by Stephen N. Reed
As you tour the Astoria, New York Steinway factory, the fact that a Steinway piano takes nearly an entire year to complete begins to make sense.
The painstaking attention given by the many factory craftspeople, the time involved in preparing and drying the woods involved point to this handcrafted process being one that simply cannot be rushed.
Without the knowledge of all that goes into a Steinway piano, buyers would not be able to appreciate fully what they have purchased. As the oldest Steinway dealer in the world, M. Steinert & Sons has been tracking the various Steinway models for over 150 years.
Knowing the Steinway handcrafted process and its improvements over the years is a key part of our business.
The entire process of creating a Steinway piano actually takes longer than the actual factory process. By the end of this article, you will understand how a piano made of specialty woods and by highly-skilled craftspeople is made, beginning with the materials involved. As we’ll see, some of those materials go back a very long way.
Here is a look at the different stages involved and the duration of each in this handcrafted process will explain why it takes 11 months to make a Steinway.
Steinway carefully dries all the wood brought to the factory to build their pianos. Some wood is dried for up to two years before being used in the assembly process, first air-dried, then kiln-dried to prevent warping.
Only the best of the woods brought to the factory are used by Steinway. One wood is particularly special for conducting sound: the Sitka Spruce.
In the quest to build “the best piano possible,” Steinway evolved to use the Sitka Spruce from the Pacific Northwest for their patented Diaphragmatic Soundboard, which we will discuss further later in this article. This tightly-grained wood is exceptional for conducting sound.
Sitka Spruce is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio. Its excellent flexibility is essential for a piano soundboard that is meant to amplify sound and resonate with the vibration of a steel wire.
Steinway became convinced that no tree was better than the Sitka Spruce for their soundboards. Each of these trees is at least 200 years old when cut for use by Steinway.
As a result, there is another answer to the question, “How long does it take to build a Steinway?” In truth, this complex process begins at least 200 years before work starts for a year at the Astoria, NY factory.
Once the wood is dried, the building of a new Steinway can begin.
The Steinway Bent Rim is a key innovation that sets Steinway apart from other luxury pianos. Having a one-piece continuous Bent Rim, 2¾” thick, is one of the most significant technical innovations in piano building.
The rim provides the foundation for the stability of each Steinway grand piano and provides the structural integrity that enables a Steinway piano to endure for generations.
The rim of the Steinway Model B is comprised of 16 layers of Hard Rock Maple glued together, with both inner and outer rims being pressed together in a single operation. Five Steinway craftspeople bend the wood on a rim-bending press. They have to shape the rim within the time that the glue begins to dry, about twenty minutes.
After that, the rim is conditioned for two months.
An additional design feature involving the rim bears mentioning. To increase the surface square inch volume of the soundboard and thereby increase the overall resonance of the grand piano, Steinway widens the rear or “tail” of its larger grands.
To increase the surface square inch volume of the soundboard and thereby increase the overall resonance of the grand piano, Steinway widens the rear or “tail” of its larger grand pianos to accommodate more of a vibrating surface area composed of the resonant spruce wood.
Once the labor-intensive rim building is completed, the rim, soundboard and cast-iron plate can be placed into the piano’s case. After this, the Steinway piano is beginning to take shape.
Now work turns to the Steinway craftspeople responsible for building the piano’s braces, which undergird the piano and all of its intricate parts. This takes about a week to complete.
The braces beneath the grand piano establish the structural foundation of the piano, much like the cement foundation of a house and will, in tandem with the cast iron plate above them, perform the primary function of withstanding the 40,000 pounds of string tension within a piano.
Spruce provides tensile strength with less weight. Maple dowels fasten braces to the rim producing a single homogenous foundation upon which is built the entire tonal component.
A Steinway piano is built in the Astoria, NY factory from the inside out. Steinway’s assembly begins with skilled craftspeople creating and tapering Steinway’s patented “Diaphragmatic Soundboard” from the best planks of Sitka Spruce.
Steinway is particular about both the selection of the wood and the soundboard’s design. To meet the highest quality standards, Steinway uses only superior Sitka spruce with a close grain and a prescribed number of annual growth rings.
The result is a quarter-sawn Sitka Spruce soundboard, which has exceptional stability and vibrance under stress and vibration.
Steinway’s Diaphragmatic Soundboard is based on a 1936 patent to achieve optimum performance in dynamic range and maximum sustain. Under this patent, the soundboard is gradually tapered from the center to the edge, permitting freedom of movement and creating a sound of unparalleled richness and sustain.
Created like the soundboard of violins to give a free and even response throughout the entire scale, the Steinway design permits complete freedom of movement while displacing a greater amount of air, creating a richer and more lasting tonal response.
