What Is a Spinet Piano?
A spinet piano is smaller than the standard types and has inferior sound quality. These pianos have the regular 88-key keyboard, but the keys are shorter and more difficult to play, and the rest of the piano is smaller as well. Spinet piano once were manufactured by several companies, but most were discontinued in the late 1990s.
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Advantages
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Although the sound was not very good, spinet pianos were advantageous for people who could not afford a regular-sized instrument and had only a small space in which to put a piano. The spinet piano was first manufactured during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Type
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The spinet piano is classified as a vertical, or upright, with the strings and soundboard perpendicular to the floor rather than parallel to the floor, as in a grand piano.
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Size
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Spinet pianos have a shorter top, as low as 36 inches, and a narrower casing compared to other pianos.
Sound
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The small size of a spinet piano means the strings are shorter, and the sound is not as full. The size also requires drop action keys which engage levers indirectly, creating a slight delay in the hammer-blow action and a duller sound.
Availability
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People began purchasing electric pianos in favor of spinets in the late 20th century, eventually leading companies to stop producing spinets. People can still purchase used spinets, but the next larger size, the console, is a much better option.
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