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Hi y'all, I finally pulled the trigger on a new upright. Long story short, it's probably not my ultimate dream piano (though we'll see how it performs after voicing and regulation), but I got it for such a good price that I know I'll be able to sell it again for more than I paid once I'm finally able to afford one of the ultimate verticals I'm dreaming of. It's more than good enough to serve as my musical companion for some years ahead, and I don't think I could find anything better for the same price.

It's a 130 cm Schimmel from late 1991, probably bought in 1992. Was used professionally in a pub devoted to classical music which arranged acoustic "mini opera concerts" twice a week. Obviously has some wear to the hammers because of that. But beyond that it seems to be in immaculate condition technically, with some minor scratches. It had a climate system installed and was regularly tuned and looked after, and was always draped in a cover to protect it when not in use. Will get it delivered in a couple of weeks.

What I wonder is if anybody can provide any more information on what model it is?

As far as I can tell, the 130 Schimmels from this period were called "130 T". Am I right that this series is not made anymore - was it the top series at the time? (now there is the classic and the konzert line)

But I have yet to see a picture of a 130 T online which looks like the one I bought. It has an oval removable plate in a bronze-ish color on the front, see pictures:





The other 130 T's I've seen online don't have such a removable bronze plate. The only other piano I've seen online which looks like it is an Erard piano from the same time which was manufactured by Schimmel:


This seems to have the same plate. Their description (in French) of the action is very similar to how I would describe playing this piano, btw: "light but very controllable".

Is it likely that the piano I bought is an ordinary 130 T with a fancy twist to the case, or can it be that Schimmel made some particular 130 pianos around this time which were different from the others - perhaps putting the "Erard" label on some, and "Schimmel" on others? I sent an email to Schimmel btw, but have yet to hear back from them.

I believe this was a case option, but I'm not at the office where I keep my old catalogues. If not, it was certainly something that other European makers were doing around that time into the 2000s. It's similar to the current C130 model. At the time it was built, this was their best tall vertical model.

I hope it turns out well after some regulation and voicing, and whatever else it needs to mitigate the years of wear. After an initial period of settling in and some finish prep work by a good tech in my home, the one that I own from the early 2000s has been a very reliable and stable piano, though I admit it gets used a lot less than it should these days.

Thank you so much! That is very useful info.

Yes, Schimmels seem to be very reliable and stable pianos. This one was put in a warehouse after the music pub closed down one year ago. The warehouse had stable humidity and the piano was covered in the drape, but the dampp chaser system was disabled. When I played it, it seemed to have held the tune more or less perfectly, after having gone without tuning for a year. I was impressed!

The other thing I really liked about it was the action and the dynamic control. It's not often that I come across uprights with an action I really really like, and where I have the sense that I have many "layers" of tone and dynamics available. But it was there with this one.

But the tone was slightly too bright for my taste, and the voicing was a bit uneven, which I attribute to the wear on the hammers, which is probably different from key to key. There was also very discrete differences in resistance between some of the keys. I think many people would never notice, but I'm a perfectionist...

Given that the there was lots of felt left on the hammers, and that the action was fundamentally so good and responsive, I think it holds much potential that can be brought out by a good tech. Who knows, maybe I'll be so happy with it that it'll be my last piano. If not, this is one of the few pianos I know of that will sell itself easily for more than I paid for it (many people around here have fond memories of attending concerts with this very piano).

This looks and sounds like a very good piano.The Classic Schimmel series is sold at the same dealer I bought my piano.Yes they are still labeled as the Classic series and caled Tradition eg C126T. I briefly looked at the 130 at the same dealer online they do not have the centre panel as far as I can see.
I am sure the August Forster 130 has a cabinet with this oval panel in the centre in fact it looked similar to
this piano.(going by an online image)

Thanks, Lady Bird! Yes, I find the centre panel to be a very nifty thing. It looks beautiful, to my eyes. And I think it might serve a function acoustically to remove it while I play, once I place the piano against a wall. But who knows. First I need to get in installed in my home, voiced and all of that

Yes my Sauter 130 has an open area ( not too big) in the lower panel of the piano.I can also of course open the lid at the top.(It has a lid prop at the top so I can leave it open)which improves the tone even better.
This is exciting news Oivavoi I know you have been
searching for a piano and have been quite particular
about what upright you should get !

Hi oivavoi,
Has the Schimmel upright been delivered yet ?
It would be interesting to see a photo of it in
your piano room !

Thanks, Lady Bird!

Yes, as a matter of fact I got it yesterday.

Here it is in my room:
https://imgur.com/gallery/3XzXPpr
(not getting it to work to share pictures directly here)

I'm absolutely loving it! The action is just as precise and responsive as I remembered it. The ability to play pp and control micro- and macro-dynamics is really something. Also, the tone is actually fuller than I remembered it. I really like it. But it will nevertheless benefit from some skilled voicing and regulation.

