Sojin RS21

Colour: Polished ebony

The Sojin RS21 is a full-size upright of 121cm, made in South Korea and finished in high gloss polyester. It measures 151cm wide and 62cm deep, with the full 88 notes, three pedals and brass castors. Sojin opened its factory at Yeoju in 1964 and added uprights to its production in 1976, spending the 1980s as part of Daewoo, which by then had made it one of the largest piano manufacturers in Korea.

Priced at £3,895, this example stands in the same height class as the Japanese full-size uprights it was built to compete with, and it has the body and the bass to match. Korean makers of this period took their engineering seriously, and the heavy polyester finish Sojin developed cures harder than conventional lacquer, which is a good part of why cabinets of this age still look as well as they do. This instrument has been assessed and prepared by our team at The Piano Gallery.

Available to purchase online or to try in person at our Oxfordshire showroom. Contact us to arrange a viewing or to discuss delivery and part-exchange options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who made Sojin pianos, and are they any good?

Sojin built instruments at Yeoju in South Korea from 1964, moving into pianos in 1976, and was bought by Daewoo, which exported the same factory's work under several different names through the 1980s. These are properly engineered instruments rather than badge-only imports, and the uprights in particular have a reputation for holding their tuning and standing up to hard domestic use. They were never positioned against the German houses. They were aimed squarely at the Japanese full-size uprights, and they compete there honestly.

How does a 121cm Sojin compare with a Yamaha U1?

They are the same height and very close in cabinet size, so it is a fair comparison. A U1 of the same era will usually be the more refined instrument and will hold its resale value better. The Sojin gives you the same scale of sound and the same full-size action for less money. The honest answer is that the only way to choose between them is to play them next to each other, which you are very welcome to do here.

What does 121cm give me that a compact upright will not?

Length of string and area of soundboard, which together account for most of what makes a piano sound large. A 121cm upright has a bass that carries real weight rather than merely suggesting it, and a wider range between quiet and loud, which starts to matter as soon as a player is shaping a phrase deliberately. A compact upright of 105cm to 110cm is easier to place and perfectly good for early learning, but this is the size most teachers would point an improving player towards.

What does the third pedal do?

On Korean uprights of this type the middle pedal is normally a practice mute, which drops a strip of felt between the hammers and the strings and takes the volume down substantially without changing the touch. It is the pedal that makes evening practice possible in a house with other people in it. We will confirm exactly how this instrument is fitted when you come to see it.

How much room does it need?

Allow a little over 1.5 metres of wall for the 151cm cabinet, plus the 62cm depth and enough space in front for the stool and the player. Put it against an internal wall where you can, and away from radiators, external walls and anywhere prone to damp. The castors make small adjustments easy once it is in place, though a piano of this size is a job for two people to move properly.