Considering a taller, new professional upright piano and automatically assuming that the best value mid-range options are the Yamaha U3 and Kawai K-500? Not so fast.
As a follow-up to our look at the Eduard Seiler ED-126, which is a direct competitor to the U1 and K-300, today we’re going to be exploring the next model up – the Eduard Seiler ED-132.
The Seiler ED132 upright piano is essentially an Indonesian replica of the German SE-132 Seiler piano, which happens to be the absolute top upright Seiler makes it.
The fact is, while the U3 and K-500 are undoubtedly great pianos with the sales volume and industry accolades to back that statement up, the ED-132 provides consumers with a different option that happens to be much more European in character.
Needless to say, it’s a good time to be shopping for a new piano.
Seiler ED-132 – Background
For anyone new to the Eduard Seiler who hasn’t already checked out our review of the ED-126, here’s some more information about the whole Eduard Seiler project.
The Seiler piano company has been building high-quality pianos since 1849, and since the 1960s, their base of operations was in Germany. Piano manufacturer Samick acquired Seiler in 2008, and in the ensuing years had expanded the line to include the lower-cost Eduard Seiler and Johannes Seiler sub-brands, with the top SE Seiler upright and grand pianos still remaining 100% German.
The Eduard Seiler Project
The Eduard Seiler lineup is the mid-range option and is very interesting in that lineup of upright and grand consists of replicas of the German SE line models. The ED-132 is based on the exact same specs and scale design as the SE-132.
The SE-132 is a formidable German upright piano, roughly on par with a C. Bechstein Academy or Schimmel Classic series upright piano.
While some components and of course the skill and experience of the labor force are different, the ED-126 is a literal copy of this great German upright with the same general musical profile, yet the ED-126 costs less than half the price.
With the quality of the musical instruments coming out of Indonesia literally better than ever, Yamaha and Kawai’s stranglehold on the mid-market seem as though it’s going to be challenged.
Let’s move on to a look at how the SE-132 sounds.
Piano Sound
Bass Register
The impression we’re getting in the bass register of the ED-132 is actually quite similar to the ED-126 in terms of the sheer consistency across the range. It’s not easy or inexpensive to make bass strings that are consistent from note to note in terms of character.
The lower octaves are quite warm, not at all brassy and there aren’t any unwanted overtones. The “break” that transitions between the copper strings to the steel strings is quite even. Like the ED-126, the 132 handles the break area better than most other upright pianos in this general price range.
Finally, we also noticed that you can push the volume in the bass register and draw out a different sort of tone without things ever becoming strident or distorted, so that’s very nice as well.
Mid-range
In the mid-range here, the tone becomes very fundamentally heavy but still maintains a great degree of warmth.
It’s also on the darker side of the tonal spectrum as compared to the ED-126, as the German Seiler uprights tend to be as well.
Treble
The 126 loses a bit of steam as we move into the upper mid-range and treble as certain tonal inconsistencies start to make themselves known.
This isn’t really the case with the 132, as it’s actually able to remain fairly consistent across the upper ranges of this instrument, even if it too is not quite as consistent as the lower portions. Here too the tone is much closer to that classic German sound people know and love.
In that sense, we would argue that the ED-132 is even more successful than the 126, but the 126, of course, has its own distinct and well-liked flavour as well.
Piano Design Features & Materials
Hammers
Seiler has gone with a very high-quality hammer here, sourcing them from German supplier Abel, as evidenced by the green under felting.
Abel is one of just a handful of piano hammer manufacturers that remain in Germany, and they’re often a favourite of rebuilders because they offer a variety of different weighting and material options.
Soundboard
Seiler sources very nice European Alpine solid spruce for the soundboards in the 132, and this plays a big role in its distinctive sound. The U3 and K-500 both use Sitka spruce which produces a decidedly different tonal profile than Alpine spruce.
Seiler also approaches soundboard design differently from every other manufacturer as well with their patented Membrator system. This system consists of a groove that is worked into the soundboard approximately two inches from the edge and rims the entire soundboard.
Seiler says this system improves the resonance and overall sustain of the instrument, while also helping to form the unique Seiler sound.
Odds & Ends
The 132 features uniquely positioned spruce back-posts that are directed toward the treble register, so we suspect this is also contributing to the specific tonal profile.
Other features include a 20-ply European Beech pinblock for solid tuning stability with nickel-plated cut thread tuning pins.
Piano Action
Renner supplies the actions for the ED Seilers, and again, this is a big positive. German-based company Renner is one of the world’s premium action manufacturers, so this is another area that speaks to the overall quality of the ED-132.
Interestingly, this action feels relatively shallow to play on. At the same time, it’s also very responsive, though this isn’t always the case with shallow actions as they often have a tendency to feel quite heavy.
The repetition speed here is actually quicker than on the 126, and pretty close to the speed on the Kawai K-500’s Millennium III action.
They use an exposed wood texture on the black keys rather than polished black plastic, and we happen to really like this as it adds some natural texture that feels organic while providing glide for your fingers.
Super Magnet Repetition
A special edition version of the ED-132 can be ordered, outfitted with what Seiler calls their Super Magnet Repetition (SMR) action.
The SMR version of the action replaces the spring repetition components with two magnets, which Seiler says improves the repetition by allowing the keys to strike without the hammer having to travel as far to reset.
We haven’t had a chance to demo one of these in-store, but it sounds like a very interesting piece of technology.
Cabinet & Finish Options
The ED-132 is available in ebony polish, ebony satin and dark walnut lacquer. The standard brass accents can also be swapped out for nickel.
Closing Thoughts
What we have with the ED-132 is a high-quality 52” upright piano that gives consumers a clear, distinctive alternative to a Yamaha U3 or Kawai K-500.
This may not yet be available in all markets, but we really have to give Samick and Seiler credit here for this very unique project.
A 100% German piano is simply not realistic for many people given that something like the SE-132 costs more than the average new vehicle. The ED-132 is able to provide much of the same DNA at a much more affordable price point.
