Hi there--

I'm very new to this piano buying process! I've been an almost life-long piano player and am decent, but not great by any stretch of the imagination. My 11 year old daughter shows much more potential than I ever did. I have 3 other piano playing kids as well.

So, with that said, I went to go check out grand pianos the other day for the first time ever. My sister recently bought an RX-2 and loves it, so I thought I would try the Kawai as well. It was a nice piano, much nicer than the one I'm used to playing. But, then the sales lady let me play a 6'0" Schimmel and I died and went to heaven...problem being a much heftier price tag. So, I'm trying to go the used route. While in my search, I came across a 2004 5'10" Vogel. Since I can't compare the Schimmel and Vogel side-by-side, I'm just wondering what you all think about the qualities of a Vogel. What do you think about buying the piano over the internet, where I haven't had a chance to play it myself? A piano tech that had recently tuned the piano told me it was beautiful and had a warm, clear tone, but that it needed regulating work. But, I still hear the sound of the Schimmel in my ears... So, should I hold out for a good used Schimmel or go for the Vogel?

Since you are perceptive about the differences between Kawai and Schimmel I would not suggest buying any used piano, probably not even a Schimmel, over the internet without trying it first.

I think there's a lot of subtlety that's lost going from a Schimmel to a Vogel. I also strongly agree with pianoloverus. I would never consider buying a piano without trying it first, unless I was buying it specifically to be restored.

You should never buy a piano without first seeing and trying it out yourself. Period.

The RX-3 is 6'1" so it would be 1" closer in comparison if you want to compare Kawai vs. Schimmel. Same with Vogel; is there a 6' version of it?

Flipping through Piano Buyer...

The 6" Schimmel MSP is $38k. That is roughly the same MSP as the RX-3! Well, I didn't expect that... I was expecting for the price of a 6" Schimmel you might get an RX-5 or RX-6. Then the comparison would be interesting. But perhaps not if the Piano Buyer prices mean Kawai has raised its prices.

I've owned a Schimmel for 24 years and love the warm tones it has. At the time I tried a Kawai, which is a nice piano, but very bright in comparison to the Schimmel. My piano is very, very stable and requires tuning only once every 2-3 years, even though it's played daily. Good luck in your search. Even though I bought the new Schimmel sight unseen, I probably wouldn't do that again, particularly with a used piano.

I tried a brand-new Vogel side-by-side with several different Schimmels. The Schimmel K series are very fine indeed but the Vogel was pretty nice, too. Much less money. I don't know if they were as good a few years ago or not. I would play the Vogel a lot before buying just to be sure you really are happy. In fact, I would recommend that for any piano you are considering.

Thank you everyone for your input. I really do appreciate it. I guess what I've learned is that I really need to go play the piano for myself and not rely on the opinion of the experts. Wish me luck that a used Schimmel will find itself for sale close by.:)

I've been on a recent piano hunt and played many Schimmel and Vogel's (and many others). The Schimmel K series were quite nice and the NWS a major step up from the K series. However, the gap between Schimmel C series and Vogel seemed pretty minor to me and from the pianos I had a chance to play I think I would have selected the Vogel over the C series. When you then add in the price advantage of the Vogel it's quite impressive.

You've hit the nail on the head - play lots of pianos!!

EmilyM, Since you are looking for a used Schimmel, keep in mind the GP169, GP189, GP213 were renamed as the K169, K189, K213.

They are the same as once mentioned here by another poster on this forum.

-ILM (Owner of a Schimmel)

Welcome and welcome to the piano search adventure!

I think it's best to visit a lot of dealers and play as many pianos as you can find. Also visit dealers having 2nd hand pianos and try those as well. I believe there is always one that you really like, probably as much as the Schimmel, yet is within your budget

For comparign side by side, I solved that by recording them all with a decent recorder (and speaking aloud how the action feels). I ended up with maybe 100 recordings in half a year. Comparing them side by side is then done at home.

Thank you for all the input!!:) Since I have played lots of pianos, and still may continue to, I may have moved on from my love of the Schimmel (even though I really really enjoy them) to a Steinway Model M. I'm going to post again about that:) Thanks again!:)