by Stephen N. Reed
Veteran piano consultants at M. Steinert & Sons have seen too many potential customers ripped off by irresponsible used piano dealers who offered non-certified, used Steinways.
Told that the used pianos were from a “Golden Age” of Steinways (an age that is often vaguely dated sometime in the past), the buyer is attracted both by the lower price and the novel notion that their used Steinway is somehow better than a newer, more expensive one.
Despite occasional rumors, there was no “Golden Age” for Steinway pianos. Their engineering and craftsmanship get better each year.
“The truth is, there was no “Golden Age,” when the wood and craftsmanship going into a Steinway were better than today’s newer model,” says Phil Schoonmaker, who has been selling Steinways for M. Steinert & Sons for four decades.
“Each generation of Steinways was good, but time takes its toll, even on Steinways,” notes Phil. “If the customers don’t know this, they are susceptible to an unscrupulous salesperson’s skills.”
Clearly, potential piano buyers owe it to themselves to learn about the difference between a used and new Steinway and also between two used Steinways. Steinert & Sons will only certify used pianos less than 30 years of age.
But according to Phil, if one can afford it, the new Steinway is always the better route. The fact that you’re getting the most state-of-the-art Steinway & Sons’ piano from their world class engineers and craftspeople is the key.
Phil also notes that concert pianists, who make their living as professional musicians, want the newest version. Because they make their livelihood playing the piano and want to sound their best, the vast majority of concert pianists prefer to play a new Steinway.
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of both new and used Steinways.
A new Steinway represents the latest, state-of-the-art version of the Steinway & Sons piano.
A Used Steinway can have good value but only if it is certified by an official Steinway & Sons distributor.
Spending ten to forty thousand dollars for any used piano is a lot of money and yields considerable uncertainty. So if buying a new Steinway is financially possible for you, it’s almost always worth the peace of mind in the long run.
A used piano is tempting, but you need to get to know the piano very well before making any investment. Plus, if it isn’t certified, to the buyer beware.
In the end, a used Steinway can have value if its certified and in good condition. However, in terms of quality and lifespan, a new Steinway piano is always the best deal.
“The ongoing research and development, along with the best materials and craftsmanship that makes each new Steinway a masterpiece can’t be underestimated,” says Phil. “The used piano dealer who tells you otherwise is telling on himself.”
Read more about M. Steinert & Sons’ current selection of New and Used Steinways.
By Stephen N. Reed
The Hamburg Steinway, built in the Northern German city of Hamburg, has an intriguing history. Whereas the New York Steinway factory opened in 1854, Hamburg Steinways began being built in 1880.
The New York facility serves Steinway’s needs in the Americas, while Hamburg serves the rest of the world. Both facilities are owned by Steinway & Sons.
While both facilities faced challenges during the Great Depression, Steinway Hamburg took some additional hard knocks in the first half of the 20th Century.
For example, during the pre-World War II years, Steinway Hamburg–part of an American company–was threatened with being nationalized, as Hitler mistakenly believed the Steinways to be Jewish. Later, Hitler’s friendship with Carl Bechstein, Founder of C. Bechstein Pianoforte, made matters worse for other piano makers, like Steinway.
Thus, while Steinway’s factory in New York was able to supply hundreds of upright Steinways and air drop them for entertainment use by American troops, Steinway Hamburg was supervised by Nazi managers after being declared Enemy Property after the United States entered the war in December 1941.
After World War II’s end in 1945, Steinway Hamburg gradually returned to full production and now supplies Steinway orders from Seoul to Strasburg. Piano performers worldwide are as enthusiastic about Hamburg Steinways as with their New York Steinway counterparts.
But some rumors surface now and then that significant differences remain between the two factories’ pianos, making the Steinways made in Hamburg better pianos. So is there anything to this?
M. Steinert & Sons President Brendan Murphy wanted to find out for himself. Murphy represents the fourth generation of Murphys at the head of M. Steinert & Sons, which is the oldest Steinway dealer in the world.