An essential aspect of Steinway’s overall design is to precision cut the soundboard to fit the rim of the piano. Since small variations exist between rims, a precision laser-guided saw is employed to yield a perfect final fit on a per-piano basis.
Great care is taken during the process of creating the soundboard. If it is damaged, the experience for both the player and the listener is altered. A soundboard can be cracked or have a fallen crown. Such repairs can be quite costly.
All told, Steinway’s soundboard takes about a month to make, with the last week being in a specialized conditioning room before installation. This is performed by a skilled artisan called a “bellyman” over the course of a full day.
The assembly process next moves to the bridge. Steinway’s popular B and D models feature a single-piece bridge. This is sometimes called the “shepherd’s crook” bridge, a continuous bridge from the highest treble to the deepest bass.
This continuous bridge enables the instantaneous transfer of the vibrations of some 233 strings throughout the bridge and the soundboard, creating more color, more resonance, and more sustain.
Steinway constructs its soundboard bridges exclusively from vertically laminated hardwood with a horizontal grain, capped with solid maple.
Each bridge is notched by hand for precise, individual string-bearing–just one advantage of a handcrafted piano. This design ensures optimal sound transmission from the strings to the soundboard, resulting in a sustained, resonant tone—creating the unique “Steinway sound.”
Bridge work takes a couple of weeks to complete.
Next in the production sequence is stringing the instrument. A particular part, patented by Steinway, is a key reason that Steinways hold tune well.
In 1963, Steinway introduced the Hexagrip Pin block, which is engineered to enable pianos to hold their tuning longer and with great precision. This comes from 7 carefully selected and arranged layers of quarter-sawn rock maple.
The exclusive design provides end grain of the wood surrounding the tuning pin and allows smoother movement under torque, a more uniform retaining action, and a piano that holds its tuning longer. Between wood selection, laminating, curing, fitting and drilling the Hexagrip Pin block takes approximately one month or more to finish.
Another part of the production process involves the piano’s action. Steinway’s hammers are made at the Steinway factory in Astoria, NY. Craftspeople ensure the action’s uniformity in terms of a piano’s keys striking the newly-placed strings.
The Tone Regulation Department at the Astoria NY factory is where a Steinway develops into a musical instrument. Here, each of the piano’s keys is adjusted by hand to ensure an even tone for the piano overall.
The action’s hammers are either made harder by applying lacquer to the hammer’s felt or softer by pricking the felt with a needle. The right tone for a Steinway is bell-like, even, and well-rounded. This process of installing the piano’s action and subsequent tone regulation takes 2 weeks.
The Steinway piano is now assembled. Steinway’s yearlong process is almost complete.
The final step in this elaborate handcrafted process is the exterior finish. Six coats of paint are applied with a precise amount of time between each coat.
After Steinway craftspeople have completed the painting, the case stands for a week, allowing the paint to harden, thereby protecting the piano’s finish. This finishing process takes 3 months.
Depending upon the finish of the piano, including whether it’s ebony polished, ebony satin, or a crown-jewel wood veneer, this step can vary in duration and order in the production process
Testing of the Steinway piano can now commence through a series of double-checking, fine-tuning, adjustments, and breaking in the keyboard.
For example, the Astoria, NY factory has a Pounding Room where each of the piano’s 88 keys is played over 3,000 times. All of these tests and adjustments are aimed at perfecting each piano’s sound before heading to market and take about a week to complete.
After 11 months, the world has a new Steinway that’s ready to be played.
The nearly yearlong Steinway building process is the work of scores of the Astoria, NY factory’s craftspeople in each stage of the piano’s creation.
Once this process is completed, the new Steinway model is shipped to one of Steinway’s dealers in the Western Hemisphere. The company’s Hamburg, Germany factory ships their new Steinways across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
With the current, industry-wide piano shortage, this year’s Steinways may have less time than usual on the showroom floors.
However, Steinway is working to produce more of their renowned handcrafted pianos so that more people can enjoy the Steinway touch and tone, perfected by the team at the Astoria and Hamburg factories.
For more information about the Steinway factory process, click below for a helpful article:
What is a Steinway factory tour like?
by Stephen N. Reed
Choosing a piano for one’s home or institution is an expensive proposition. But there is a difference between “expensive” and “costly.” An expensive piano may come at a price, but at least you are getting many years of great learning and playing on the keyboard.
But a piano purchase can become unfortunately costly and disappointing if you don’t have reliable sources for information. You could end up with an outright lemon of a piano or just something that is different once you get it home than what you thought you were getting. What could be more disappointing than that?
At M. Steinert & Sons, we have spent over 160 years helping tens of thousands of customers find the piano of their dreams. We do this by listening to each customer’s individual needs and aspirations and advising each and every customer to find the right piano to achieve their goals.
By the end of this article, you will begin to understand the key considerations towards finding the best piano for you. You will be a more informed buyer, ready to approach your nearest piano merchant confidently.
