Stuff That Sounds Good: Schimmel Baby Grand Piano

We like stuff that sounds good, things than make us sound good. Instruments and gear are very personal and to some you form relationships over time. You fall in love, you break up. They irritate or surprise you. Are cooperative or just refuse to do what you want.

So we though to we’d present some of them to you.
And don’t believe those who say that things are not alive. These things are. We promise!

I actually never thought of buying a piano. Never had the money or the space for it. Synths and sample players would have to do. But when my father died in 1996 and left me his Schimmel Baby Grand I couldn’t sell it. I just had to keep it. He played it everyday and dearly loved it.  So space had to be accommodated .

It’s spent time in various awkward places. One time it filled half of my living room, but the family never said a word (as they perhaps should have). Now days I’ve fitted it into the studio (where it takes up almost a third). Finally in the place where it belongs.

It’s got sort of a soft tone with a lot of warm mid punch, not like a bright pop piano or anything like that. Sad to say I don’t use it a lot for recordings since it’s hard to get a fair sound out of it. It sounds to “boxy” which is not a big surprise since the studio room is to small and the acoustics are not good enough.
It’s mainly used for songwriting these days. Both The Kiss and the upcoming Easy was born and written with it’s help. And compared with a synth or a sampled piano it’s a wonder to play. There is no way to compare with a real instrument.

/Lasse