Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Kimball Grand Piano 5883, would it be a good purchase?

Well, after I took in my friend's old Krell piano I've pretty much decided to get rid of it (it's my only other post on these forums). I know someone who wants to sell their Kimball grand with Louie XV legs (model 5883, you can check out the pictures in the imgur album) for about a $1000 plus a trade for the Yamaha DGX 650 I've been using up until now. Don't have much experience or knowledge about acoustic pianos so some advice would be appreciated if this is a good offer or not.

Imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/1dJwNrR

Took these photos while checking it out, keys play and sound fine. From what I can tell it'll just need a good tuning after moving.

It’s from 1982. Does it have a couple of broken hammers in the high treble? Sorta looks that way in one photo.

“Just needs tuning” could mean anything from tuning, a minor or major pitch raise (multiple tunings), bridge issues, to a failing pinblock. This wasn’t a high quality piano when new, so it’s probably a good idea to pay an independent technician to inspect it, prior to purchase, in order to know what you’re really dealing with.

Huh, I found something pretty interesting.

http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/1422157/Info_on_Kimball_Baby_Grand.html

Looks like the seller actually came here to the forum 8 years ago asking about the exact same piano (serial number D37796, model 5883 with the Louie XV legs). Looks like it's been kept in good condition since then.

I'm going back next week to check it out more thoroughly, might do what they did last time and bring along a technician like you mentioned. I'll definitely take more photos and come back here with more info.

Those legs! A great-aunt of mine had legs just like that

Looks like an ok little piano, though...

I learned to play on a tiny Kimball spinet (they called it a consolette) that had the same legs, wood tone, and music desk.

I always recommend to anyone looking at a used piano that they hire a qualified piano technician to evaluate the piano prior to any decision to buy. To your untrained eyes and ears it may just need tuning. Perhaps that's the case, but there could be any number of issues that are not apparent to the average consumer that may be expensive to repair. Not that there likely are those kinds of issues, but it's always better to have someone experienced who knows what s/he's looking for give the piano a thorough once over so that you're not surprised with unexpected and/or costly repairs when you do hire a technician to come tune your piano.

Precise,
I think you have been looking at too many grand pianos.
I am sure your aunt did not have Kimball piano legs ?
The look of that Kimball piano is rather nice .Victorian kind of
legs .What is the tone like ?

Actually, she had Queen Anne legs!

Did she leave poor Queen Anne in a wheelchair?

I'm going to give a NO vote on the Kimball. I have restored many different name brands over the years and I hold Kimball near the bottom of my list of pianos to restore. They just weren't made very well. I think you can do better for a Thousand dollars. A client of mine just bought a Baldwin L for that, and it sounds better than most Steinways in my opinion.
Regards,
-chris

This might be one of Kimball's "Viennese Edition" grands. It looks exactly like one of the 5'8" versions I work on regularly. These were of much better quality than the standard Kimball grands. Have a technician check it out for you.

I owned one of the Kimball 5'8" model Viennese grands for a while and I was impressed with it. It held a tuning like a rock with the laminated sound-board and the Schwander action felt pretty good to my untrained fingers. I enjoyed it during the time I owned it. I like the big Bosendorfer like sound holes in the plate.

Of course, I'm just a back-woods, hillbilly, country-boy, self-taught piano player wannabe who never had a formal piano lesson in his life. However, one of my piano music videos on YT has over 4 million views. I guess you never know what the listening audience will like or not like...

Rick

P.S. There is actually a YT video of me playing around with the Kimball Viennese not long after I got it...

Yes I think this is one of the Viennese Edition grands from what the current owner said. Eric actually spoke with them 8 years ago about this exact same piano (same model and serial number)

https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthre...o-on-kimball-baby-grand.html#Post1425531

Also, woah! I didn't realize you were the one who posted that video, Rickster. I've seen it a bunch of times over the years.

Thanks for the honorable mention, tokyocaster. Not everyone who's watched and listened to my old saloon piano video on YT liked it, but a lot of viewers have. I never in a million years imagined that video would get over 4 million views. I've gotten hundreds/thousands of comments, both good and bad. When you post your music on YT you have to take the criticism with the complements. I've also gotten many comments from viewers saying that watching my music video has inspired/encouraged them to want to learn to play the piano. I figure that is a good thing...

If the piano you are looking is indeed one of the Kimball Viennese models, it'd be worth checking out. I have a Baldwin R with the Queen-Anne/Art-Case style legs and I love it.

All the best,

Rick

4 million views is incredible! That's awesome.

Alright, back with some news. Bought the piano for $800, went and checked it out beforehand and it played great. Pedals working, keys felt good. After the move back home though some of the higher keys still sustain/hold out even after I've let go. Is that normal for a piano after a move? I heard from someone else it takes time for a piano to 'settle', and that I should wait a couple days first before tuning?

The top notes of all pianos do not have dampers. This is more noticeable in some pianos, and it may be what you are experiencing. You can look under the music desk and see which notes do not have them.

Waiting a while before tuning is often a good idea. A couple of weeks is probably enough.

Yep, thanks for the reply! Although that doesn't seem to be the case. Most of the notes past middle C still ring out slightly, even the ones with dampers. Seems like the dampers are just barely not touching after I let go of a note. The movers said that it'd just need a tighter screw underneath where the pedals are to fix, although I have no idea. The day before when I checked the piano out it didn't have this problem. :-(
Other than that though, it sounds really great. It gave me goosebumps the first I played it, so different from the electric keyboard I've been on until now.
Made an appointment with my local tuner and he said he'll come tune/and check it out next week.