You’ll walk into a piano store knowing that, though many pianos look the same, they’re not. Understanding the differences between piano brands, models, and designs is key to a sound purchase of a piano that is well-suited for you.
The day of your piano delivery will be an exciting one. All the research and planning, all culminate in this one key moment when the piano becomes yours.
As a result, the last thing you want is to buy impulsively, not understanding of how wide a quality range of piano brands and models are out there. What about the pros and cons of buying used vs new?
For many, buying a piano is a huge purchase. Done right, buying a piano can bring years of music to your home.
However, done carelessly, buying a piano can become a source of stress, annoying you every time you see your purchase, sitting there, taking up space.
Any decent piano seller wants their customer to be truly satisfied with their purchase. However, this can only be achieved through careful consideration. Putting thought in ahead of time can greatly increase the odds that your piano purchase will be satisfying to you. Three key steps are involved:
In this previous article, we examined some of the essential aspects of buying a piano: one’s preferred size, color, touch, and tone. If you’re unsure about whether you have enough room to have a grand, piano templates are available to determine if you can accommodate one.
Of course, one’s budget needs to be examined in light of one’s preferences. This helps to narrow down possible pianos for you to try. If you find that the piano you resonate with the most goes beyond your budget, some dealers have financing options available.
Taking one’s time to sample a variety of makes and models of pianos with the help of a seasoned piano consultant is critically important. Such an expert helps you to further narrow down your choices to a few that meet your budget and other needs. Then you can zero in on the piano that was meant for you.
This is not just an individual buyer’s strategy but an institutional approach, as well. For example, many colleges and universities that become All-Steinway Schools secure the help of an Authorized Steinway Dealer in their search for a new grand piano for their music program.
Such schools can avail themselves of the Steinway Selection Process, which is available to both institutions and individuals.
After narrowing down their search, they visit the Steinway factory in Astoria, New York, where they try four brand new models, usually the Model D. After trying each one, the college’s committee decides upon the one Steinway grand piano that meets their needs.
There are several more angles to consider when choosing your piano. Frankly, this additional information is too detailed for a single article like this. The discerning piano buyer will want to learn more about the other dimensions of finding the right piano by consulting a piano merchant’s buyer’s guide.
A comprehensive buyer’s guide like M. Steinert’s can help you make a better-informed decision that fulfills your current and future needs–whether for education or entertainment. It covers everything from the types of pianos, the popular brands of pianos, technology-enhanced options and more.
Such a buyer’s guide can be very helpful in your selection, whether you buy a piano from the dealer who developed it or another.
Because we want you to succeed in your quest for the right piano for you, we offer M. Steinert’s buyer’s guide free of charge, regardless of whether you buy your piano from us.
Buying a piano should be an educational, interesting, and even fun experience. Learning from your own readings and having the guidance of a seasoned piano is the best way to have a positive experience.
Then the result will be a new addition to your home: a cherished musical instrument that can be in your family for generations.
Go to our main page to download the M. Steinert’s Buyer’s Guide.
by Stephen N. Reed
The stated purpose of the Essex line of pianos is to show that high-quality piano styles and finishes are possible in every price range.
That is a lofty goal, one some find hard to believe. As a manufactured piano, how can it even come close to the resonant tone of a handcrafted Steinway?
For starters, Essex is part of the Steinway family of pianos and, as such, features many Steinway design elements in each model in the Essex line.
You might say that the Essex is the grandchild of the venerable Steinway. It is a younger line but one with the same DNA as its grandparent. Thus they share many family traits.
Essex design was informed by 170 years of piano patents and innovations. M. Steinert & Sons has tracked those Steinway innovations over the generations and has seen many satisfied customers leaving our store with an affordable, high-quality Essex model.
Our goal hasn’t changed since we were established in 1860–to help our piano customers to find the best piano for them. For entry-level piano buyers, that piano is often an Essex. In short, Essex satisfies the needs and budget requirements of the discerning homeowner.
Though Essex can suit a wide range of piano players, it has captured a significant share of the entry-level market because of its lower price point and Steinway design. Understandably, a family may wish to see if their child is going to stick with their piano lessons before purchasing a luxury piano.
Essex’s success with beginner students of the piano is very much in keeping with the reason Steinway developed the Essex line: to become competitive with other piano companies for this entry-level of the piano market.
By the end of this article, you will have learned about the effects of adding the Steinway design to a manufactured piano. You’ll also determine for yourself whether Steinway succeeded in designing an entry-level piano that is best-in-class.
The Essex line was launched in 2001. The company intentionally kept a low profile for the first few years. After all, it incorporated much of the Steinway DNA–using new Steinway design, engineering, and select materials–in a new combination that had never been tried before in a manufactured piano.
