Product Overview

Seiler (Parent company is SMC Music) owns one of the two top Indonesian piano factories in the world, which produces not just the Johannes Seiler mid-range product, as well as the higher-end ED Seiler, but has also been hired by Steinway to build Boston’s newest models. The factory is nimble, modern, producing the best actions in Asia (outside of Japan) and cabinets in all of Asia (including Japan).

The ED Seiler 126, therefore, represents about as close to German quality with an authentic German tone, but at a Japanese price point as is possible. Translated, the ED126 offers a true Yamaha U1 or Kawai K300 alternative that doesn’t sacrifice quality and delivers a totally different musical experience. It was a mantle previously held by the older Perzina 122 upright, an instrument that generated much buzz a decade ago, and at the time did offer an alternative to the older K3. However, with the recent advancements with that model as well as some slight refinements by Yamaha as well, the ED126 has been the only credible response of the 2020s.

It produces a massive, warm tone that doesn’t lose any detail to lower-mid woofiness or an overly-blended sound. A sheer delight to play, and a mark of excellence in any home.

Renner Action

Ed Seiler’s use Renner action components, Seiler’s own keysticks, and a rigorous quality control system that ensures a higher consistency level than typically seen out of other Chinese or Indonesian factories (save Kawai’s Karawan factory, undoubtedly the most fastidious of them all).

The motion is fluid with a slightly deeper geometry than a typical upright.

Tone

The ED126 has an unexpected and stimulating tonal shimmer in the upper ⅓ of the piano. A high highly complex treble is accompanied by an ever-present inharmonicious cabinet resonance that provides the ‘shimmer’ effect – not dislike the larger Schimmel K Series grands.

Overall the piano could be described as darker than its larger brethren the ED132, but not at all less present or full. It would be far more accurate to describe the 126 as an alternative to the 132, rather than a smaller or inferior offering.

Abel Hammers

The ED126 uses Abel hammers from Germany. The hammer that Seiler selected is a heavier weight, with medium brightness, contributing to the piano’s overall character. The selection of German hammers – the same as what can be found on the full German counterparts – ensures that the Seiler character is authentically preserved, while also giving buyers longevity and performance normally associated with far more expensive instruments.

Austrian White Apline Spruce Soundboard

The type of wood that a soundboard uses has a major influence over its behavior as well as its longevity – after all, all soundboards over time flatten and lose their luster. However in the case of Seiler, it’s not just the wood (in this case Austrian white alpine spruce), but the way in which it’s cut.

Seiler developed a planing technique called the “Membrator” which augments the sustain and makes the board more active at lower energy levels. It’s entirely unique within the industry, and can visually be seen on all ED Seiler and SE (German) Seiler pianos on both uprights and grands.

Rim/Cabinet – Best Polyester on the Market

The ED126 uses large spruce beams on the back of the piano with 1 hardpoint connecting it with the plate for added stability and cabinet resonance. The piano also receives some of the best polyester – both quality and spray depth – of any piano on the market regardless of country of origin. This is a carry-over from Seiler Germany’s extreme emphasis on high-tech polyester application and is substantially beyond the technology used at Yamaha/Kawai factories in Japan.