Brendan went on a trip recently to the Hamburg factory and learned up close about the state of Steinway Hamburg’s pianos today and investigated any differences with New York Steinways.
Brendan discovered that, yes, some differences had occurred between the New York and Hamburg Steinways–in the past. For example, during the two World Wars, Trans-Atlantic shipping could get interrupted, forcing Steinway Hamburg to use some different woods. A beech wood, available in Germany, was used for a time instead of the hard rock maple for the grand piano rim.
However, today, both factories use the same materials, mainly maple with some Sapele, but from different sources.
Also, both Hamburg and New York pianos get their sand-cast metal plates from the O.S. Kelly Foundry in Springfield, Illinois. To ensure a steady supply of cast-iron plates, Steinway bought that plant in 1999, after O.S. Kelly had just lost some failed defunct customers like Wurlitzer and Baldwin.
Both Steinway factories rely upon the strength of these plates to support tensions of up to 40,000 pounds.
Additionally, the hammers in both were made a bit differently. In the New York pianos, the hammers had softer felt, then had lacquer applied to make their surface harder. In contrast, Hamburg’s hammers had a harder felt which was then needled to make them softer.
However, today, both New York and Hamburg factories use a less-processed wool on their hammers. The natural lanolin found in this wool helps produce a clearer tone for both factories’ pianos, according to concert artists who overwhelmingly prefer Steinways.
Externally, Brendan has seen one area where New York Steinways have become more like Hamburg Steinways: their finish. Until recently, New York Steinways typically featured an Ebony Satin finish, not as shiny as Hamburg’s Black Polyester finish, which pops when the stage lights hit it. Now New York Steinways feature the same highly-polished look.
So are there any actual, substantial differences between the Hamburg and New York Steinway pianos? There was one obvious cosmetic difference, but even that has changed recently.
Steinway aficionados are aware of the difference in the arms of the New York and Hamburg Steinway piano arms. The Hamburg piano arm was more rounded, while the New York Steinway was a more clear-cut arm. The difference was a mildly cosmetic one and created no difference in the piano’s tone.
With the transition to the diamond gloss finish, the rounded arm has evolved as a preference and is produced by both factories.
Another past difference involved the pedals. The New York pedal system was re-designed to follow the Hamburg pedal system a couple of years ago. This is another point of uniformity between the Steinway and Hamburg factories and an improvement for the New York pianos.
Many pianists and Steinway technicians agree on this, especially regarding the damper pedal. Now for all Steinways, it is a simpler mechanism with less perceived travel and more accurate pedaling, easier to regulate and repair.
“There is one other minor difference worth noting, though it doesn’t affect the tone of the piano,” says Brendan. “The Hamburg pianos’ pin block has a single stratum of mahogany among the hard rock maple stratas. This may be a carryover from the time when sourcing certain woods was difficult during the earlier part of the 20th Century.”
Finally, much has been made by some writers of the “Renner Action” in Hamburg Steinways Brendan notes that, while it is true that these actions used to be contracted out to Renner in Germany, today is a different story. Like the O.S. Kelly Foundry in Springfield, Renner was bought by Steinway in 2018-19 to guarantee the same high quality of Steinway actions worldwide.
“The bottom line is that today, the two Steinway factories in New York and Hamburg more closely collaborate than ever before,” says Brendan. “What we saw in the handcrafted process in Hamburg was just like what we have seen in New York.”
“One can honestly say today that neither the Hamburg nor the New York Steinway piano is better than the other,” Brendan adds. “New York and Hamburg Steinways are twins: top quality pianos, reliable, and ready to perform for concert pianists and regular players alike. We hear frequently from performing artists that they prefer Steinways because they get the very best music out of them, the performers.”
Patrick Elisha, a piano consultant for M. Steinert & Sons who has worked for Steinway, agrees.