The Steinway engineers’ ultimate goal was to create a new piano that could deliver a level of musical quality and performance that had heretofore been impossible in the Essex line’s considerably lower price range.
Steinway began to make significant changes to the Essex line in 2006. For starters, Steinway moved the entire Essex operation to the Pearl River facility in China, eventually moving Essex’s technical director to China to oversee production there. When Steinway decided to include “Designed by Steinway” on the Essex piano plate, the Essex had arrived.
Essex makes a line of grand pianos that, for their price, are well-regarded for being the gateway to the full Steinway sound. A manufactured grand’s tone will not be expected to have every nuance in its range of color that a handcrafted Steinway possesses.
However, more than any other grand in its class, Essex engineers have advanced their concept of an affordable piano greatly by bringing much of the Steinway design to Essex’s production process.
Essex brings that same Steinway DNA to their uprights, which are consistently popular, especially for beginning students.
The largest Essex upright is the EUP-123E. It offers greater versatility of sound than its industry counterparts because of the Steinway engineers’ ability to transfer much of the Steinway design to this manufactured piano.
Buyers say that they like the EUP-123E’s timeless design, which makes it fit in well with a wide range of interior styles.
EUP-123E Key features include:
Every Essex instrument is inspected by a team of highly experienced Steinway & Sons trained technicians before it leaves the factory. After the sale, each Essex piano is backed by Steinway & Sons with a factory warranty and serviced by Steinway-trained technicians.
By utilizing specially engineered materials, large-scale production techniques, and carefully selected manufacturing environments, Essex is able to deliver a level of musical performance previously unattainable in its price range.
Any piano, new or used, acoustic or digital, purchased from M. Steinert & Sons receives 100% of the original purchase price for the life of the original purchaser towards any new larger Steinway & Sons piano of greater value.
The infusion of much of the Steinway design into Essex’s pianos makes it an excellent option for the customer who wants as much of the Steinway sound as they can get in a more affordable Essex model.
Steinway engineers have managed to bring much of the Steinway design to their sister brands, Essex and Boston. To make your own determination on that score, you’ll need to come into one of M. Steinert’s two showrooms in Boston and Newton.
Come test some Essex models for yourself. Compare the sound of an Essex grand or upright with their counterparts in the Steinway and Boston lines.
For the Steinway DNA quality and tone included in every Essex, along with a more affordable price point, the Essex is worth investigating, especially for beginner piano students.
Make an appointment to see one of M. Steinert’s seasoned piano consultants today. In the meantime, learn more about the Essex line.
by Stephen N. Reed
A new piano, right out of the factory, has several advantages, one of which is the factory warranty that comes with the piano. This secures your multi-thousand dollar investment should your piano need a major repair, like fixing or replacing a soundboard or pin block.
Used pianos can be another story. Depending on their brand, age, or condition, a major repair is not as rare. With the exception of a piano store’s limited warranty, such major repairs come out of your pocket.
As a result, hiring your own piano technician to examine a used piano you are considering is a good idea. What could be worse than paying for a used piano, taking it home, and soon after facing the reality that your piano needs a major repair, costing thousands of dollars?
At M. Steinert & Sons, our motto for 160 years has been to help our customers find the best piano for them. Clearly, a piano that needs a major repair before you play it much is not the best piano for you. We have assisted many customers to learn about the cost of piano repairs and have helped them avoid major ones.
For example, M. Steinert & Sons has a Certified Piano Program to give used piano buyers peace of mind that their piano passes muster from an expert piano technician.
By the end of this article, you will better understand why soundboards and pinblocks are so important to a piano. Next, you’ll learn what is involved with major repairs to these and other key areas, particularly in Steinways, and the skilled work involved to fix them.
The Number One question to ask before embarking on a major piano repair is to determine WHO will do the work. There is no shortage of piano technicians who will eagerly take on a Steinway repair, charge considerably less than the numbers in the chart below, and potentially ruin or ‘delegitimize’ an otherwise fine piano.
References, credentials, and samples of past work are the best guides as to whether a technician can perform adequate restoration or repairs.
Please keep in mind that only Steinway & Sons can replace a Steinway soundboard or Hexagrip Pinblock. These are not installed by rebuilders or dealers. Dealers have the ability to send pianos to the factory for these installations but beware of rebuilders offering like-kind replacements.
| Item | Cost Range for Steinway |
| Steinway Soundboard Repair | $1,000 – $8,000 |
| Steinway Soundboard/Pinblock replacement | $11,000 – $22,000 |
| Steinway Replaced Pinblock, Soundboard, Bridge and Plate Refinish | $18,000 – $28,000 |
| New Steinway hammers | $7,000 – $8,800 |
| New Steinway wippens/& hammers | $12,000 – $14,000 |
| Steinway Restring | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Steinway Refinish – black | $16,000 – $30,000 |
| Steinway Refinishing– wood tone | $19,000 – $32,000 |
Helping you understand the costs of major repairs is all part of our job at M. Steinert & Sons. We want to be as transparent as possible as we openly address a subject that deserves attention.
