award-winning piano with

outstanding

design

Maximum musical pleasure combined with first-class design produces masterpiece such as the C 116 Modern piano.

The clear and minimalist design emphasises the vertical plane and gives the model stature. New manufacturing techniques and materials, such as the aluminium employed to provide a counterpoint to the polished piano varnish, highlight the essential elements of the instrument. The exceptional puristic design has earned these instruments numerous design awards.

Awards and prizes

Product information

Design Concept

Slim Line Concept (Classic 121 & 116): This design was basically developed by Arno Wilhelm Schimmel in the 1930th. The idea was to manufacture a new type of piano with an enormous tone volume, but more gracile appearance compared with the common heavy designs at this time. As this idea was revolutionary at this time when he received patents for. The success of these designs lead Schimmel to become the biggest German manufacturer over decades. The designs were refined over the years and perfected by the help of a self developed computer software CAPE in the 1980th. A true timeless design in tone and touch.

High performance hammer head

Our hammer heads are made from highly elastic merino felt with high flexibility and low damping properties. The felt is made from the highest quality merino wool in a traditional fulling process in Germany. For the hammer cores, we use hardwoods in combination with tension-regulating under felts. The result is a great richness of tone colours in the different dynamic levels, as well as long-lasting tones due to low damping effect on the strings (short contact period due to highly elastic felt).

Mineral key top

"Mineral key tops" are used for flat keys on all Schimmel instruments. These were developed by Schimmel and offer a more sensitive touch for pianists. In addition to this secure and sensitive touch, they are "glare-free" thanks to the matt surface, which s particularly advantageous for the pianist, especially on stages with spotlights.

Prestressed keybed

The keybed is firmly connected to the strungback by a three-point support, thus ensuring a resonance-link. In addition, the extremely stable, multi-layer glued keybed is pre-tensioned with an adjustment function in a process patented by Schimmel. This also ensures increased climate stability of the action regulation. As with our grand pianos, sound resonances are also specifically amplified, resulting in richer tone colours. The vibrations also create an improved possibility of interaction with the instrument when playing the piano.

Tone wood from the region

All the resonance woods that produce the sound we call tone wood. For this we use mountain grown spruce from the Bavarian and Bohemian forests, the origin of tone wood of the German instrument makers. For this we only use perfect wood, grown slowly at high altitudes, so that soundboards can be joined that have optimal resonance characteristics. The trees are pre-selected in the forests and then specially cut and dried over long periods of time. Even with this intensive pre-selection, only about 2% of the timber obtained in this way is suitable for our soundboard production.

Mass reduced bridge

The bridge transfers and distributes the vibration of the strings into the soundboard. Schimmel invented the so called mass-reduced bridge so that the bridge can withstand the string tension, transmit the energy optimally and at the same time prevent the soundboard from vibrating freely as little as possible. This involves milling a dynamic contour into the flanks of the bridge, which ensures that the richness of the sound is increased, and the sustain gets longer. An innovative idea that still received a patent even after more than 300 years of traditional piano making.

Dynamic soundbar

The "Dynamic Sound Bar" is clamped to the soundboard during the production of the soundboard. This regulates the flow of energy in the soundboard when playing at different volumes, thus ensuring a wider range of sound characteristics depending on the attack and volume. This is what we call high tonal dynamics. Depending on the size and shape of the soundboard, we use either one or two dynamic sound bars to achieve the best possible result. (see table)

Multilayered pin block

We use pin blocks made of thin hardwood layers so that the instrument keeps its pitch optimally and is easy to tune. These pin blocks were developed by Schimmel in the 1950s as so-called "tropical climate resistant" pin blocks and have proven themselves over the decades.

Glider

Traditionally, pianos are equipped with small metal castors. From our experience, these are rarely used. The risk of damaging the floor is quite high. For this reason, we equip our pianos with high-quality gliders that are coated with Delrin from below. This allows for easier gliding on smooth hard floors and reduces the likelihood of floor damage.

Extended manufacturer warranty

Schimmel offers an extended manufacturer's warranty through its network of appointed dealers. Because we trust and stand by the quality of our instruments.

CAPE - Designed by Schimmel

As early as the 1980s, Schimmel used computers to improve the design of their instruments and was a pioneer in the piano industry. Since then, the use of computers for research and development has been constantly further developed and today, referred to as CAPE, represents a unique and all-encompassing software solution into which decades of development work and research results have contributed. On this basis, new ideas and designs are constantly being created that set standards in the industry. On this basis, the use of CNC machines for the production of precision parts has been promoted since the 1990s. These are then added to our instruments exclusively by hand and are a prerequisite for achieving the highest quality.

Environment standards

Environmental protection and sustainability have been part of the company philosophy at Schimmel since the company was founded in 1885. This starts with the quality of our instruments. With a Schimmel instrument, you are purchasing a durable product that will be used for many years, often for generations. Which industry can say that it repeatedly receives requests for spare parts for its products that are more than 100 years old? Durability conserves resources. In addition, we manufacture our instruments from predominantly renewable raw materials - domestic wood from certified forestry and wool - and our cast iron plates are made in an elaborate process from recycled scrap metal. Wood leftovers and shavings from production are used to heat production in winter, and we generate solar power on the roof of the factory. Biofilters and a modern heating system complete our production. And of course, we produce according to high German environmental standards. This is true not only in our manufactory in Braunschweig | Germany, but also in Kalisz | Poland. In China, the production of our Fridolin instruments is environmentally certified according to ISO 14001 to ensure our high standards of environmental protection and sustainability here as well.

Model seriesC 116
ModelModern
Height (cm | inch)116 | 46″
Width (cm)149
Depth (cm)59
Weight (kg | lbs)248 | 547
FinishEbony high gloss | White high gloss
Standard hardwarechrome matt
ManufacturerWilhelm Schimmel Pianofortefabrik GmbH
Country of originBraunschweig | Germany
ActionSchimmel action made by Renner | Germany
Keyboard Finishing manufactured in Braunschweig
Keyboard coating Mineral | Bakelite
Number of keys 88
Approx. keybed height from floor to underside keybed / keytop (mm) 682 | 767
Pedals Piano Pedal (left) | Moderator/twintone (middle) | Tone control (right)
Installation of self player possible no
Installation twintone ex works | retrofit at dealer's workshop* (*from year of manufacture 2019) yes | yes
Steel strings high performance spring steel with precise partial tone development High-performance steel by Pitthan | Germany
Bass strings made by Schimmel
Box frame construction with solid hard wood liners inlaid in mountain grown spruce. Combines high stability against bending forces with high energy reflection yes
Three-dimensional crowned and tension loaded soundboard with conical cut
Dynamic soundbar for definition see product details one
Bridge: solid beech capped by 5 layers of maple wood crosswise glued made by Schimmel
Cast iron made traditionally yes
Piano lid design horizontal and vertical
Glider/castor as standard (exchange to glider / castor is possible upon request) Glider
Soft close fallboard standard no
High gloss finishes are made of premium piano lacquer by layering process and hand polished yes
Manufactured according to following standards German Environment Standards
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