{"product_id":"kemble-k131","title":"Kemble K131","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe K131 is the biggest upright Kemble made, and at 131cm it is in the small group of uprights tall enough to make the question of buying a grand a genuine one. The extra height buys bass string length, and that is what you hear: the bottom octaves have weight and pitch definition instead of the dull thump a short piano gives you. It will fill a large room, a church hall or a school hall without being pushed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKemble built these in Milton Keynes, and by the time the K131 was in production the company was working closely with Yamaha, which is why the model is often compared with the Yamaha U3. The comparison is fair on size and touch, though most players who sit at both find the Kemble the warmer and rounder of the two. This example has been assessed and prepared by our team at The Piano Gallery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvailable 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow does the K131 compare with a Yamaha U3?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are close rivals and the honest answer depends on what you want from the tone. Both are tall uprights of about the same height with a comparably even action. The Yamaha is the brighter and more immediate of the two, which some players want and others find tiring over a long practice session, while the Kemble is warmer through the middle and gentler in the treble. Play them one after the other if you can, because the difference is easy to hear and entirely a matter of preference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs a 131cm upright too big for a normal house?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe footprint is the surprise here: a tall upright takes up no more floor space than a short one, because the extra size is all height. It needs about 153cm of wall and about 65cm of depth, the same as a much smaller piano. What it does need is a room with enough air in it, because a piano this powerful in a small carpeted bedroom can be more than you want. In a sitting room of ordinary size it is fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWere Kemble pianos actually made in Britain?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Kemble built pianos in Milton Keynes until the factory closed, and for much of the later period it was the last significant piano manufacturer in the UK. Yamaha held a stake in the company and some Yamaha models for the European market were assembled there, which is why the engineering has a familiar feel. The K131 is a British-built piano and one of the better ones to come out of that factory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat are the advantages of a tall upright over a small grand?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTone, mostly. A 131cm upright has bass strings comparable in length to those in a small baby grand, so it can match or beat one for depth and evenness through the bottom end, and it does it in a fraction of the floor space. What it cannot match is the grand action, which repeats faster and gives finer control of quiet playing. If you care more about sound than touch, a tall upright is very often the better buy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan parts still be obtained for a Kemble?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Kemble used conventional German action parts and standard scalings, so hammers, dampers, strings and felts are all available from the usual trade suppliers, and any competent tuner or technician will be at home inside one. The factory closing does not strand the instrument the way it would with a maker that used proprietary components.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brands \/ Kemble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58432771752318,"sku":"5214","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/0335\/1316\/files\/Awaiting-Waiting-Needs-Photo-or-Video_5d3a56e2-5925-41af-ba47-5e9ab9c08d91.jpg?v=1794328460","url":"https:\/\/www.thepianogallery.co.uk\/products\/kemble-k131","provider":"The Piano Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}