German piano with the classic European tone quality.

  The Uber sleek, modern European cabinet design of this stylish piano has elements of beauty, simplicity and functionality. Its undersized cabinet fit better into the smaller living spaces on the Continent, hence the name, and the functional aspect. Even a few inches of width and depth can make a difference in the cozy confines of a flat or apartment. A larger upright piano can also visually dominate a room, to its detriment. The finish is what is commonly called “Blonde”, which was quite popular at the time. It never shows dust like ebony finishes do, a small advantage for New Mexican homes. The two pedals were standard for European upright pianos and even American Steinway & Sons uprights. Note the acrylic key cover, allowing the keyboard to be visible while protecting the keys. The music desk extends over the full length of the piano to accommodate long musical scores. It’s sturdy too, for heavy books like hymnals or fake-books that live performers at a piano bar use. The original one-of-a-kind matching bench is included.

“In the mid 1930’s, Wilhelm Arno Schimmel (the 2^nd generation) had developed a small upright without backposts and a new keyboard/action design. Its petite styling ideally reflected contemporary tastes, the large uprights of yesteryear, having in the meantime become old fashioned and out of style… Additionally, new model were introduced during the 1930’s… which for decades to come would be the hallmark of the unmistakable tonal character of Schimmel uprights” Copied from the Schimmel history website.

This piano was built in 1958 though in piano-years it is much younger, having been played sparingly. It has been more of a piece of décor than a working piano. It has lived in Albuquerque for at least thirty-years so it is happily acclimated to our arid climate. Structurally, it is in good condition. We made a few repairs and performed some regulating and incremental tuning in the 88 Keys Piano Restoration shop. It ought to provide decades of musical enrichment and we’re happy to offer a two-year warranty. There were some minor blemishes to the cabinet that we touched-up but they never completely disappear and we call them patina. Professional local, first-floor delivery is included.

Schimmel Leads the Way. By 1958 (the year this piano was built) Schimmel uprights were the top selling German-made pianos. Wilhelm Arno Schimmel’s designs found worldwide recognition. The company kept growing. The number of employees had increased to over 300, producing over 6000 grands and uprights annually. Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel joined the management, assisting his father in piano design and marketing activities. “Piano Manufacturing An Art and a Craft”, Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel.

A family of four generations of piano-makers.

Wilhelm Schimmel began building pianos in Leipzig in 1885, and his company enjoyed steady growth through the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Then, two World Wars and a global Depression interrupted production several times, but the family persevered, and three more generations would eventually follow. The factory changed locations numerous times as the company grew. Fortunately for the company’s outlook, in 1931 they relocated the factory to Brunswick, Germany (German: Braunschweig) thus landing in what would become West Germany at war’s end rather than the Soviet-controlled and depressed East Germany. In 1944, the factory was completely destroyed by fire. They rebuilt after the war and resumed building pianos in 1948, quickly restoring their reputation for quality. Wilhelm Arno Schimmel and then Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel guided the company through most of the 20^th century. In 2016, the Pearl River piano company from China purchased a majority interest in the company in which the Schimmel family remained as shareholders. The 4^th generation Viola Schimmel’s husband, Hannes Schimmel-Vogel was extended as factory manager. The company continues building Schimmel pianos to this very day.

The high-performance Renner piano-action is found in nearly all of the finest European pianos.

City of Wurzburg in South Central Germany, Piano Store, Dealership name.

1951. The world’s first Plexiglas grand piano cabinetry is built at Schimmel.