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Music-making is far more than merely hitting the correct note: it broadens horizons, awakes emotions and creates new opportunities for self-expression.
The production of traditional piano manufacturing contributes to that playing experience. The sound and durability inspire enthusiasm for beginners as well as advanced musicians.
Classic Concept (Wilhelm): 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 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. These designs are carefully simplified in detail and material compared with the Classic designs, still remaining the main characteristics.
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).
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.
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)
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.
The lid of the instrument protects the interior (closed) and when playing the piano also serves to reflect the sound (open) in the direction of the piano player (upright piano) or the audience (grand piano). With upright pianos, the lid can usually be raised in one position. Grand piano lids can be raised in multiple positions, so multiple variations of sound reflection can be chosen. We have imitated this grand piano lid on selected upright piano models. The lid opens horizontally and vertically and thus allows different sound reflecting positions. It sounds good and also looks beautiful.
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 damage to floors. In addition, the front gliders can be adjusted in height to compensate for uneven floors. This prevents the instrument from twisting and improves the tuning and the regulation stability.
Schimmel offers an extended manufacturer's warranty through its network of appointed dealers. Because we trust and stand by the quality of our instruments.
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.
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 series | W 123 |
| Model | Tradition |
| Height (cm | inch) | 123 | 48″ |
| Width (cm) | 154 |
| Depth (cm) | 62 |
| Weight (kg | lbs) | 260 | 578 |
| Finish | Ebony high gloss | White high gloss | Mahogany high gloss |
| Standard hardware | Brass |
| Optional hardware to order | Chrome matte | Chrome gloss |
| Manufacturer | Schimmel Fabryka Fortepianów Sp. z o.o. |
| Country of origin | Kalisz | Poland |
| Action | Schimmel action |
| Keyboard | Final production Kalisz |
| Keyboard coating | Polymethyolmethacrylat / Bakelite |
| Number of keys | 88 |
| Approx. keybed height from floor to underside keybed / keytop (mm) | 700 | 784 |
| Pedals | Piano Pedal (left) | Moderator/twintone (middle) | Tone control (right) |
| Installation of self player possible | no |
| Installation twin tone ex works | retrofit at dealers workshop* (* since manufacturing year 2019) | yes | yes |
| Steel strings high performance spring steel with precise partial tone development | High-performance steel by Pitthan | Germany |
| Bass strings | exclusively made for 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 similar to grand piano lid |
| 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 |
