Hello
I'm new here and have been following this thread very closely! I can really relate to the thought processes, back-and-forths, questioning of oneself, etc. that comes with looking for a piano.
My situation is similar - but if anything more favourable to owning an acoustic piano. I live in a house with my partner and young daughter and have a neighbour on one side only. At the moment I practice in the late evening on an old digital piano tucked away in the spare room/playroom. I am really thinking about getting an upright piano for the living room. I have had so many should-I / shouldn't-I thoughts about it but am now quite decided on getting one…
So much buying advice seems to be focused on getting the best you can get for your budget, or to go for a piano whose tone you are in love with, etc., but I have been finding it such a more complex decision than that.
Firstly, when it comes to tone, I think my preference is for medium-bright (possibly because my experience of "piano sound" is restricted to digitals and what you hear on professional recordings - but that is a whole other rabbit hole to venture down…). I like a clear sound. But that doesn't necessarily mean a medium-bright piano would work best in my household, and that is vital: I don't want it to be too cold sounding, or too loud - it would ideally be a softer sound that doesn't fill the whole house and is suited to a domestic environment (which seems obvious but isn't necessarily the same thing as getting the piano you like best!).
When it comes to budget, in theory, you get a bigger, richer sound the more you pay - but again, I don't necessarily want a big, rich sound. I play purely for myself (I don't want to perform to anyone), and even a decent quality acoustic piano would be a huge step up for me and a big, new experience. Related to budget - I feel the more expensive it is, the more likely I will be to get annoyed if a child causes minor damage, or someone places their cup on the lid, etc. Or if it's a high-quality/big brand/antique instrument, I fear being too intimidated or overly respectful of it to let loose and have fun on it - I want it to be something that is welcoming, charming, part of the household, yet something whose sound and touch I really like…
Anyway, I don't mean to takeover this thread with my own situation but mainly to say thank you to @porco_rosso for detailing his story. I am very pleased the Schimmel is working out!
