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Now you've made me really curious. I have been trying to find a Charles Walter grand piano, but have only found uprights. Would you know any dealers in the New York metropolitan area (+/- 100 miles radius) who carry CW grands?

Thanks!
Bach13

Whether or not you find one in the NY area, I think you should really hold out buying a piano until you tried one of the CW 190s. Of all the pianos I played in that size range, one particular CW still haunts me with it's beautiful sound. To be fair, I've only ever played one CW 190, but if it was representative of what the others could/should sound and play like, then I think they probably deserve to be compared to the 'best' pianos in the world. I ended up buying another piano that I love just as much, but sometimes my thoughts drift back to that piano. I think it's sound is what a great piano is supposed to sound like.

No, sorry, I don't. You might call the factory and ask them. I'm not in a location just now where I can easily locate their factory phone numbers but you might check with the online version of the Piano Buyer. You can find an add for the Piano Buyer somewhere on the Piano Forum website.

ddf

I know that this is an old thread, but I recently got the chance to play both sizes of the Walter grand pianos side by side. I appreciated many of the comments on this thread. From my perspective, while I am NOT an expert, to my ears that Walter 175 was the more balanced piano - smooth throughout the whole range of notes. Nice tone, clarity, fullness, and yet gentleness. The 190 had more power in the bass (which I liked) but to my tastes a little too bright (harsh?) in some areas the treble (notably the lower treble). Of course I am sure that some hammer work could have adjusted those hammers to my particular tastes. But I was very impressed with the 175 as it stood and would have loved to have taken it home if I could have.

It is a shame that the almost all of the contemporary European and Asian grand piano designs have un-needed bulk in the rim and plate. They look so heavy, bulky and inelegant. Also they are designed with an overly wide strike line that bulks up the key-set which adds mass and slows down the touch. These makers are wasting money and resources that do nothing to improve the sound and feel of the piano. They seem intent on using rims with nearly the thickness of a concert grand on a 5' grand. The industry needs a wholesale adjustment to the scaling principles of the rim, plate and scale stick width.

I am glad Del has been able to influence some of this in the industry.

Ed:

I noticed that you have made repeated representations here how much better you can do in regards to piano's overall function, action performance, enhanced tonality, balance etc

Here's a list of German/Italian manufacturers:

http://www.pianos.de/en/members/index.php?id=3

Why not contact them one by one making them aware of your expertise and the many improvements in design for their world products?

Trust me, most of these guys would be VERY interested to hear from you as product research and R&D is a strong part of their day-by-day operation.

Thinking that the Japanese and Chinese would be equally interested to hear from you.

Don't forget that other folks like Lothar Thomma, Stephan Mohler, Frank Emerson etc have long taken advantage of this[ highly paid...] job opportunity...

Serious.

Norbert

I'd give my left..er..leg to own a CW190 and then I'd have to hang the piano from the ceiling due to space restrictions.

Alas, the price has gone up quite a bit and as I get closer to retirement, I'm loath to part with the cash.

But make no mistake, at the six-footish mark, it'll hold its own with with any competing marque. If I was a dealer, I'd get a nice, late model Steinway of the same size and display the two pianos side-by-side, prepped equally well.

And just let the people play...

I had the opportunity to try a CW grand several years ago. I don't remember what size it was but in recollection I would put on the same plane as (current) Estonia. It was a very nice piano indeed.

Many would do the same even though the PianoBuyer does not. Larry Fine has said to me many times, part of the ratings are influenced by public perception. Sometimes I feel like that should be forum perception With Walter being off the radar it affects what people know about the instrument. With the low production numbers it Is difficult to break into the market and get the "word" out.
If the ratings were only influence by how a piano sounds, feels and the quality of materials, workmanship & design, the ratings would be changed on many makes.

I can vouch for the Charles Walter. Being a new owner and a long time admirer, at least to me its a definite leap forward in comparison to my late Vogel. I'm only an occasional player that has a great desire to play more often if time permitted and I'm not that great, but when I sit down at the keyboard to unwind and escape into the world of music it does what I want it to without having to force it to. There's only a few pianos in my short playing life that have spoken to me like that and the Walter is one of them.

I agree with the lack of marketing affecting people's decisions on ALL products, pianos included... and Walters at that. I guess sometimes smaller companies may feel like going up against the substantially more funded companies like Steinway, who for years was backed - profitable or not - by the giant "CBS" and then later a banking consortium, is like throwing a glass of water into a towering inferno. However you have to do it and I don't know why they don't do more. Heck they don't even return emails, for both myself as well the dealership that i bought it from.

Its just too bad but it doesn't change my love of the piano, the company and the designer and builders. Amazing Piano.

I always wondered what an "American" piano would sound like. Would an old Knabe qualify...how about a NY Steinway...or a Mason Hamlin...or a 1998 Baldwin? Those were or are made in America. What characterizes an "American" piano?

It is not an "American" piano, it is an 'American Sound.'

Yes, it is a nebulous concept, but one which is readily identifiable. It developed in the United States during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century in the large transition period of piano building. The sound that developed was very different than the European counterparts. It was then that the term began to be used, based on very identifiable characteristics.

This dichotomy still exists. Find recordings of a S&S-Hamburg-D and an American-D and the difference in tonal structure becomes apparent. The pianos you mention all are closer in sound to a NY-Steinway than they are to a Bosendorfer, Sauter, Petrof, or Steingraeber.

It just takes some listening, and critical analysis, and the differences start to become apparent.

I hope this gives you some insight into the basic difference between the "American Sound" and the "European Sound."

Thanks, Marty. Your description is interesting and well put.

My question was somewhat tongue-in-cheek because I have posted a couple of times on trying to quantify the comparison of American and European pianos using cumulative line spectrum maps and/or the spectral centroid.

It's just like learning to hear the difference between Brahms and Debussy. Tough to describe, but easy to hear!