Upright pianos come in super compact sizes – console – and larger, more sonorous dimensions of a professional upright. For millions, the upright piano delivers tremendous value as it is an entirely acoustic instrument that saves space and money. Even premium uprights cost substantially less than a grand piano, and today’s technological advances make some designer uprights as dreamy as a high-concept sculpture.
Unlike the grand piano, whose soundboard and frame are horizontal, uprights are vertical. The height of the soundboard is what goes into different categories of the upright. The smaller upright is only 45”/115cm tall – called studio upright, followed by a larger professional or grand upright at as tall as 52”/132cm.
It is worth mentioning that the taller the soundboard (the back ‘wall’ of the upright), the better the sound will be. Such is the law of natural resonance – the larger wooden body will reflect sound waves better, mixing them in real-time, imbuing the piano’s sound with what is known as a unique voice. The length of the strings, which are longer on the taller upright, also adds to the tone quality by providing a deeper, richer overtone resonance, thus giving your piano more color. So if your space and budget allow, always opt for the taller, professional upright if you want your piano sound to be as close (and sometimes indistinguishable as with premium Blüthner Lucid uprights) from the grand piano.
