Kawai/Zimmering Piano

by Baker
(Irvine, CA)

The inside decal of the 6' grand says it's Kawai; the front decal (above the keyboard) says it's Zimmering. I have not found the serial # yet. Did Kawai make it for Zimmering? Where do I find more info about Zimmering & Sons pianos?

Thanks,
Mrs. Baker

ANSWER

Hi, Mrs. Baker--

Koichi Kawai, founder of Kawai Pianos first worked in the Yamaha piano company. Sam Zimmering was a Los Angeles piano dealer who had Yamaha build pianos with his firm's name on the fallboard. It is likely that in later years the Zimmering company had this same kind of relationship with the Kawaii Piano company.

Zimmering and Sons apparently did not actually manufacture their own pianos. This practice is still common with piano dealers have their names put on the fallboard of pianos manufactured by other companies.

Lynne