Ritmuller German upright c.1907

This is the best upright piano I have ever played! I have owned it since 2001 when it was purchased from a large and respected piano dealership in the West of Scotland. I am only selling due to the recent gift of a Bechstein grand and the lack of space for two large pianos.

The piano is made by Ritmuller, Germany, and the serial number dates it to around 1907. Ritmuller were established in 1795 and produced excellent instruments of which this must be one of the best surviving examples. It was owned before me for many years by the chief piano technician of a major piano dealership in Glasgow, a fine musician and church organist, who chose it as his own home instrument.

(NB The Ritmuller name has recently been bought by the Pearl River piano company and is being used on their top line of grands and uprights. Please do not confuse this piano with the "modern" Ritmullers - this is the real thing!)

The piano is huge, measuring 63" wide, 52" high and 27" deep to front of the keyboard. It is also extremely heavy. The iron frame - as can be seen in the pictures - is massive, and the piano is especially deep due to the double soundboard it has. This was a Ritmuller innnovation which increases the resonating power of the instrument and contributes to the piano's wonderfully singing, rich and powerful tone. The instrument sounds fantastic with any genre of music and is vastly superior to small grand pianos in terms of tone and presence. I chose it after careful searching, over Steinway, Bechstein and Bluthner uprights as it quite simply outplayed them all.

The piano was restored conservatively in 2001 - I saw it during this process initially - and this work was carried out by one of Scotland's top piano technicians, Joe Ottolini, whilst at the dealership. The case has been finished in polyester and the piano looks wonderful as well as having a very durable "wipe-clean" surface. Any marks that show up on the photos are simply reflections in the mirror-like case. The strings are original, as they were in very good condition and sounded wonderful. The Langer action was stripped down, parts replaced as necessary and regulated. The hammers were re-faced and as can be seen in the photos they have only light string marks on them. It plays with a lovely light but precise touch as fine German uprights should. The conservative approach to the restoration of the piano has preserved all that is good about the piano's character and sound.

I paid £3600 for the piano. I still visit piano shops and play Steinway/Bechstein uprights of the same vintage priced at twice as much, which cannot match this instrument in tone.

It has been played, tuned and maintained regularly in the six years I've owned it and will be tuned again prior to sale.

This is a real musician's piano. Anyone looking for an instrument which will not only perform to the standards demanded by a professional pianist, but will also sound and look wonderful, will not be disappointed.

The height-adjustable stool is included.

You are welcome to come and play the instrument prior to bidding if you wish - we are just outside Glasgow. Contact me via email to arrange or with any questions.

The piano will need to be moved by professional piano movers only please - as I said it is massive and extremely heavy and I do not want the instrument, my home or the new owner to be damaged! I can put you in touch with such a firm who can arrange delivery to anywhere in the UK. They have moved this piano for me before and said it's the heaviest upright they've ever moved! The buyer is responsible for all moving costs. It is in a ground floor room with step-free access to outside.

The buyer will adore this piano, and I think you will struggle to find another like it.