Using Steinway’s patented “Diaphragmatic Soundboard” as an example, let’s understand how important a soundboard is to a grand piano.
Steinway & Sons engineers understood early on how the right kind of soundboard could make all the difference in a piano’s tone. The Steinway grand soundboard achieves optimum performance in dynamic range and maximum sustain.
Steinway uses Sitka Spruce for their soundboards, which is sourced entirely from an island in Alaska, the only location that meets Steinway’s stringent specifications.
This unique micro-climate provides this spruce with the highest quality grain density, direction, and color, thereby improving the transmission of tonal string vibrations.
The Steinway-designed soundboard is gradually tapered from the center to the edge, permitting freedom of movement and creating a sound of unparalleled richness, sonority, and sustain.
Steinway’s piano-rim machining center achieves a perfect fit between the soundboard and the rim. This provides the piano with a rich resonance, tonal color, and purity of sound.
Soundboard repairs can be quite involved and costly. According to M. Steinert & Sons piano technician Jonathan Kotulski, soundboard replacement is more common these days and a superior fix.
“Soundboards crack, so they are shimmed,” notes Jonathan. “This involves removing the plate and strings, digging out a groove in the soundboard, gluing and clamping a shim, and then planing/chiseling the shim down precisely flush with the soundboard.” (See above chart for cost estimate.)
Steinway introduced the Hexagrip Pinblock in 1963, a breakthrough that enabled pianos to hold their tuning longer and with great precision. This exclusive design provides the tuning pin with smoother movement under torque, a more uniform retaining action, and a piano that holds its tuning longer.
Steinway constructs its soundboard bridges from vertically laminated Hardrock Maple, and then caps it with a horizontal grain, solid maple. Each Steinway bridge is notched by hand for precise, individual string-bearing, another advantage to a handcrafted piano.
Steinway’s popular Model D and Model B have a single-piece bridge, a long, continuous bridge from the highest treble to the deepest bass. This design ensures optimal sound transmission from the strings to the soundboard.
Additionally, this design allows for the instantaneous transfer of the vibrations of the 233 strings throughout the bridge and the soundboard, adding more colors to the Steinway palette.
This wide range of colors to the piano’s tone is one of the main reasons professional pianists prefer playing a Steinway: they simply have more ways to express their experience of the music.
Pinblocks can loosen and need to be repaired or replaced. Minor repairs involve going up a pin size on problem pins, pin tapping, CA gluing or epoxying in the tuning pin to create higher torque.
Going up a tuning pin size on the entire piano and restringing the piano is becoming less common as a solution for pinblock problems.
“More often now, if you restring, it is recommended to replace the pinblock so you can start out with high torque on a 2/0 pin, the standard tuning pin size,” notes Jonathan. (See above chart for cost estimate.)
Veteran Steinway sales consultant Phil Schoonmaker maintains that one of the first questions buyers on the used piano market should ask themselves is, “Am I willing to give up a factory warranty?” Such warranties come with new pianos.
This is not to say that a partial warranty given by the seller for a used piano isn’t helpful for repairs. But a factory warranty on a new piano is more comprehensive. So if you can buy new, the factory warranty is a big advantage if a major repair comes.
For pianos in the Steinway Family, replacement parts and piano technicians who undergo regular Steinway training can only be found at an Authorized Steinway Dealer.
To learn more about Used vs. New pianos, read the following article:
New vs. Used Steinway: Which is the better value for me?
by Stephen N. Reed
A piano’s wooden cabinet, or case, is one of the most important parts of a grand piano. The case, which includes the rim in a grand piano, is key in protecting the other 12,000 parts of the piano, and it is responsible for critical parts of the piano’s sound, securing its musical quality.
Additionally, taking good care of the piano’s case is essential to maintain strong resale value–both for the protection of the interior of the grand piano as well as its external appearance. After all, the case is what most people visualize when they imagine a grand piano–a large, impressive, wooden structure.
It’s probably what you see in your mind’s eye, too, when the words “grand piano” comes to mind. What could be worse than buying what looks like an attractive grand piano, only to discover later that the case was made with shoddy materials?
M. Steinert & Sons has been helping our customers avoid such pitfalls for over 160 years. We understand how pianos are made and which parts deserve your particular attention.
By the end of this article, you will understand better the three reasons that a grand piano’s case is important: cabinet construction, the rim and its impact on the piano’s musical quality, and how the case allows you to express your personal style. You’ll also learn of some different styles of modern grand piano cases.
We tend to forget that some of the world’s great, early piano makers–Henry Steinway, Morris Steinert, and Ignaz Bosendorfer among them–had cabinet making in their backgrounds. They are known today for the beautiful pianos they created.