What I also appreciate very much is the option of taking away that oval plate in the front when playing. I find that it actually does a big difference, and it becomes much closer to playing a grand. With the oval plate removed I get a more immediate access to the tone the strings and soundboard create, and it's kinda addictive to see the hammers hitting the strings.

Things I need to do/work on, in addition to getting a tech to work on it:

- I need to get a black adjustable bench! The action on the DP I've had until now was much lower.

- I need to "voice" the room, and the wall behind the piano. I tried placing it in the middle of the room, and handily preferred that placement. But that's not possible. It's also a living room. When facing the wall in the only corner that is available, all the reflected sound becomes a bit distracting too me. I want room acoustics that are a tad less bright and lively. What I will try is to put a type of acoustic wallpaper behind the piano, for starters, and later on all the walls, if it works out. This doesn't work on all frequencies equally, but it does soften the mid and high frequency reflections.

- The finish... it has some more scratches than I noticed at first. Nothing too much, but it's not perfect. Also: it's HIGH gloss! All those fingerprints come on really easy. I will start out with some piano polish. But in the future... I might look into refinishing with a satin look. But that's obviously going to be expensive, so it's not for the first couple of years.

- Dampp Chaser! Yap.

-------------

I was certain that this was going to be just a temporary piano, until I can afford the Sauter 130 Masterclass or the Steingraeber 130 SFM. But who knows... I have the feeling I'll really grow to enjoy this shiny black baby.

Oivavoi - for a high gloss black finish, I was told to use a microfiber cleaning cloth and a bit of ammonia-free glass cleaner. There is also a plastic cleaner for cars that actually takes away scratches.

Thanks! That's good to know. Do you know which plastic cleaner it is?

Searching on the forum I also saw a product from Cory recommended, which is made particularly for high gloss pianos. But I don't know if that's any better than that car cleaner or plain micro fiber and a glass cleaner.

I'm glad you were able to budget for this piano. I think it's always better to go for a modern piano that sounds good, rather than something old that you have to spend lots of money on. I was really impressed with Schimmel uprights, beautiful pianos, so I'm sure you'll really enjoy this piano.

I had my piano tuned this morning and the technician advised using Corey Piano Polish as well.She advised against rubbing a dry cloth over the finish as the piano
would lose its shine .
It is just great finding that piano like that.Did you ever go to that pub and hear this piano being played?

Thanks, Joe! Yes, I strongly considered some rebuilt pianos, and that Lipp piano we discussed. But in the end I figured out that it was too much a risk to buy the Lipp I hadn’t played. The other rebuilt pianos were no match for the Schimmel when it comes to control and the dynamic layers available, even though they had a mesmerizing tone.

Yes, Schimmel seems to know their stuff. This piano looks to be built like a tank. The construction is rock solid. Still not too much out of tune, after going without tuning for a year and having been moved twice... Thanks for the wishes, I feel good about this choice.

Meguires PlastX is the stuff. Covers scratches in polyurethane finishes. Works really well on my Yamaha. I also got the microfiber cleaning cloths included in my Yamaha purchase. Best of Luck with your new-to-you Schimmel. Schimmels are some of my favorite pianos.

That is a nice looking piano. The oval is something I have not seen before but I find that very cool!

Lady Bird: Yes, I heard it played at that pub several times in fact. To have a piano with a special history is cool.

J&J: Cool, thanks. Will try to order a piece, together with the Cory product. Will see how they work out.

Learux: Thanks!

Yes I agree to end up with a piano you have heard played in public is very special.!
Enjoy!

Hi all, just thought I should give a short update on this: I've now had this lovely Shcimmel piano for two months. Long story short: I'm very happy with it!

I finally got a tech to come give it some love a couple of weeks ago. He really liked it, and thought that it was a steal for the price.

The tech went through it thoroughly, and voiced it well. He said it seemed like the hammers hadn't been worked with much, so there was lots of felt left. I like the result very much. Whereas the tone was every so slightly "brassy" or "twangy" prior to the voicing, it now feels very well-rounded and balanced. All the qualities which drew me to it are still there: It has many dynamic layers when playing, responds well to both PPP and FFF, has a buttery and fast touch, and it generally has a rich sustain and a complex tonal palette. But the tone is now more even and fuller throughout the registries, and the touch/resistance has also been evened out.

Further plans:
1. Enjoy the piano to the full and play a lot! (I'm already doing that)
2. "Voice" the room down some more. My room is still too loud and reflective (also for conversations and music on my hifi system), so I want to add more carpets, curtains, book cases etc.
3. One more round of voicing when it's properly settled in, in a way. I have some thoughts on where I want it to go - and then the question is if the tech is able to get it there all the way

Question: Can it be worth it to try different techs/voicers? Or does that just risk messing everything up?

Just curious as to why you want to try a different tech? It sounded like you were pleased with their efforts.

Guess I'm just curious to see what different kinds of voicing can bring out of the piano? Having lived most of my adult life with a DP, it's a new experience for me to see what voicing can do to a piano. But I suspect that it might be risky to mess too much with a result I'm already happy with.