In response to Craig Brougher's opinion on good modern uprights,
I would like to comment that yes, Yamaha builds high quality uprights,
and yes, they may dominate the upper end market.  However I for one
would rate them as maybe the sixth or eighth best pianos built today.

There are a number of European pianos, especially some German makes,
that may not be widely distributed or well known in North America
but that are really _musical_ instruments.  I'm thinking of Sauter,
Pfeiffer, Grotrian-Steinweg, Bluthner, Steingraeber and so on.

There is always a fair bit of subjectivity involved in "grading" an
instrument, depending on the type of music and the style you play etc.,
etc.  "The Best" probably doesn't exist.  However, there are certainly
a lot of instruments out there that don't deserve to be called
"musical"!

Regards,  Jurgen Goering

 [ I would like to publish a list of "asking" prices for fine pianos
 [ in Europe, like the list D. L. Bullock provided.  Who makes good
 [ 52-inch (132 cm) vertical pianos in Europe?  Who makes a good 5-foot
 [ (160 cm) baby grand piano?  And the biggest question: what is the
 [ average price paid by the customer for the _average_ new piano
 [ purchased?  (The total money paid divided by the total number of new
 [ pianos.)  Could you piano lovers over the world tell us, please?
 [ -- Robbie