However, one can definitely say that the piano’s cabinet, or case, was there from the beginning of some of the great grand piano designs we take for granted today.
Approximately 85% of every acoustic piano is wood. The style of cabinetry and wood finish is an important consideration for many piano buyers.
Solid core construction: Solid lumber core with two outer layers of veneer on each side. This is the least economical approach to piano building. There are significant variations between manufacturers between types of wood selected and their strength, durability, and grain characteristics.
Plywood: approx. 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch plywood panels with face veneers on each side.
Fiberboard: panels made of compressed wood fiber, with face veneers applied to each side. (Most economical approach–often heavier due to presence of glue used to fabricate these materials)
Historically, piano cabinets have used solid core construction. However, plywood and fiberboard are now more prevalent in manufactured pianos. Legs, moulding, and various trim pieces are usually solid wood. On good quality pianos, they are of the same wood species as the rest of the piano’s cabinet.
Each part of a piano’s case has a specific function. A higher-quality build will result in less failure of case components and a longer lifespan overall.
Because of Henry Steinway’s commitment to making the best possible piano, Steinway’s handcrafted process has always used solid core construction.
Other piano makers have fine case designs. However, no piano maker has done more to develop an effective rim than Steinway. By 1880, Steinway started to produce their Model A, a smaller grand piano that nevertheless had significant ramifications for their larger grand piano models later.
Steinway’s Model A featured a laminated maple cabinet, resulting in their first modern rim case. This case was created by the use of long, thin planks of maple that were bent around a form and pressed together with glue.
The result was a patented, single-piece, continuous bent-rim that made a stronger and more stable case for the Model A. Steinway had hit upon an approach to their smaller grand pianos’ rims that worked for larger models like the Model D, as well.
The two rims–inner and outer–are essentially the foundation of the piano, along with the back-posts that are attached to the inner rim. Placed on top and attached to the top of the inner rim is the soundboard, which vibrates freely within the perimeter of the outer rim.
The vibrations of the strings after being struck by the hammers are transferred through the maple bridges into the spruce of the soundboard and then instantaneously conducted toward the rims.
Steinway has proven that the rim’s job is to absorb as little of that energy as the particular design of a given piano permits, reflecting the acoustic vibrations back into the soundboard and then releasing them outward as sound waves to the ear.
The species and density of the rim wood will determine the degree of efficiency of reflection of sound vibrations toward the ear. Many manufacturers use relatively soft inexpensive hardwoods for rim construction, such as Philippine mahogany (lauan). Steinway uses only more costly North American hard rock maple, known for its unexcelled density, durability, flexibility, and reflective efficiency as well as tonality.
Steinway is the only manufacturer that bends the inner and outer rims together at the same time into one homogeneous unit, thereby eliminating the possibility of rim separation between the inner and outer rims as the piano ages. A separated rim will compromise the tuning stability of the piano as well as have a detrimental effect on tone.
When it comes to the matter of a grand piano’s musical quality, evaluating the role of the case gets a little complicated. How one actually defines the “case” becomes all-important.
On one hand, many in the piano industry consider the rim, so integral to producing the piano’s sound, as a separate part altogether. What’s left are the other exterior parts of the case–like the lyre, the legs, the music desk, or the fallboard–which do not significantly affect the musical quality of the piano.
On the other hand, others in the piano industry believe the rim should be considered part of the “case,” as the outer rim of the grand is part of the visible cabinetry.
“The outer rim not only defines the primary curved furniture of a grand piano but is integral to its sound,” says Phil Schoonmaker, a veteran piano consultant at M. Steinert & Sons. “So the case, in my view, includes the outer, visible rim which provides architectural design and beauty as well as structural construction essential to tone production.”
According to this view, the case, with rim included, becomes an essential part of the musical quality of a grand piano.
Steinway’s patented one-piece continuous bent rim generates its strength by bending single laminations of premium, straight-grained rock maple in an unbroken curve to form the rim of the piano.
The process of bending our rims completely by hand has taken place in Steinway’s factories for over 140 years, and recent developments in that process have produced a vastly improved piano rim.
Today’s Steinway rim has improved stability, durability, and strength, which together create the distinctive Steinway sound. Never before has Steinway’s rim emboldened the company’s patented Diaphragmatic Soundboard to vibrate so freely and generate a golden tone.
Thus, this patented rim not only helps to strengthen the case but contributes mightily to Steinway’s signature sound.
The outer veneer of the piano’s case does not affect musical properties. A designer Steinway Model B has no more or less musical quality than a standard ebony Model B.
However, the outer veneer of a grand piano’s case can be an expression of the owner’s individuality or decorative style. While the classic ebony Steinway grands are the ones that spring to mind automatically from their ubiquitous presence on concert hall stages around the globe, Steinway has always made available a range of case styles for its customers.
