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I have been looking for a new upright for a few months and have really had fun reading your comments. You've really made my search even more adventuresome sharing all your experiences and wisdom so much so that I fear I've become somewhat "addicted" to my piano hunt, seeking out ever more exotic treasures I've never even heard of before, such as Grotrian, Steingraeber, Sauter, Seiler, Bluethner and the ilk. I've been just amazed at the differences between the different brands in sound and touch and even differences that occur between different versions of the exact same model. I'm an opera singer who has decided to upgrade to a larger piano. A grand piano could never fit into my small city apartment and I'd probably be evicted if I tried (lol). My little 44" Yamaha upright still with an amazing sound has been a real workhouse, having survived through my constant practice, rehearsals and performances of about 10 big operatic roles from Wagner to Puccini. I first began considering upgrading to a larger piano after hearing a new Steinway K-52 upright. I was stunned by the power of the bass which seemed amplified. The dealer explained that since the soundboard was that much higher (52") therefore the strings were longer and the resonating area much larger, hence the more powerful, amplified sound. Through your advice and comments, I've learned that "professional" uprights are all about this size. Consequently, I've nearly turned into a "professonal upright hunter-o-holic" looking for an upright to suit my Wagnerian singing. Unfortunately, short of winning the lottery, I fear some of the more esoteric uprights like Steingraeber or Grotrian will remain out of my reach. I even had a dealer tell me a few days ago that the Grotrian 52" now lists for 42K! Sure sounds like it'd be a great colleague, though.

My current #1 potential now is a Schimmel 130 51". The other two contenders were a Petrof 132 which had a wonderful, dark round tone but I found the action a little stiff, and the same for a Seiler 132. The Schimmel, however, has a wonderful tone and action, all the power I need in the bass and a beautiful, pearl-like treble. I have been offered what seems to be a great deal for this Schimmel T130 (12.5K) which may be a unique chance and price, given escalating world oil prices and inflation. I am nearly ready to close the deal but I have a couple of questions. On the left back of the piano are a couple of scratches not visible from the front. One is a scratch on the lovely mahogany finish which wraps around the top edge from the front. The other is a scrape on the white part of the wood further in, not quite a gash but definitely a scrape. I've been told that these will be taken care of, varnished or sanded over, I suppose. But I wonder what are the chances these even relatively minor looking scrapes could have resulted from some kind of blow or trauma which could have affected the interior, however minor. Could superficial scrapes like these affect inner workings?

The other question I have regards the touch. I like the tone & action of this Schimmel very much and maybe it was my imagination, but I was quite surprised to feel something I'd never noticed before in playing a piano, kind of like a gap in the consistency of the action. This wasn't too big, but there seemed to be an off-balance of action/touch as one approaches the treble in one area where it seemed like the action was not quite equalized creating a cir. 5-note "hole-like" feeling around C to G, the second above middle C. I don't know if this piano has been "prepped" per se but do suppose this could be regulated maybe by weight adjusting.

The seller seems quite conscientious and has agreed to "take care" of both issues. My question is should have have this piano inspected by a technician? Is this a great deal I should close before losing it? Thank you all once again. I will continue to enjoy your postings!

These problems can be remedied. Why not make a commitment to purchase the piano once the problems have been fixed?

It sounds like you have found a piano that you really like and can afford; that's a real accomplishment!

logesiegfried,

Yes you should have this---or any other---instrument inspected by an R.P.T. before you even make a deposit.

Mark Skowronek, R.P.T. has helped me twice. Right now he's preparing a pre-purchse inspection report that I'll post on this forum. Mark's at http://www.absolutepiano.com/

Mark should be able to give you an independent opinion about those finish blemishes, too.

Re the tone of these instruments, I've noticed from other members posts that tone preferences can change, upon subsequent listenings.

DavidH

PS, by any chance did you attend last season's La Boheme? Mimi's death aria by that Russian, sublime.

On the topic of "trauma" - if a piano falls are gets hit hard enough to cause real structural damage, there will evidence of that somewhere on the case. That evidence would be more severe than minor scratches. Minor scratches are quite common on pianos due to technicians working on them, time on the sales floor, and moving the piano from place to place.

The "hole like feeling" could be play between the adjustment screw under the wippen and the wippen itself.

Actions can be regulated, and the fall out of regulation with the weather.

Chances are you are making an excellent decision on a very nice upright.

When I purchased a used Schimmel mahogany 120J, there was a dent on the top of the lid where the previous owner dropped their piano lamp. There was also a scratch on the side from their dog. The piano dealer had a furniture refinisher come in and touch up the two spots and you could not even tell where they were. If there was a traumatic event, it would do much more damage that just surface scratches. The action can be adjusted by a qualified technician.

You will thoroughly enjoy the sound action and depth of range on the 130. I heard someone playing a 130 in the showroom when I was looking at a new grand and thought for sure they were playing a grand. Good luck and the price seems competitive.

Thank you for your responses. This is a new Schimmel T130 still in the store, so does one need to have an independent technician actually go into the piano showroom to run tests on the new piano before purchase? (I don't want to offend the dealer.) Will the dealer "prep" the piano in the store, or is this done when the piano comes home (is prepping more than just tuning)? How would you know the action has been regulated, or whatever else is involved in prepping? Thx again, tom

It seems like your questions have to do with issues of trust: can you trust your dealer to fix the finish and the action "hole." Also whether you can trust your perceptions that this is a piano you like and want to have. Regarding the latter, I suggest that you trust your perceptions; it sounds like you are an experienced musician with a highly developed taste.

With regard to your dealer, as I suggested to you above, why not ask him to fix the action regulation problem before you pay for the piano? This would not offend the dealer, I am sure.

With regard to what is done in the store, it all depends upon the dealer and the piano. Some pianos are very well tuned and regulated at the factory and arrive at the dealers in good shape. Such a piano, over time, can go out of regulation and tune just because of environmental influences and time (entropy is a fancy word for this). So well-prepared pianos, after a while, will need further regulation. Some very conscientious dealers will put lots of resources into their pianos to keep them in prime condition on the showroom floor; others will not.

I cannot tell you whether or not to trust your dealer. My advice is to ask him to perform preparation tasks on the piano so that you no longer perceive any problems. If you cannot trust your dealer, then having an independent technician look at the piano can help you with this problem.

If this refers to the sound board, an extra dose of caution would be in order.

logesiegfried,

Buyers and sellers have complimentary interests, they do not have identical interests.

Dealers' techs are not usually the most highly quaified ones. After choosing your piano, you'll be working with your tech anyway. Please consider starting now.

And as for offending the dealer, if he objects at all, run don't walk to another dealer.

Here's a link to a thread that includes GreatLakes' post re how consumers should interact with dealers. He's talking about price negotioation, but the principle applies re your tech inspecting what may become your piano:
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/1/10934.html#000015

Please keep the forum updated on your search,

DavidH