Okay, not quite an actual family member, but sure is starting to feel like.

Finally, getting a new piano!!!

After playing piano off and on (with some LONG breaks in between)for about 25 years, I am finally getting a good piano. When I took lessons 20 some years ago, I played on an old clunky upright. Big sound, but badly needed a major overhaul. Then as an adult, I played on a Yamaha digital piano (it was nice, but not an acoustic.) Since then, I have been playing on an old Cable spinet.

After trying out and researching many pianos, I made a deposit for a new Charles Walter 1520 today! Will be delivered on Wednesday!!! Out of the pianos I tried and really like, the Charles Walter seemed the best for me. The Schimmel C115 and C120 were great, but double the price. I loved the sound of the Yamaha T116, but the cheap plastic details, such as the sheet music holder, really left a bad taste in my mouth and made me question the quality of the instrument for the long-term. The Kawai's all sounded blah to me. I loved the looks of the Petrof 115 (the touch and sound were nice too), but was used, overpriced (well kind of, would have been paying more for the pianodisc player in it that the piano) and I felt like the dealer was dishonest with me. Then there were a few others.

When combining all factors... sound, touch, cabinetry, quality, and price, I really felt the Charles Walter 1520 was the best fit for me. It really is a beautiful piano that sounds as I feel a piano should sound and has a nice touch.The bass was solid and strong and the higher notes had a singing like quality.

My slight concern now.... The piano is new and I will have the full 12 year warranty. However, I found it odd that when I looked up the serial # in the blue book, it is listed as manufactured in 2003. The dealer said that he had it for apx. 2 years. Is it typical for their to be this lag of time between when a piano was manufactured and when it was sold? Also, under normal circumstance, would this lag of time cause any problems in the piano?

But with that all said.... Woo hoo!!!! I am getting my new piano. Those that have a Charles Walter.... how do you feel about your purchase now?

Well done! I've heard good things about Charles Walter pianos. You should enjoy it for years!

Cathy

Congratulations Benn, a well researched decision, I am sure you and Charles are going to be great together.

Thanks Cathy! Pictures shall come when delivered.

Earl, when you put it that way... I think my wife will not only get jealous, but may even develop a complex from it, lol. But yes, I think that it is important to love your instrument and I think there is and should be romance in playing an instrument that you love and I never had that before.

Anybody have any thoughts on the serial number/manufacture date issue I brought up. I emailed CW and will call tomorrow if I don't get a response by then. I am typically very "on guard" with salesmen but, I really had a good feeling about the dealer. He had emailed me the serial number a week ago (should have checked then... shame on me.) When I asked him when the piano was made, he told me he received it from CW about two years ago, but that doesn't mean it is two years old.When I asked him about the warranty, he told me the 12 year warranty begins at the time of purchase.

you may have to post this on the PW technicians forum to get an answer

Or toss it to the Piano Forum section.

Thanks Earl and Malkin, another forum would have been better for that question. Just got carried away in my excitement.

I did get resolve on this though, so I will address it for people who find this post down the road and may have the same question... I contacted Charles Walter on this. They said my piano was manufactured between 2011 & 2012; which sounds a lot more like it since the dealer said he had the piano for apx. 2 years. Charles Walter Piano's also said that sometimes the online piano age lookup sites (like bluebookofpianos.com)aren't always accurate. Feel much better now and actually feel like I am getting the "new" piano that I bought with it only been manufactured 2-3 years ago, rather than 11 years ago. I am planning on contacting bluebookofpianos.com to see if they could correct this. This age difference can really effect price and whether or not somebody will buy a particular piano.

Was that Charles Walter Snr, lol

So glad you got this resolved it may have put the blues on your purchase for a long time.

Congratulations, Benn, on your new piano! It's not at all unusual for dealers to have pianos in their showrooms for two (or more!) years. There's even a slight advantage; your piano's tuning will be more stable than if it had just rolled off the assembly line. So enjoy!

Earl, Charles must have been busy at the time, somebody else picked up; lol.

Monica, Thank you! Lost that advantage though and will be getting one probably pretty fresh off the assembly line. While the dealer was preparing my piano, he found a defect in it. It is the only Charles Walter they have on the floor so is ordering me a new one. Definitely appreciate that he not only caught this default, but was also honest with me about it. It will take about 3 weeks for the new one to come in.

Ofcourse I told him that I wanted to make sure that he thoroughly checks out the piano and does any prepping that needs done when it comes in. I also told him I wanted to see it when it comes in. Any other advise or experiences on this?

I know that it will need tuned more the first year or so until it stabilizes, but I guess the bright side is that it is a really new piano now. Have any of you gotten a Charles Walter fresh from the factory (or any other piano for that matter?) What were your experiences with that?

It finally arrived!!! It took longer than the 3 weeks I was quoted, but it is here now! Got it on Friday and I played literally all weekend.

My first new piano and even better, my first good piano.

It's a real beauty and the sound is perfect. My fingers are still getting used to the touch of it a bit, but on the other hand, already I can feel the smoothness of the action. Passages that I used to struggle with time and time again, just effortlessly roll off my fingers on it.

Pictures to be posted soon!

What defect did the dealer find in an unsold Charles Walter?

Id love to have my acoustic at least redone, the hammers anyway , I now play a digital, I know there's a big difference .

Congrats...