Perhaps best known is the Crown Jewel Collection, with fine veneers like high-quality mahogany, walnut, and East Indian Rosewood, among others.
Steinway also produces limited edition grand pianos, partnering with famous performers like Lang Lang and Lenny Kravitz.
Wrapping a piano’s case in the best color for one’s interior design is another option available at piano stores like M. Steinert & Sons.
As with standard ebony grands, the care and maintenance of more individualized, limited edition grands make a huge difference in any future re-sale.
For musical quality, resale value, and aesthetics, the piano’s case matters a great deal. It is the first part of the piano that the owner or audience sees. Plus, it is what protects the other 12,000 parts within the piano.
Combined with the unique Steinway bent-rim, the case plays a major role in creating the Steinway sound.
The best way to appreciate these contributions of the case to a Steinway grand is to come into one of our two showrooms in Boston and Newton to allow your senses to take in several different Steinway grands.
In the meantime, learn more about the way Steinway cases are made by reading this article:
What is a Steinway factory tour like?
by Stephen N. Reed, updated January 2023.
Buying a piano is an investment–an investment in the musical quality of the instrument, which, in turn, is protected by thoughtfully caring for the instrument and the high-quality materials used to make it. As strong as the woods are in a grand or upright, they are still susceptible to the elements, like high humidity in coastal regions like Boston.
As a result, determining the best place in your home for your new piano is an important consideration. After all, what could be worse than investing thousands of dollars in a beautiful instrument with exceptional musical value, only to see that value diminished more quickly than necessary over time?
At M. Steinert & Sons, we have been helping our customers not only buy the best piano for them but also always consider how they will be happy after any purchase. That includes thinking about things like the best placement for their new piano in the home or institution.
Piano placement is an important decision, perhaps an even more critical decision than regular maintenance. Why? Because once a piano is placed, it often remains in that position for years.
All the more reason to make that placement a good one.
By the end of this article, you will know where the best potential places are for piano placement, understanding why some places are best while others are not. You’ll also understand how piano placement affects the mechanical, structural, and aesthetic dimensions of your piano, even its longevity.
Understandably, your piano placement may be constrained by the space and structures in your home or institution. Having said that, there are some areas to avoid placing your piano.
While having a piano by a window may seem a pleasant placement, this may be one of the worst possible places for the overall well-being of a piano, whether a grand or an upright. The air around windows change with the conditions outside, both on a daily and seasonal basis.
Temperature and humidity rise and fall, and a piano placed near a window experiences all of those atmospheric changes. This causes your piano’s wooden action parts to shrink and swell. Additionally, your piano’s tuning will be affected, causing your piano to need tuning more often.
Another place to avoid for atmospheric temperature issues is an air vent. Obviously, in this case, the atmosphere affecting your instrument is from inside your home, not outside.
Whether with air vents or other areas affecting the interior environment (e.g. fireplaces, heaters, air conditioners), your piano will not respond well to a frequently changing environment. The fewer changes in temperature and less airflow, the better.
Think “climate-controlled” for your piano’s space.
Whether near a window or skylight, you risk more harm than you may suspect from allowing direct sunlight to hit it even a little while each day. Even that much sunlight, day after day, month after month can cause your piano’s beautiful finish to fade.
Wood finishes are particularly susceptible to fading in sunlight.
Proper placement safeguards your piano’s structural, mechanical, and aesthetic condition. One major advantage is to put the piano in the best place in an insulated room. Having good piano placement results in your piano having its best possible performance, sound, and longevity.
According to Total Piano Care, a home or building’s inner walls and climate-controlled conditions are paramount when considering piano placement. Grand pianos, when placed in a room are better secured and sound better when their straight edge is against an inner wall, distanced from sunlight, air vents, or windows. Uprights should be similarly placed.
Ideally, grand pianos should be placed in such a way as to allow the pianist to look into the room and not into a wall. The bass side of the piano should run parallel to the wall. This allows the bass to bounce against the wall to the wider room and the treble to project into the middle of the room.
If necessary, a grand piano can also be placed at a 45-degree angle towards a diagonal corner.
A few exceptions to the inner wall placement are possible for adequate piano placement. For example, the middle of the room can be used if exceptional acoustics are possible with high ceilings and hardwood floors, or materials that aid in sound amplification and continuation are in place.
Again, wherever the specific piano placement is, the main concern is airflow and atmospheric changes near the piano. This safeguards your investment and its musical quality from unnecessary deterioration and tuning instability.
A bit of good news: Mature piano brands like the Steinway Family brands, Yamaha, and Kawai are more resilient to environmental changes due to their careful materials selection, expertise, and experience via warranty claims over the years.
