Professional Upright, Baby Grand, Mid-Size Grand, Concert Grand and Restored Vintage Pianos Compared
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
Five routes into high-end piano ownership, assessed on the criteria that matter once the instrument is actually in your home.
Most buyers arrive at the showroom thinking the choice is between a grand and an upright. In practice the market divides into five distinct categories, each with its own balance of tone, touch, space, upkeep and long-term value. A tall professional upright is a different proposition from a compact baby grand, a mid-size grand behaves differently in a living room than a concert-scale instrument does, and a restored vintage grand introduces questions of provenance and workmanship that no new piano raises. This comparison sets the five side by side against the same criteria. We describe types and tiers rather than brands, because within any category the individual instrument matters more than the badge, and because the honest comparison is always between the specific pianos in front of you.
| Option | Tonal depth and dynamic range | Touch and action responsiveness | Space and placement demands | Ownership and upkeep | Long-term value and resale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional upright (roughly 48 inches and taller)Best for: Serious pianists and households where floor space is limited but tone cannot be compromised | Fuller and more even than most compact grands at similar cost; long vertical strings give a clear bass and a smooth tenor, though the sound projects toward the wall rather than the listener | Full-size upright action with good control; spring-return hammers mean slightly slower repeated notes than any grand action | Stands against a wall in a study, hallway or living room and needs only a few feet of depth plus the bench | Tuning twice a year and periodic regulation; the closed cabinet makes some technician work slower than on a grand | Instruments from respected makers hold value reasonably well; a deep used market limits any resale premium |
| Baby grand (under roughly 5 feet 6 inches)Best for: Buyers who want the grand action and the presence of a grand in a room that cannot hold a larger instrument | Genuine grand character in the treble and tenor, but the short, heavily wound bass strings often sound less clear than those of a tall upright | True grand action with gravity return and a repetition lever; this is the strongest reason to choose the category | Claims the center of a room and needs clearance for the lid and bench; the footprint is not much smaller than a mid-size grand | Same tuning and regulation schedule as any grand, with easy technician access to the action | Depends heavily on the maker; compact grands from lesser makers depreciate quickly while fine ones hold value |
| Mid-size and parlor grand (roughly 5 feet 7 inches to just under 7 feet)Best for: Pianists who want a serious instrument for a dedicated music room or a generous living room | The sweet spot for most homes: a clear bass, a smooth break between wound and plain strings and a treble that carries without overwhelming the room | Full grand action, often a maker's most refined design at this length; responsive at every dynamic from pianissimo to fortissimo | Needs a room willing to give up a large share of its floor to the instrument, the bench and the raised lid; the parlor grands at the top of the band, roughly 6 feet 5 inches and up, want a dedicated music room or a very large living room | Standard grand maintenance; large enough to benefit from an installed humidity control system in variable climates | The most liquid resale category among grands: demand from serious amateurs and teachers is broad and steady, so a well-kept instrument from a respected maker typically sells faster than any other grand |
| Semi-concert and concert grand (7 feet and above)Best for: Advanced pianists, teaching studios, recital spaces and large rooms with acoustics to match | The reference point; long bass strings, a large soundboard and a dynamic range smaller instruments cannot reach | The most refined actions built, typically fitted and regulated with the greatest care at the factory | Demands a large room, ideally with acoustic treatment; overwhelming in a normal living room no matter how it is voiced | Same schedule as other grands but with higher stakes; regulation and voicing by a specialist technician are essential | Well-maintained instruments from major makers typically retain the highest share of their original price, but the pool of buyers is thin and a sale can take many months |
| Restored vintage grand (rebuilt older instrument)Best for: Buyers drawn to the tone of an older design who trust a reputable rebuilder and want documentation | Can be exceptional, with the character of a mature design, or disappointing if the restoration was cosmetic rather than structural | Entirely dependent on whether the action was rebuilt with new parts or merely cleaned and adjusted; ask precisely what was replaced | Identical to a new grand of the same length; older designs are sometimes slightly wider at the tail | May need extra tuning and regulation in the first year as new strings and parts settle; normal care afterward if the rebuild was thorough | Highly variable; provenance, the rebuilder's reputation and a written record of the work determine resale |
- Professional upright (roughly 48 inches and taller): The most underrated category in the market, and one every buyer should audition before writing off uprights.
- Baby grand (under roughly 5 feet 6 inches): Audition a baby grand beside a professional upright at the same price before deciding; the result surprises many buyers.
- Mid-size and parlor grand (roughly 5 feet 7 inches to just under 7 feet): If the room allows it, this is where the balance of tone, touch and practicality is usually best. The parlor grands at the top of the band are the size at which many makers place their flagship home instruments, and they sit closer to the semi-concert class in both sound and space.
- Semi-concert and concert grand (7 feet and above): Worth it when the room, the player and the repertoire all justify it, and rarely otherwise.
- Restored vintage grand (rebuilt older instrument): Independent inspection is not optional here, and a written record of the rebuild should accompany the sale.
Our verdict
For the majority of serious home pianists, the choice narrows to two categories: a professional upright or a mid-size grand. The upright wins on space and cost and loses very little in tone, while the mid-size grand offers the action and the direct sound that advanced repertoire rewards, at the price of a room's worth of floor. The baby grand sits uneasily between them; it delivers the grand action but often not the grand bass, and it should be auditioned against a tall upright at the same price before any commitment. The concert-scale instrument is a specialist purchase for a specialist room, and the restored vintage grand is a fine choice only when the rebuilder's reputation and paperwork can carry the weight of the decision.
Whichever category you lean toward, the same rule applies: compare specific instruments, not categories. Two mid-size grands of the same length can differ more from each other than a good upright differs from a good grand. Play each candidate with the same music, bring an independent technician for anything used or restored, and weigh the room and the maintenance routine as seriously as the sound in the showroom. Pianoluxe may earn a commission on some links across this site; that does not shape which category we recommend, and it never changes what we say about an individual instrument.
Frequently asked questions
Is a baby grand always better than an upright because it is a grand?
No. A baby grand offers the grand action, which is a genuine advantage for repetition and control, but its short bass strings often sound less clear than those of a professional upright of similar cost. Judge the two by playing them side by side rather than by their categories.
How do I know whether a restored vintage grand was properly rebuilt?
Ask for a written record listing every component replaced, including strings, hammers, pinblock, soundboard work and action parts, and hire an independent technician to verify it. A restoration that addressed only the finish and the cabinet is refinishing, not rebuilding, and it should be priced accordingly.
Read the complete guide for the full reasoning behind this comparison.