Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Seiler ED-168 vs Kawai GL-30 vs Baldwin BP165 vs Yamaha C1

I was more inclined towards Seiler, but these two reviews seems like to favor differently!

Hello friends,

I'm no expert and trying to buy a piano for my teen kids who are learning and loving to play. Assuming the cost difference is not a main factor (all around $16k-$19k), which one of these 4 you'd recommend for beginners:

1) Seiler ED-168: My first choice so far, rich sound, and ED series is overall rated professional grade

2) Baldwin BP165: It seems the built is one of the best Chinese made Pianos

3) Kawai GL-30: Built in Japan, probably is solid and trustworthy, but the bass was not keeping up with Seiler or Baldwin

4) Yamaha C1: Again built in Japan, and overall safe bet.

I couldn't find any real review of Baldwin BP165 online, how come has such a small foot print for such a well built and famous brand?

Overall rated professional grade by who? Because of the way they are built in Indonesia, the ED pianos have a lot going for them, but only the German built SE series should be considered professional grade.

That may be true to some degree, BUT the new Chinese built Baldwins should not be confused with the former American built Baldwins that made the Baldwin name famous.

The "built in Japan" part is good, but the GL series does not have the higher end features of Kawai's RX series (which is more comparable to the Yamaha CX series).

I'm assuming this is a new C1X, correct? Even though this is slightly shorter than the other pianos, the build quality and long track record of this series places it IMO above the others. I would think it would have a better resale value as well.

Again, see my comment regarding "Baldwin" above. There may be some valid reasons for that "small footprint."

Beautifully put Carey.

The mid-level Seiler pianos, the ED models, are also known as the Eduard Seiler line. The pianos are manufactured entirely at Samick’s Indonesian factory, using German CNC machinery, to the exact scales and specifications of the hand-built German models. The actions include Renner wippen assemblies and an action rail of Delignit or hornbeam, with keys made by Samick.

At both the German and Indonesian factories, strung backs are inspected and cabinet parts carefully fitted to ensure that all specifications have been met to precise tolerances.

The ED Seiler 168 is the smaller Indonesian-built replica of the Seiler SE168 full german 5’7” grand piano. The entire ED Seiler project is a novel one in the industry, as what has been attempted is an Asian-built copy of a current German-made product. Plenty of companies have attempted to extend a flagship German brand further down the product line into inexpensive Chinese or Indonesian-built instruments, but it often takes the form of loosely worded and vague connections between the two products. In this case, Seiler owns both factories, owns both brands, and has the luxury of transplanting machinery, designs, and expertise without restriction.

The piano’s design, scale, and parts, therefore, mirror that of the German product, at approximately 50% of the cost [more like 36% in this case].

The instrument uses a wide-tail design, which allows a longer bass string to be placed on the piano. They also use Roslau blue piano wire (the best OEM product available), Abel hammers (the premium rebuilders’ hammer of choice), solid alpine quarter-sawn spruce soundboard material, maple, and beech rim, duplex scale, and Seiler’s patented membrator planing method.

It produces a massive, warm tone that doesn’t lose any detail to lower-mid woofiness or an overly-blended sound.

In this case, Seiler owns both factories, owns both brands, and has the luxury of transplanting machinery, designs, and expertise without restriction.