“Selecting one’s piano is a personal process, and choosing a Steinway & Sons piano is often a lifelong dream for people all over the world,” Patrick notes. “Whether you choose a Hamburg or New York manufactured Steinway & Sons piano is immaterial, their recipe being the same. The art of music exists in the bond formed between the Steinway piano and its master.”
Get more information on Steinway Pianos at M. Steinert & Sons.
You may only do this once in your life, make every effort to think your decision through…
by Jessica Kendall Hauk
At the point you decide you’re ready to buy a piano, you must remember the poet T.S. Eliot’s wise observation above all else: You are the music while the music lasts.
This is the premise for every piano purchase – the understanding that you and the music are one, and that the piano is the conduit for the energy created by this fusion of person and melody. The unique expression of your music – whether you’re a beginner with a finite repertoire or a professional musician with years of experience – hinges upon the marriage of person and instrument.
As the nation’s oldest Steinway dealer, M. Steinert & Sons urges you to carefully consider the following factors as you prepare for your piano purchase: 1) your musical aspirations, 2) the type of piano you wish to buy, 3) the piano’s location in your home, 4) your budget
Your piano should inspire you to play it before you even sit down. If you enjoy playing it, then you will, and practicing won’t feel like an obligatory chore. No matter your goal, make sure your instrument doesn’t become the excuse to not practice, or to not play.
There are many piano choices – proceed wisely and consider what you’d ultimately like to achieve. Is it just to play a few simple popular songs, or to take on the challenge of history’s piano masterworks?
The high-quality woods in a fine piano ensure the longevity of your instrument and the assurance that you will only ever need to buy one. It takes a year for skilled artisans to build a quality piano; it can take your lifetime to enjoy it fully.
Many have found that the low-tension scale design and warm sound of the Steinway is the most responsive piano to a musician’s touch; the keys are incredibly sensitive and allow you to express the most subtle nuances of tone and musical composition. It feels and sounds like an extension of yourself and will convey the full range of your emotions and talents if you want it to.
Not everyone will choose Steinway, but if it’s within your reach – we always suggest to at least try it. See if you can tell the difference!
Some musicians favor the acoustic experience, while others prefer digital piano technology. Steinways and Steinway-designed pianos are characterized by a warm, full sound and have long been deemed the best-in-class acoustic pianos by concert pianists.
The low-tension scale design of Steinway prevents shrillness in the upper registers of the treble and distinguishes it from other pianos. This feature is the hallmark of Steinway and the standard to which other brands aspire.
On the other hand, a Roland digital piano offers multiple technological enhancements including i-pad connectivity for educational software.
This may be a good option for techies and budding musicians and offers the added benefit of taking up less space than a grand or vertical piano. Furthermore, digital pianos don’t require tuning, which makes them maintenance-free.
Your preference for acoustic or digital is highly personal; at M. Steinert & Sons we offer a wide range of options in both categories.
While there are many musical reasons to purchase a grand piano rather than an upright, most notably the upward trajectory of sound offered by a grand, there are aesthetic considerations as well.
Grand pianos are beautiful and inviting and should be placed in a room that showcases their craftsmanship and unique features. A grand piano is a work of art in and of itself and should be displayed as such. More importantly, your piano should go into the room where it will be played the most.
There is a bit of a paradox in choosing your piano’s location: Above all else, it needs to be accessible and inviting to the pianist. If you delegate it to a remote part of your home, you may find yourself feeling inconvenienced to get to it.
See our article regarding Grands vs Uprights and our video on will a grand piano fit?
By contrast, if you put it in a very busy room where other activities are taking place, you may feel distracted, and your attention might drift from your music to the other goings-on around you. In choosing your piano’s location, the goal is to strike a balance among aesthetics, convenience and the daily patterns of your household.
First and foremost, your piano purchase is an investment in yourself – in your musicianship, enthusiasm, time, desire, perseverance and creative expression. As food fuels the body (we are what we eat), music fuels the soul (we are also what we do and how we do it).
