🎹Schimmel W180 Grand Piano Review & Demo | 6' (180cm) German Grand Piano🎹

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0:57 Schimmel W180 Opening Playing Sample
1:34 Schimmel W180 Overview
6:16 Schimmel W180 Sound/Duplex Scale
7:17 Schimmel W180 Playing Samples
9:22 Schimmel W180 Playing Sample 2
13:14 Similar Pianos to Schimmel W180
14:53 Piano break/Bass
20:55 Schimmel W180 Action

Hello and welcome to the Merriam Pianos YouTube channel. Today we’ll be looking at a bit of a hidden gem of the piano industry and we explore the Wilhelm Schimmel W180.

This is a 6 foot European handmade piano, built by Schimmel at their factory in Poland. It’s been a very successful instrument for us here at Merriam Music so we’re excited to take a closer look at it for you here.

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Background
Let’s start with a little bit of context. Schimmel currently produces 4 distinct lines of pianos. Their top two lines - the Konzert and Classic series - are entirely handmade in Germany, and really offer a unique, singular musical experience as compared to other high end German pianos.

From there, we have the Wilhelm Schimmel line, which is produced in Schimmel’s Polish factory, meaning it’s still a European handcrafted instrument, but costs less than a fully German counterpart.

Lastly, we have Schimmel’s Fridolin line, which is produced by Pearl River in China based on Schimmel designs.

The Wilhelm Schimmel line occupies an interesting middle ground, and to be frank, the W180 actually more than holds its own against a Schimmel Classic alternative, despite the lower price point. Let’s jump into the sound.

Sound
The W180 uses front and rear duplex scaling, and Schimmel’s duplex scaling is far more resonant than most other manufacturers, with a super clear fundamental tone. As a result, there’s a very unique bloom in the upper register of the W180.

What’s interesting about Schimmels in general, and is certainly the case here with the W180, is that the sound is very clear, and yet it feels like it’s coming at the player from multiple places, essentially like a choir.

The W180 is quite reminiscent in the mid and lower range of a mellow voiced Kawai GX3, but the upper register is truly unique for the price point.

Speaking of price points, it comes in slightly higher than a Yamaha CX series or Kawai GX series, but less than a mid tier German piano, meaning it occupies a pretty unique place in the market.

Some areas where you’re missing out on what you would get in a German piano include the break section which is somewhat flawed, as is the case with the Japanese options as well, and the timbre is somewhat static in the mid-range regardless of volume level.

The bass section also lacks clarity - you’ll actually find better bass clarity on a Kawai GX, but on the other hand, there’s no unwanted ‘woodiness’ in the cabinet resonance as is typically the case for the price point.

The sustain also happens to be superb, especially for the price.

Action
Besides the fact that it’s very well regulated, this action feels like a pretty conventional European action, which is definitely a good thing.

The key bed is firmer than a Japanese piano, and much more like the general feel of a Hamburg Steinway or other German piano.

The key surface is a shiny white, so not the more expensive synthetic material used on their Konzert series, but the surfaces feel fine.

Closing Thoughts
We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the W180. If you’re after a 6 foot piano and you’ve only considered Japanese, definitely give the W180 a try.

For many people, it’s absolutely worth the slightly higher cost, as you’re getting a very different musical experience from the W180 than you would from a Yamaha C3X or Kawai GX2.

Thank you for watching!

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