Kemble Pianos Options

[Impressionist]

Does anyone have any knowledge of Kemble pianos? I understand they are now made in a Yamaha factory in the Far East (Indonesia?) but are checked and set up in the UK.

How do they compare to a Yamaha? I have always played a Yamaha - my parents had one and I've currently got a Yamaha GT20 digital, which I would like to upgrade to an acoustic version with a silent system.

[fsharpminor]

Yes Kemble factory had been owned by Yamaha for a while then they closed it down a couple of years ago. They did the same with other piano makers. Mine is a George Rogers which went the same way.
Daughter bought a new Kemble Oxford a few years ago and I enjoy playing it, but it seems very high off the ground . I'm not a small chap but I have to have the stool on a high setting, though daughter has it the same as me and she is 6 ins shorter. For me the piano is more suited to Baroque and classical periods rather than later, it's not easy to get the right mood in quiet gentle pieces like some Chopin or Debussy.
Kemble were the last British piano maker , alas.

[pitcher54]

I bought my Kemble K121CL four years ago. It is a much more substantial instrument than the Oxford model, with a far better build quality, especially in terms of the casework which has classic lines and a high gloss finish. The tone is more substantial too, and I preferred the touch to that of comparable Yamaha models, even though the action is essentially the same.

My previous Oxford model seemed to be made of less solid materials, and the Oxford which I bought for my choir vestry at church lost a chunk of woodwork (essentially chipboard) from one of the key cheeks as someone tried to drag it into church.

So I would have no hesitation in recommending the K121CL.

I agree with fsharpminor, I too have my piano stool winched up as high as it will go, but I find that the legs on most commercial piano stools are too short, and many pianists seem to like sitting in the bottom of the boat when they play. As an organist, I much prefer a sit-up-and-beg playing position.

[Impressionist]

Thanks for the responses. My preference was a 121CL. How has the high gloss finish lasted? I had been thinking of a matt/satin finish as my current Yamaha is gloss black and a nightmare to keep looking clean - fingerprints and dust seem to breed like mad.

I'd better take a tape measure to see how high they are compared to my current piano when I try them out. I am looking at teaching on the instrument long term so if it's too high for youngsters, even with a piano stool at full stretch, then I might have to look for something else.

I must say I'm not a Chopin player but do love the impressionist era (hence the name) so had better take along the Debussy pieces I can play to see how they sound.

[pitcher54]

I went for the American walnut finish, it's a lovely colour, and I can tell you that the high gloss is still very high gloss. Finger marks wipe off with a barely damp cloth.

The playing surface of the white keys is just short of 30 inches off the deck (760mm). My piano stands on a solid surface, but allow it to sink into a carpet and you can take half an inch off that (12mm).

I teach mainly kids, and the stool is now permanently fixed in a high position to make it safe.

Hope that helps.

[Hils]

My piano stands on a solid surface, but allow it to sink into a carpet and you can take half an inch off that (12mm).

Surely that only works if your stool hovers over the carpet?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)