While best-in-class pianos do cost more than their lower-quality counterparts, they bring you a superior musical experience that is worth every dollar. Second, your piano purchase is an investment in the enjoyment of everyone who might listen to you – or anyone else – play it.
by Chuck Johnson, Updated February 2022
You’re considering buying a Steinway piano, and have heard differing opinions on the merits of new vs. used. M. Steinert & Sons offers both new and used Steinway pianos, and we are frequently called upon to help our customers make this choice. Having played the piano for 48 years, and worked in the piano industry for 30 of those years, I still find it surprising there are few agreed-upon facts, especially when it comes to new and used Steinway!
Let’s explore when both new AND used Steinways make sense – and admit upfront the answer could be “neither”. Before spending thousands of dollars, you need to make sure that you’re making a sound decision.
Our goal with this article is to teach you what you need to know about buying the right piano for you based on the best information available.
While time takes a toll on all organic materials, the piano’s overall design makes it particularly susceptible to aging. Unlike other stringed instruments, the percussive nature of the piano hastens wear-and-tear. This erosion comes from three things:
There are a lot of myths about old pianos out there – but with very few exceptions (of historic/artistic value), old pianos will become virtually worthless and musically inert in time – EVEN STEINWAY PIANOS.
We’ve developed a way to explain the effects of time on pianos. This explanation is BRAND AGNOSTIC.
Every piano exists on a curve of musical quality over time. This is a highly subjective area! It would be hard to get two people in the piano industry to agree on the curve for a brand, model, or even a specific Steinway piano. However, it doesn’t change the reality that all pianos begin at their best (or very close to it) and then lose tone and touch over time. The severity of the instrument’s decline is determined by the design and factors mentioned above (Tension, Wear, Environment).
This all begs an important question: Where is my piano on the curve??
Each piano will start decaying at some point – but when, where, and how is extraordinarily difficult to determine. Most people find that the only way to assess a used piano’s condition accurately is play it vigorously and to hire an independent and reputable piano technician – one NOT connected to a store or the seller. It is equally vital to understand some technicians will do these evaluations in hopes of offering rebuilding services. This makes it very hard to find an unbiased participant to evaluate the quality of a used piano.
Spending 10 to 40 thousand dollars on any used piano is a lot of money and yields considerable uncertainty. So if buying a new Steinway is financially possible for you, it’s almost always worth the peace of mind in the long run. Used is tempting, but you need to get to know the piano very well before making any investment.
A Used Steinway typically fits those who:
A New Steinway works well if you:
Learn more about new Steinway pianos or visit our used piano department for specific used options.
Footnote on Boston pianos: Many shoppers considering used Steinway learn the nuances of piano design and begin to understand the effects of aging. Steinway designed and built the Boston brand pianos – Steinway’s solution for a mid-priced piano that leverages their experience with design, materials, and workmanship.
A piano’s action is an orchestra of parts working in concert to give the pianist control of the music. Many things must take place between playing a key and hearing a sound from the piano.
M. Steinert & Sons Patrick Elisha explains the “key” differences in the following video.
Let’s explore what happens inside the piano when you play. The journey begins as you depress a key. This motion transfers the energy of your finger through a series of levers and rotating parts which culminate in the hammer striking the string, producing a symphony of color and sound.
The action of a grand and upright piano differ in several ways, resulting in a profound impact on a pianist’s perception of control. The so-called ‘double escapement’ grand piano action offers more versatility and control over dynamics while playing. The upright piano offers a compact layout that takes up minimal space in the home but with less control over the music due to its simpler action design.
Let us start with the upright piano action. The strings in this type of piano are perpendicular to the floor. Upon depressing a key, a part of the action called the jack is rotated forward which then sends the hammer towards the string, in a motion similar to someone knocking at a door. This design requires the use of springs to help the hammer and key return back to their resting position. This means that repetition, specifically rapidly repeating notes on the same key, feel differently on an upright piano.
