8" are considered as Medium Grand Pianos or
Lounge Grand Pianos and offer pleasant,
richer tone. Six
foot Grand Pianos often called Recital Grand Pianos offer great tone, full
and rich, and are the popular choice for piano teachers and serious players. The
largest grands in the seven to nine foot category are used primarily by a
serious pianist or for public
performance, and are found in concert halls, churches and auditoriums. |
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Grand Piano- Comes in varying
lengths, from 4'5" - 4'10" (petite), 4'11" - 5'4" (baby),
5'4" - 5'7" (medium), 5'9" -
6'1" (living room, lounge), 7' (ballroom or
semi-concert grand), and 9' (concert). Distinctive shape and design make
grand piano the most prized piano of all. May be placed anywhere in a
room. Grand piano equally enriches the room if placed alone or
complementing the existing furniture. Grand pianos come in a wide variety of styles and finishes.
Good Grand pianos have the best tone projection and more responsive key action,
as the action on grand pianos works with the force of gravity.
- If you would like to
receive a FLOOR PATTERN of a grand
piano of any size, visit us or call 905-855-1030; floor pattern is loaned
for a period of 7 days, with security deposit (fully refunded upon pattern's
return). S/H charges extra, fully refundable upon the sale of the piano.
Sorry, offer available to residents of Canada only.
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To review
- both grands and verticals come in a number of sizes. The height of a vertical
piano is measured from the floor to the top of the piano. The length of a grand
is measured from the very front of the keyboard end of the piano to the very
back of the piano, with the lid closed.
- Vertical Pianos: Professional
or Full-Size Upright
(48-52"); Studio (44-47"); Console (42-44"); Apartment-size (42
or 43"); Spinet (37-42");
- Grand Pianos: Concert
Grand 8 1/2 - 9 1/2';Semi-Concert Grand (7 - 8 1/2 '); Large or Studio-Grand
(5'9" - 7'); Medium Grand (5'4" - 5'9");Baby Grand
(5' - 5'4"); Petitte Grand (4'5"-5')
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