Pleyel - P123 Tribute Noir

The mechanics designed by Pleyel have long been renowned for their precision and durability, and it's easy to see why when you come face to face with this 88-key keyboard made from Austrian spruce. Each note responds with an almost instinctive regularity, as if the gesture were immediately translated into vibration. The hammers, built on a hornbeam core with Wurzen ffW felt imported from Germany, guarantee a fine attack and nuances that extend across the entire sound spectrum.

The beech windchest and solid wood bridges have been designed to maintain impeccable stability, even after years of constant string tension. The strings, from the Röslau factory in Germany, add a natural brilliance and a perfect balance of power and clarity. When you let yourself go on the soft pedal or the mute, you can hear a refinement that stands out from many competing instruments. The attack becomes more intimate, almost confidential, while the forté releases all the amplitude that the satin-finish copper frame was designed to handle.

It's worth remembering that throughout its history, the company has already chosen spruce as the preferred material for the soundboard, and this is no coincidence. This wood, carefully selected from Austrian forests, favours a clear projection and harmonic richness that develop over time. You might think that an upright piano of this size would have to sacrifice a little roundness in the low registers, but the acoustic design succeeds in restoring unexpected depth. The coherence of the upper mid-range never seemed artificial, because the Pleyel mechanism ensures a balance that links the bass and treble with disconcerting fluidity.