Bösendorfer Model 155 SP compact grand piano introduced [NAMM12]

Those wanting the amazing acoustic grand piano experience but in a smaller frame size will be interested to here that renowned piano maker Bösendorfer (owned by Yamaha) has revealed its Model 155 SP.

As model numbers reflect the length of the piano in centimetres, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that this grand piano is 155cms (about 5 foot 1 inch) in length.

Before this, Bösendorfers were a minimum of 170cms (5 foot 7 inches) in length.

Bösendorfer Model 155 SP acoustic grand piano

It’s the first new model from Bösendorfer in a decade, featuring the customary single stringing, separately cast screwed–on capo d’astro and the open pin block on the cast iron plate, resonant case principle with no corner joints as per the model 170, and the same key length as models 170-200.

That’s it. That’s all you’re getting for now. Hopefully we’ll get information about availability in due course.

Kelstone Guitar: keyboard-esque 9 stringer offers great possibilities

Take a gander at this amazing looking instrument. The Kelstone 9-string guitar (reported by GizMag) is a monster of an acoustic instrument which spans some five-and-a-half octaves and is played horizontally by both hands.

In case you were wondering, that’s why we’ve featured it here (we haven’t suddenly turned into a guitar-based web site).

You can get a really good feel for the possibilities of the instrument by watching this video by creator Jan Van Kelst. Naturally it has many similarities with an acoustic guitar or bass, except that you play it flat and there are potentially more playing techniques and expressions.

GizMag writes:

Essentially, the Kelstone offers the range of a bass, baritone and standard guitar in one instrument – spanning just over five octaves and tuned in fourths (B, E, A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb). Van Kelst says that as such: “if you know, for instance, the fingering of a major chord, you can use this form anywhere on the arm, regardless of the position or note you start with.

It’s completely acoustic so at present wouldn’t be so easily usable in any MIDI rig. However, imagine either retrofitting or having Jan create an electroacoustic model with MIDI or some other standard communication system built in. What possibilities then.

Your challenge is to appear on stage with the highly tactile Kelstone and the look-no-hands Airpiano. Go to it!

Yamaha intros two new acoustic grand pianos: C3XA, C6XA

Yamaha has updated its line of C Series acoustic grand piano with the introduction of the C3XA and C6XA, enhancing the design of the soundboard, the ribs, and the braces.

The two instruments have the following features:

Soundboard and ribs

In order to give shape to the rich reverberation of the XA, Yamaha focused on the soundboard’ s crown. The piano’ s strong ribs have been redesigned and glued to the soundboard, resulting in a perfectly shaped crown with excellent stability.

Braces

In order to integrate the braces perfectly with the soundboard, the ribs, and the instrument as a whole, their design has been totally revamped – for example, the back beam, which is located behind the key bed, is now considerably larger. Thanks to these enhancements, the piano delivers a sound that is solid and sustained, powerful and splendidly resonant.

Music wire

To accentuate the acoustic properties of the instrument as a whole, the XA features a new type of music wire, capable of producing a wonderfully bright, highly present sound.

Music holder

The music holder has been redesigned for the pianist who appreciates the joy of playing just as much as the piano’ s exquisite tone, with a shape that embodies the rich sound and exquisite tone of the XA. Meanwhile, the lamp stand on the right-hand side sports the XA insignia with pride. These, together with a host of other enhancements, conjure up an air of luxury while portraying a visual interpretation of the piano’ s sound.

Pricing of acoustic pianos is notoriously difficult so we’ll leave that to your ingenuity. Availability to be confirmed.

Yamaha CF Series of handcrafted concert grand pianos introduced

Yamaha has announced its new CF Series of handcrafted acoustic grand pianos.

The three models, including the full-size (9 foot) CFX concert grand, the CF4 (6’3″) and CF6 (7′), are based on extensive research and development including play testing with some of the world’s top classical performers.

The new CF Series is unique in that many artists got involved with the design,” said Mark Anderson, marketing director for Yamaha’s Keyboard Division. “Most excelled in all music genres, but the focus was on classical performance. The result is an instrument that will appeal to the world.”

“We compared prototypes on stage in large concert halls against the best our competition had to offer in order to evaluate their positive qualities, as well as their limitations. Using this knowledge, we can now offer players incredible artistic possibilities.”

The CFX replaces Yamaha’s acclaimed CFIIIS concert grand piano.

Full specifications and exact launch date are to be confirmed.