Due to the nature of its simple design, the upright piano requires the pianist to lift the key almost entirely back up to its resting position before playing the note again, thereby limiting its ability to repeat quickly compared to a grand piano.
Today’s modern upright action is the direct descendant of this early single-escapement style action, patented by English piano maker Robert Wornum in the 1810’s.
In the 1820’s, French piano maker Sébastien Érard patented the “double-escapement grand action,” representing a drastic leap forward in keyboard performance. This allowed greater possibilities at the piano and ushered in the romantic era of piano music by the likes of Chopin and Liszt.
Érard’s double-escapement action allows the hammer to re-strike the string without the pianist having to bring the key back up to its full resting position. This means a significant gain in repetition speed and control compared to the upright piano’s single-escapement action. Due to the fact that grand piano strings are parallel to the floor, the grand action relies primarily on gravity to return to rest (as opposed to the upright’s reliance on springs). In a nutshell the grand piano is easier to play and offers more control, the better the touch, the more satisfying the playing experience. This is why the grand piano action is universally preferred over the upright by professional pianists throughout the world.
The physical design (Grand vs Upright) has a profound result on the expressive nuances experienced by the pianist while interacting with each respective mechanism. However, if we keep it simple, the fundamental differences can be described as primarily a difference in feel and a difference in sound.
The following video by Steinert Tech Jonathan Kotulski helps explain the major differences:
In a grand piano, the hammer rests horizontally and moves up towards the horizontal string, and then is returned to its starting position by gravity. The keys are weighted by hand in the factory to counteract this force of gravity. This creates an even feel across the keyboard, and just a bit heavier feeling than an upright. When playing, the musician feels a powerful connection to the sound through this even weighting of keys and hammers. The pianist can deliver their full expressive capabilities, rapid repetitions and trills, at whisper soft and thunderously loud dynamic levels. On a grand, every time a hammer hits the string, it then resets quickly, perfectly, and predictably for the artist. There are many other fine details in a grand piano mechanism that make it the absolute ideal, the very best example of what a piano should feel like.
In an upright piano, the hammer stands up vertically and moves towards a vertical string, and then a little spring moves it back to its resting place. Gravity is not part of the equation. The keys are weighted in the factory to counteract the force of each individual hammer return spring. The upright action mechanism works very well, but the design is trying to simulate the experience of a grand. The upright action design approaches the perfect grand design but always falls short. It is effective and functional, and the key weight still feels consistent, but on an upright piano overall the pianist will experience a little lighter feeling and slightly less responsiveness when playing with fast repetition and trying to control dynamics.
In a grand piano, the sound is projected by the horizontal orientation of the soundboard and strings, mostly projected up and out. The strings vibrate, the soundboard amplifies this vibration and the soundwaves are sent up and out – they hit the lid and are directed throughout the room in every direction. The artist sits and plays in the middle of all this sonic activity, fully immersed in the sound. Typically, a grand piano has longer bass strings than an upright creating a deeper and richer content of frequency in the low range. This combination of frequency spectrum and spatial activity of the sound make it the best experience of a piano, and allows the artist and audience to enter inside an amazing listening experience: hearing the full frequency spectrum and feeling the powerful vibrations. It could be compared to a surround sound speaker system.
In an upright piano, the sound is dispersed by a vertical soundboard, mostly projected away from the pianist towards the wall. Additionally, some sound is projected towards the pianist as well. The sound is not as free to move around the room in an upright as it is in grand, but still gives the artist an immersive and intimate experience of the piano tone. This could be compared to a mono or simple stereo speaker system.
Ultimately, the upright piano is an approximation of the grand piano. The design of the grand piano is the highest standard of excellence, chosen by artists on concert stages everywhere. Yet, with uprights – the economy and space-saving aspects are often the rational choice. Whatever piano you choose, take time to learn the difference and experience both types of pianos!
