Once the metal frame is assembled it starts to look extremely heavy, and more like the piano we know. It is obvious that a huge amount of effort is put into making the piano look good as well as sound good.

The metal frame is cast in a different part of Germany, but in the factory we watched as it was sprayed a golden colour, rubbed down by hand, and then sprayed again before being left to harden. Being able to see all of this brought about an awareness of just how much woodwork goes into the construction of a piano. Later, we saw the frame and soundboard being assembled into these cases. We were told that the wood only stays in the jigs for a couple of hours, after which it keeps its shape forevermore. We saw twenty or more strips of veneer waiting to be glued together, put into vast jigs and heat-treated. The grand piano’s shape is a very elegant one and our first ‘stop’ showed us exactly how this shape is achieved. Walking in I was immediately struck by the size of the factory the ceilings were high, and there was an incredible amount to see. There is high security in place in the production plant, and photography was strictly prohibited. However, in an introductory talk before entering the factory proper, we were told that Schimmel have a policy of continual development.

Other piano manufacturers have kept to their production methods. In the selection room there were more grand pianos to be seen – small, medium, large and very large! No two pianos are the same, so these selection rooms provide the opportunity for serious piano purchasers to make their most suitable choice. From the lobby we walked straight into the concert hall, where there were numerous Schimmel upright pianos neatly lined up, and two enormous Konzert grand pianos centre-stage.

Schimmel piano frame