The Yamaha C5 is a grand piano that sounds and plays great under all circumstances. We have one of these in the studio where I work, and it definitely sees quite a bit of use. I've used a number of Yamaha pianos for recording, and while I can't say that the C5 is the best of the bunch, it's definitely up there. It's an easy piano to play, with a nice touch and good action. It has the feel that you'd expect from any professional piano. While piano isn't my primary instrument, I've played many pianos in different recording studios, and those in this Yamaha series of grand pianos seem to give you some of the best bang for your buck available. The Yamaha C5 in particular, has a very bright and vibrant sound to it. In my opinion it's best for rock and pop music rather than jazz or classical, but it's certainly more than suitable for any genre. It definitely has a brighter sound than many of the other Yamaha pianos that I've used, but this isn't a bad thing, it's just a matter of personal preference. I've only recorded the Yamaha C5 a few times, using a set of Neumann U 87's to pick up the sound and through a Neve console. This combination offers up the most clarity and fullness that you could want in a piano sound in my opinion, although there are certainly better pianos out there. Yamaha can afford to offer high quality pianos at these type of prices since they are such a large company, and they certainly know what they're doing since they got their start making pianos. Whether you're looking for a grand piano for your recording studio or for your home, the Yamaha C5 is a stellar piano at an even stellar price.