Bösendorfer 130

The Bösendorfer 130 is the rare upright built with no compromise, and it sounds like it. Using the same resonance-case philosophy as the company's grands — the spruce case participates in the sound rather than merely containing it — it produces a warm, singing, unmistakably Viennese tone with a bass that embarrasses many baby grands. The action is remarkably even and capable of genuine pianissimo control, something most uprights simply cannot do. Build quality is heirloom-grade; these instruments outlive their owners. The honest problems are price and taste. At roughly the cost of a respectable grand piano — often $75,000 or more — the 130 forces an awkward question: if you have the money, do you not simply buy a grand? It makes sense only where space truly forbids one. The famously dark, mellow voicing is also polarizing; players raised on the clarity of a Yamaha or the brilliance of a Steinway can find it veiled, and brightening a Bösendorfer works against its nature. Dealer networks are thin, so auditioning and servicing take effort. For the pianist who needs concert quality against a wall and loves the Viennese sound, nothing else compares. Everyone else should audition widely first.