Charles Walter is introducing a new product to their line. Sometime later this year, hopefully October/November they will start shipping 50" uprights to their dealers.

At fist it was thought they would introduce a 48" but after their research and development it has been decided a 50" instrument will give them the room needed for a spectacular scale.

Utilizing the same principles as their 43 3/8" & 45" pianos there is a scale designed to maximize the size of the cabinet without "wasted space".

Although some here recently posted high end upright pianos are not worth purchasing I think this is a great development for a U.S. manufacture.

Rod,
Any idea what the price point will be?

Rick

Not at this time.
I am anxiously awaiting that info myself.

I'm like a kid in the candy store. I can't wait to see and hear what they have created.

This is not a copied piano, this will be a trully new design, diffrent from many others.

More choices for large US/Canadian upright buyers! I would have gone out of my way to try one had it been available at the time of my search.

Best of luck with the new release. Here's to hoping it's priced in the same realm as the U3/K6/Petrof 131 as yet another viable option...

That's a good step in the right direction.

Now where's that 152cm upright I've been looking for the last few years?

Rod,[/b] it'll be interesting to see if the Walters incorporate Del Frandrich's design ideas into their new upright. If they do they could be offering a top-tier instrument.

As a very happy owner of a 43" Walter, I am seriously on the edge of my seat here. I'd heard this was coming when I got my Walter in January, but my inside contacts thought it was a long time in coming, not next fall!

They are going to get some nice long bass strings in that cabinet...

Can't wait!

Hi everybody,

I'm new to this forum, just starting the usual "saga". Today I called a piano store in Salem NH, and apparently they have the 50" Charles Walter model with a sostenuto pedal, probably in the 10 grand price range. I want to go to try it out next week (not that I'm particularly competent in those matters ).

Dmitry.

Um mm,

I don't think it's a 50" model. They are not being sent to dealers, as of yet.

Call them and confirm what they are offering you.

It is most likely a studio 1500 and is still worth checking out.

He actually specifically said that it was a new model, 50". I explained him that I initially was looking at uprights, like Schimmel or Petrof, but discovered that they don't have a sostenuto pedal (I've owned a decent digital piano - Technics - for years, and was under the impression that a sostenuto pedal is a standard on any piano ). So I told him that at this point I have no idea what instrument to look for. And that's when he said that they have the new 50" Charles Walter. I try to get there sometime next week.

O.K.
I would be interested in what you find out.

The 50" will be coming with a sostenuto so perhaps a few have left the factory.

But for the 10 grand range, that would be cool and very competitive, but unlikely.

Could you PM me and tell me what dealer you are talking with?

Thanks

Mind you the price of a Walter 175 and a Walter 190 or only $1,100.00 apart.
So who knows. I have not heard of any prices mentioned for the 50" upright.
I guess they, like the grand models would not cost much more to manufacture and thus price them accordingly.

d_p, I can tell you that many people here will be interested in your review of the 50" CW. Be sure to note the showroom environment, the degree of prep, whether the high-gloss finish is shiny enough to blind you when you sit down ...

Showroom environment? Do you mean acoustically?

This is wonderful news.

I can't wait to check one out.

Rod, yes, I was thinking about the acoustics of the showroom.

They are open by appointment only on Sundays, and Sundays are generally very busy in my household (two kids take piano lessons one after another in the afternoon) so you'll have to wait a little bit. I'll try to get there during the week.

Thank you Rod, the pianomadame for Charles Walter and Yamaha. If CW prices the upright over
10g then its too much. Over 10g is a very small
market for uprights, it may have a 15g retail, but will probably sell for well under 10g.
Back into the shadows for me.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by uprightboy:
Thank you Rod, the pianomadame for Charles Walter and Yamaha. [/b][/QUOT]
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Ouch!!!! That hurt

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I talked to Rachel, Charles Walter daughter today and asked if any dealers have new 50" Walters in stock.
The answer was no.

The pianos will not be shipped to dealers until, possibly November/December.

H-m-m... Was it an attempt to "lure" me to the dealership? We'll see. I'll pay them a visit this week.

This first started, what, five years ago?

Long overdue....

And much has happened in the last five years....

I admire Charles Walter to take on this project,especially in this day and age - it will be a very difficult price range to succeed in, at least for uprights.

Wishing them the best of success, one never knows....

Norbert

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Norbert,

I'm sure the Walters will appreciate your admiration.

At least the Walters are in good company.

Below are manufactures with Upright pianos priced over $10,000 in Larry Fines book.
Many of these are over $20,000
Some over $30,000
A few over $40,000
And one over $50,000


Astin- Weight
August Forster
Bechstein
Bluthner
Bohemia
Bosendorfer
Boston
Brodmann Premium
Fandrich & Sons
Feurich
Grotrian
Haessler
Ibach
Irmler
Kawai
Kemble
Knabe
Kohler & Campbell
Mason & Hamlin
Petrof
Pleyel
Pramberger Platinum
Sauter
Schimmel
Schulze pollmann
Seiler
Siegfrid Hansing
Steinberg, Wilh
Steingraeber & Sohne
Steinway & Sons
Vogel
Weinberger
Yamaha

A 50'' Walter upright with Del Frandrich's design ideas--(particularly the action) would get me in the showroom for a test drive!!! Is that rumor? Even at that...cool idea!!!

I do not believe Del was involved with this upright design at least I have not heard of his involvement. I was just at his shop last month and heard no mention of it, from him.

What counts is what these pianos are actually selling for on the market these days.

Everybody who's shopping in today's market knows that at price point of over $ 10,000, a lot of very decent grands are starting to already kick in.

My admiration for Charles Walter was based on the fact that, aside from a few of the Germans - and this mostly in Europe - very few manufacturers are willing to put their resources into this price category for uprights these days - few I know are selling in that slot very well.

Perhaps C.W. will be an exception to the rule, that's why they have my 'admiration' for their undertaking.

I do admire development and new designs, not always based on the allmighty $$.....simply having better pianos on the market will help everybody!

Norbert

Have you heard anything about the cabinetry options? My guess is that it will use the simpler 1500 cabinet style. I am very curious.

I have been trying out many different uprights lately. My impressions of each brand are still forming. Given my current impression of Walter uprights, I think a 50" model could compete with the highest tier models I've tried. If the price is right, then things get really intersting.

I have been told there will be some very beautiful cabinets being offered. Exotic wood veneers and marquetry.
Apparently they will not look as "institutional" as the 1500.
Some will be offered to emulate the look of
vintage pinaos.

We will have to wait, see & hear.

Rod, [/b]even tho Del wasn't directly involved with designing the new upright, the Walters now have several years experience with his scale concepts. Including a bass cutoff or partially floating the bass certainly isn't out of the question. Del also tends to favor balanced string scales and a wide dynamic range. Certainly these are not beyond what the Walters are capable of doing.

Re Norbert's post, +1 re the Walters being brave by introducing a large upright when there are 6' grands available at what will probably prove to be no more than the street price of the new upright.

Let's hope that this model is a success.