Viennese Classic Grand 580P

[Desperado]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the board.

I am having the most difficult time researching a piano I am considering buying.

A local dealer is getting out of the piano business. He has one piano left on the floor.  Been thre for about 10 years, so it's "new" in the sense that it has not been owned nor  played very much.

It's a 1990-1991 Kimball 5'8" model 580P "Vinnese Classic Grand". I have a Kimball upright that I was always fond of and is still at my parents (haven't really played it since going to music school).  

WHat little information on the piano I've found is that Kimball stopped production in 1995. and has sinced focused on furniture production and running its 1966 aquisition, Bosendorfer.  The owner of the shop was not in when I looked at the piano.  It's way out of tune, and needs revoicing, but the action is marvelous (easy but very responsive, i believe some bosendorfer influence trickled down into this model, and the upper range clarity sings clear, but not harsh. the lower strings resonate nicely.  I should be able to get an amazing deal, but i need more information before I go in and deal.  I can't find any remarks or reviews on it nor can I get any figures on what it really sold for when it was new and still in production and what it would probably be worth today. any information on this piano would be great. thanks a lot!

[markjpcs]

My very good friend owned a 6'7" Viennese Classic in the early 90's. It was a very nice instrument and he yearned for another after loosing it in his divorce settlement not too many years after he bought it.

He paid approximately $12k for it new back then.

For about the past two years he searched for a used Viennese Classic but was unable to find one and his quest led him to play many instruments including the Estonia 6'3". He asked if I would go to the piano dealer's showroom and play the Estonia as he valued my opinion on such things. I ended up falling in love with the Estonia, he bought a 1 year old 6'3" and after playing many other brands and visiting many other dealers, I ended up selling my Yamaha C2 and buying a brand new Estonia 6'3"!

I would suspect you should be able to get that Viennese Classic for a song. It was told to my friend when he bought his Viennese Classic that it was engineered like a Bosendorfer and many parts were the same. I have been told since that this was nothing more than marketing propaganda used by less than honest dealers but I remember the piano being  well built with a very nice action and a nice sound.

HTH

Mark

[Desperado]

thank you so much for your reply.  I had my tech look at one that I'm probably going to buy pretty soon.  It looks like i'll be getting the most bang for my buck without having to venture into the mid-priced Asain pianos at a real bargain (the piano has never been sold and therefore has sat untoched but cared for on a dealer lot for 10 years, they're desperate to get rid of it and I'll gladly take it off their hands).

Happy Holidays!