Schimmel K195 Grand Piano

Piano Overview

Anyone familiar with Schimmel historically will know that their grand pianos are known for being quite bright on the tonal colour spectrum, and in their pursuit of absolute clarity, were perhaps lacking in colour.

If you fall into this boat, you owe it to yourself to experience the Konzert series. This newer line of upright pianos and grand pianos boosts Schimmel to a whole new tier of quality and instantly becomes the top series of pianos they produce (followed by the Classic series also made in Germany, Wilhelm Schimmel which are made in Poland, and the Fridolin Schimmel which are assembled in China.)

The 6-foot range of grand pianos is an extremely competitive part of the market, with other legendary pianos such as the C. Bechstein A192, Bosendorfer Model 200, Steinway Model A, Shigeru Kawai SK3 and Yamaha CF4 capturing huge market share.

But the K195 makes a very strong argument for being considered alongside these aforementioned other prestigious pianos, as Schimmel constructed the Konzert series in such a way that the smaller models integrate virtually all of the same advanced features of the flagship 9’2″ K280, including a genuine, full-length concert grand piano action.

Perhaps the most forward thinking of all German piano manufacturers with their open embrace of new technology, the Schimmel Konzert K195 shows why German piano manufacturing is still considered the apex of the industry.

Action

With an action designed in Braunschweig by Schimmel, and built-in another part of Germany by Renner, the K195 boasts a quality action one would expect from a handmade German piano.

Where it goes to a whole other level however has to do with the geometry and keystick length. The K195 features the identical action found in the 9’2″ K280 concert grand! Not only are you getting a 9 foot action here in this 6’5′” piano, but you’re also getting one with key-sticks that are 6cm longer than the typical concert grand piano.

All of this equates to a wonderfully responsive action capable of the subtlest of subtle nuances. The keytops feature minerals and real ebony for an unmatched feel.

Tone

A great action is almost meaningless if you have to sacrifice piano tone. Fortunately, that isn’t the case here. The Schimmel K 195 bleeds warmth, and many testimonials agree that the tone is much more dynamic in colour than Schimmel grands from before.

The bass register offers ocean like depth, and the sustain is remarkable, due to the new bridge design which frees up the soundboard to resonate in a more lively manner.

Schimmel also includes their new ‘Triplex Scale’ features, which both adds an additional string to the mid and treble ranges, and even increases the speaking length, resulting in a broader assortment of harmonics.

Hammers

Top-quality felt is used, along with a mahogany core for the hammers, which are supplied by German hammer experts Wurzen. These hammers receive detailed voicing at the factory and are ready to go upon arrival at piano showrooms.

Soundboard

Schimmel is very selective in the wood selection for the soundboards in the K195, and actually has the Bavarian Forestry Association set aside high altitude, slow growth mountain spruce for their inspection. Only AAA spruce is selected.

The soundboards are abnormally large and are tapered to ensure maximum resonance.

Cabinet/Rim

Schimmel carefully considered the rim design here, and ultimately elected for a combination of Maple and Beech. Multiple laminated layers result in a rim that’s exceptionally thick, and optimized for transmitting sound.