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Hi Roxanne,

Yeah! Just discharged from the hospital. My little girl arrived on 9 Nov 09. So busy now! But will sure still try to log on as much as I can! So happy now!

Major congratulations, Bihua! Glad to know you and the little one are well. No more time for piano practice, liao...

Congratulations Bihua!

9/11/9 is a great number to remember, very lucky. Get lots of rest!

Thanks Roxanne & fj_s!

Hi, i'm new in the forum. Would like advise on comparing between Schimmel C130 and Whil.Steinberg IQ28. We have been shopping for a upright piano for awhile and narrowed down to two. Can't really decide which is better.

As usual, play both extensively, and buy the one you like the most. If you like both, buy the cheaper one. Else, the one that looks better in your room.

Both are excellent uprights by the way, and most people would not say one is better than the other per se. It's more a matter of taste.

As an aside, do consider the size of the room you are putting the piano in too. Remember it will sound louder at home than in the showroom.

Thanks, we decided on the Schimmel C130 over the Whil.Steinberg IQ28 as we find the former more melody(easier on the ear). Whil.Steinberg r alittle bright/loud but with clearer sound/ringing bells. Overall, both r very well/solid built. Price wise, Schimmel commands an extra 5k over W.Steinberg.

Congratulations!

BTW, I thought the W. Steinberg IQ28 was a little loud too, which is why I asked about the size of the room.

you can always voice the piano down.

Hi Jay,

If you voice the piano down, wouldn't you have to keep doing it say every half-yearly if you play it quite often? Voicing is expensive and difficult to do after all.

Just asking, as I'm deciding between voicing down my (30-year old) piano or buying a new one.

it is the same. if u play more you tune more, u regulate more and u voice more. and piano becomes brighter as it ages.

ya, voicing is more expensive i suspect is because the technician needs tune the piano, regulate the action then only he can voice the piano. i guess tuning cost + regulation cost + voicing cost = $T $R $V $extra hours in the house

in the end voicing is just one of the few piano maintainence beside tuning and regulation. since voicing is more adjusting volume there is no specific time like tuning every half-yearly but more personal preference/taste.

My general impression was that it's better to start with a piano whose sound you like, then one that you have to do constant voicing.

It's generally not worth it unless the price differential is huge. But of course, it depends on the size of the price differential after all.

Hi Guys, I am currently looking to purchase a new grand piano.

I currently have some options in mind, the more probable ones are

Hailun 178
Wilhelm Tell

Can i have some opinions regarding these two pianos?

Thanks alot

They both offer excellent value for money. I had reverse sticker shock for both pianos. I hear that both are very popular with our students at NAFA and YST.

In terms of sound and action, they were certainly no worse than the established brands. However, the established brands still have an excellent reputation for quality, reliability and after-sales support that is difficult to match. (You may want to think about used pianos too)

I would put it down almost to a matter of taste. You may want to take into account after sales support though. As I have not bought from either, others may be in a better position to comment. If you are indifferent, I believe the Hailun's cheaper, though the Wilhelm Tell 190 is a larger piano with the attendant advantages, particularly in the bass.

You may also want to think about the size of room you are putting the piano in, and neighbours.

I understand that both of them were produced in China, but neither of them has the Chinese piano kind of bright and overly sharp sound that are definitely not musically sounding to the ears. The tone is mellower , rounded and action is smooth and instant, not kind of jerky.

Anyway while i was at the hailun store, the store owner showed me wendl&lung 178 , sounds good too.

Has anyone bought these two pianos before? Any opinions on that?

Yes preference wise, i think i believe wendl&lung/hailun is better than wilhelm , the one i tried for wilhelm tell was a gershwin 165 new model. tone was okie, but action was slow, some keys were STUCK when i played them . This made me to think that perhaps the QC side was not adequate . Tuner informed me that this was due to inadequate tuning and playing, but as a new piano, if this happens, what does it show?

kindly advise, thanks guys!

True. But the Chinese pianos have generally improved significantly in recent years. You may want to try some of the other 'made-in-China' or Korean brands too as a result.

BTW, the Gershwin 165 was not regulated at all. The empire 190 is decent though. (I assumed you were referring to the empire at first.) I think the Hailun dealer takes a bit more care with prep before putting it in the showroom. If you actually prefer the cheaper piano, the decision may be obvious...

Hi,

W&L = Hailun, mostly. Some parts may be different (such as hammers and case), but the strungback and action are the same (or at least that's the general belief). Some have also suggested that the W&L are voiced differently, but others don't think so.

As for your experience with the Gershwin 165, a new piano in the showroom that has a slow action and stuck keys means that it has not been regulated nor looked after properly. Inadequate tuning or infrequent playing does not cause those things. It is more likely that the dealer is either unwilling or does not have the skills to keep its pianos in good order. These are budget instruments on which the dealer makes a relatively low margin. Spending too much time bringing them up to scratch means adding to the cost of goods sold.

Having said that, dealers of much more expensive pianos are also known to be unwilling and/or unable to prep and maintain their customers' pianos properly.

What a pity, because the wilhelm tell really had a warm and rounded sound, but its slow response action and stuck keys almost ruined everything.
i believe i will be going down to the showroom again to look at it, because the tech has promised to tune the piano.

yes fj_s i will be going down to look at some other chinese made grands as well, some of them are really good.


to digitus, how good will it help if the piano has been prepped or regulated? anyway i think the wilhelm tell did not really had a strong bass, it seems as though it sounded better on quieter music.

Does anyone know is there any BROADMANN or RITMULLER grands selling in Singapore? These two grands has had good reviews too.

Brodmann can be found in the Pianoman's shop in Bukit Timah Plaza I think.

Ritmuller is branded under Kayserburg in Asia I believe. (I could be wrong.) Cristofori sells all the Pearl River pianos of various brands, but I'm not sure if they have grand pianos of that brand for you to try. (The grands in the Funan showroom are a Albert Weber and a Bechstein, both of which are very nice. The Samick there is cheap, small, and more for decoration.)

There are a few others - Moutrie, Weinberg, etc that may also be in that price range you are looking at.

I doubt that the tonal characteristics will change very much regardless of whether the piano is properly prepped or not. However, a decent tuning with the a good temperament can make some difference.