The Piano Shop Bath currently has some rather special upright pianos in the showroom. One upright we are particularly fond of is the Haessler k124 in Navy Blue. This is a handsome upright piano from world famous piano craftsmen, Bluthner. Regarded as one of the world best piano manufacturers Bluthner introduced its Haessler range a number of years ago in order to provide a more competitively priced piano (particularly for the American market). Haessler pianos have more conventional strings, soundboard and action than Bluthner pianos. However, they are still designed and produced in Germany and offer consumers the option of purchasing a classic German piano at a lower price point than traditional Bluthner pianos. This afternoon I put the Haessler K124 through its paces and discovered a luxurious upright piano that is a real credit to the Bluthner name.
Tone
The tone of this upright piano is perfectly balanced, sweet but not cloying, rich but with real subtlety. Larry Fine describes Bluthner pianos as possessing a characteristically ‘lyrical’ tone and the Haessler upright certainly delivers on this promise. The tone of the Haessler is not as deep and dark as its Bluthner counterpart (which sits beside it in our showroom for comparison), but it is equally compelling. I can imagine Debussy compositions working particularly well with the refined and lyrical tone on offer here.
It almost goes without saying that the build quality of the K124 is of a high standard, you can feel that the moment you sit in front of the beautiful cabinet. At 125cms high you get a lovely good size, without it being overly dominating, as some of the very tallest uprights can be, so the aesthetics of this piano are very pleasing. One really nice touch is the finish on the black piano keys, they have a finish that reminds me of Yamahas ivorite (a synthetic material reserved for its high end pianos and designed to offer pianists optimum comfort). This really increases the feeling of playability derived from the K124.
Professionally Painted Blue Piano
Finally, a word on the finish. This is a unique, one of a kind piano finished in a deep inky blue similar to Farrow and Balls classic Navy Blue ‘Hague Blue’. Described by bestselling design author, blogger and stylist Emily Henderson as ‘hands down the best navy blue on the planet’ inky Blues are a very popular colour choice. Our design team in Bath selected this finish in order to sympathetically enhance the appearance of this upright and it works beautifully. The combination of this high quality piano with the confident and grounded Blue cabinet creates an instrument of real substance and longevity. Emily Henderson describes Hague Blue as being ‘deep and intense and modern and yet totally classic’ a very fitting choice then for this modern but totally classic Haessler K124.
For further information about the Haessler K124 in navy blue please do call us on 01225 427961.