Piano on board?

[Cardo]

I'm slowly thinking of things to take with us on our 2 year voyage. I have always planned to take my guitar in the hopes that I might finally learn to play something other than Greensleeves.
However, the missus plays the piano. We have one of those Yamaha electric piano jobbies at home but there's no chance we could take that on the boat! I don't suppose any of you have or know any decent reasonably portable electric pianos that we could take on the boat with us? We're on a 35 footer so it would need to be something reasonably easy to stow and that can either run on batteries or be rigged to run off the 12v.

Surely someone will have an idea!

 

[causeway]

A french couple staying near my marina over Xmas have an electric organ below their forepeak bed, slides out whenever they need it. The Boat is about 45ft though...

No idea what type it is sorry for the useless comment!

 

[SeamanStaines]

I have a Yamaha keyboard on board, not the best for a piano as the keyboard is a bit basic but I can't see why you could not take any electric piano, run it off an inverter, the power consumption is tiny.

From my experience though (mine is currently dead) you need a really stout case and stuff it full of silica gel sachets, mine went rusty!

 

[GAJ]

I'm very much behind with music tech these days but a weighted midi keyboard run through the sound card on a laptop and using the ships stereo for amplification may be way to go. When the laptop croaks, use another, when the stereo croaks user another and midi keyboards are for nowt these days and they are not heavy which is a bonus.

 

[auditdata]

 

[AndrewB]

Friends have a full-sized piano aboard on their world cruise. It was her condition for going. To do this, they had their yacht designed around the piano.

 

[Cardo]

Friends have a full-sized piano aboard on their world cruise. It was her condition for going. To do this, they had their yacht designed around the piano.

That is awesome. Alas, a little beyond our boat methinks!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Several of the late 19th and early 20th century Antarctic expeditions took organs or player pianos along; there is one in the Scott Polar Research Institute museum in Cambridge.

 

[TrueBlue]

There's quite a variety of electronic keyboards available 64 and evem 88 notes. Some have really good (piano) sounds - to my mind the only thing missing is the feel of the action; everything else is there.

For boating the advantage is that they are "flat" - well 5 or 6 inches high.

Andertons music in Guildford stock a wide range of instruments and do mail order. (www.andertons.co.uk). For maximum space saving you may have to consider separate speakers and amplifier and that may be a challenge at 12V, but the keyboards run on 5 - 12V DC.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

If she's a serious pianist, then you've got a problem. It isn't the sound but the touch that's the problem with keyboards; unless you go for an electronic piano like the Yamaha or Roland ones, they don't have the weight and sensitivity of a piano keyboard, and just feel wrong. If I were you, I'd go into a good piano shop, and ask if there are any portable instruments that replicate the touch of a piano.

 

[BobPrell]

I recall Lin Pardey writing that she was a keen pianist, when they were building Taleisin.

They like to keep electrics to a minimum and planned to have a "tuning fork piano" aboard.

Whatever that is.

Piano feel and space efficiency were mentioned.

 

[[2068]]

I've tried several portable keyboards, and for a pianist, they are invariably rubbish, because they are not weighted correctly.

I have a not particularly cheap Axiom midi keyboard hooked up to software on the PC in the study, and whilst that's fine for scaring the cat and making noises from "The Tomorrow People", it's hopeless as an Electric Piano as well.

Taking the body off my Clavinova still results in something that one person can barely carry

I can only suggest looking around in Music shops for something similar to a Stage Piano. Yamaha and Roland produce a selection, but these things are not cheap, £1000+. You might be able to find a Yamaha CP33 for sub-£750 if you look around on the interweb.

dv.

 

[NOHOH]

A french couple staying near my marina over Xmas have an electric organ below their forepeak bed, slides out whenever they need it.
!

Its called a Dildo....and its effect makes a similar sort of sound... (I`m told)

 

[Seashoreman]

Acoustic Ships Pianos

I have tuned many pianos on boats over the years. The major problem apart from finding space for them is getting one onboard. Once tuned a Grand on a Dutch Barge, just took the lid off the boat and craned it in.
There are very very small uprights out there, 6 octave etc, but you need to search for them.
Just out of interest try Google Images Ships Piano or Yacht Pianos. These were made in late 1800s for Victorian Pleasure Boats, pre radio/dvd.
Maybe better not put the idea into wifes head, sorry!

 

[paul.norton]

IIRC, Uffa Fox had one on "Fresh Breeze" which was being built for an owner in Porlock who sadly died before the vessel was completed.

Fox took the vessel on as his own and installed the piano which could be flipped over and used as the cabin table.

He also installed a saddle behind the helm so he could stay upright as the vessel heeled

Paul

 

[prv]

Fox took the vessel on as his own and installed the piano which could be flipped over and used as the cabin table.

I have his book on yacht design from the 1930s, and it mentions pianos on more than one boat. Gives the impression that it's not a totally unexpected item to have on board - these are much larger boats though

The one described in most detail in that book was built into the saloon table, using the heavy iron frame and strings etc as a counterweight so that the table gimballed at sea.

Pete

 

[Sybarite]

I'm slowly thinking of things to take with us on our 2 year voyage. I have always planned to take my guitar in the hopes that I might finally learn to play something other than Greensleeves.
However, the missus plays the piano. We have one of those Yamaha electric piano jobbies at home but there's no chance we could take that on the boat! I don't suppose any of you have or know any decent reasonably portable electric pianos that we could take on the boat with us? We're on a 35 footer so it would need to be something reasonably easy to stow and that can either run on batteries or be rigged to run off the 12v.

Surely someone will have an idea!

Neel 50 trimaran - sorry not helpful I know!

http://www.multihull-marina.com/quai-voile/trimarans-neel/trimaran-neel-50.html#photos