Homes are not always built with pianos in mind. As a result, a few inches may make the difference between placing your piano in your favorite room or another.
At M. Steinert & Company we know that it’s difficult to fully think about placing a piano until you have it in your home. That’s why we created piano templates that our piano consultants can bring to your home, if you’re in the greater Boston area, to ascertain the best piano placement and size.
Learn more in the articles below. Read how about floor patterns and how to determine what size piano will fit in your space. You’ll soon see why floor patterns can be so helpful.
Make an appointment to talk with one of our piano consultants at our Boston or Newton location. They can assist you as you decide on the right piano–and right piano placement–for you.
by Stephen N. Reed
The “Steinway sound” draws many individuals and institutions to purchase a piano from one of the Steinway Family of pianos: Steinway, Boston, and Essex. But what is so unique about this sound, this tone? Why do upwards of 95% of performing concert pianists worldwide prefer it to that of other brands like Yamaha and Kawai?
Learning more about the Steinway sound is important, as reading about it and experiencing it in an Authorized Steinway Dealer piano store will help you decide if one of the Steinway Family pianos is for you.
Whether you buy a Steinway-designed piano or not, playing pianos and hearing the sound for yourself are critical parts of the buying process. Steinway pianos have a unique sound and you don’t want to find out after the purchase what that is. At that point, it would be too late to factor into your decision then.
Here at M. Steinert & Sons we’re an Authorized Steinway Dealer and have been introducing people to the Steinway sound for years. Granted, we believe in our product, as any piano store does.
However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t acknowledge the better points of other quality piano brands, like Yamaha and Kawai.
By the end of this article, you will be more familiar with the Steinway sound and how it compares with the sounds of Kawai and Yamaha pianos. You’ll learn about its wide-ranging palette of color and its well-rounded tone which speaks to those piano performers who prefer it to all others.
Among the over 95% of performing pianists who prefer Steinways, the handcrafted Steinway sound comes up repeatedly. Steinway Artist Lang Lang is representative of this kind of testimony.
“As a child, I had the chance to play an old Steinway for the first time at an awards ceremony at the conservatory near my birthplace Shenyang,” explains Lang Lang. “I got goosebumps because this piano was so connected to my heart and soul. Suddenly the same piece sounded so much more beautiful, and I thought, “Wow, this is the energy of a Steinway.”
From that point on, he tried unsuccessfully to replicate the Steinway “golden, delicate and sweet” sound on his own piano. When he later attended a Peking conservatory, he went out of his way to practice on a Steinway every chance he got.
Today, Lang Lang is an international piano superstar, one that was sought out by Steinway to help design the limited edition Black Diamond Model D. For Lang Lang, it all comes back to that same Steinway sound he fell in love with as a child.
“This instrument not only has the beauty but the sound, the emotions, the whole feeling,” says Lang Lang. “No matter how you play, you always have these wonderful qualities.”
Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein says that the Steinway sound has had a hand in shaping what many concert-goers believe a piano should sound like.
“I think generations of pianists’ muscular-nervous systems have been shaped by how the action feels and how the action and the sound merge into this playing experience,” says Gerstein. “And for the listeners, it’s this experience of listening to the Steinway sound that has really cultivated what we think the piano sound is.”
Gerstein believes that the Steinway sound is found in the way Steinways have been made for generations.
“I think it’s this combination of technical ingenuity and handcraftsmanship because a large percentage of work is still done by hand and by people that have been selecting wood for the soundboards their entire lives,” Gerstein says. “And this results in this unique half-machine, half-living musical instrument.”
When talk turns to Steinway-designed pianos, you’re going to hear a good bit about their soundboards. Steinway & Sons engineers saw early on how the right kind of soundboard could make all the difference in a piano’s tone. In fact, they prioritized their “Diaphragmatic Soundboard” so much that they patented it.
This unique soundboard is based on an innovative patent to achieve optimum performance in dynamic range and maximum sustain.
The Steinway-designed soundboard is gradually tapered from the center to the edge, permitting freedom of movement and creating a sound of unparalleled richness, sonority, and sustain.
The fact that the tapered soundboard goes right to the edge of the piano case keeps the sound from escaping easily, giving Steinway-designed pianos a certain fullness.
Today, this soundboard’s wood, Sitka Spruce, is sourced entirely from an island in Alaska, the only location that meets Steinway’s stringent specifications. This unique micro-climate provides this spruce with the highest quality grain density, direction, and color, thereby improving the transmission of tonal string vibrations.
Steinway’s piano-rim machining center achieves an unparalleled fit between the soundboard and the rim, ensuring pristine resonance, tonal color and purity of sound.
Steinway introduced the Hexagrip Pinblock in 1963, a breakthrough that enabled pianos to hold their tuning longer and with great precision. The exclusive design provides the tuning pin with smoother movement under torque, a more uniform retaining action, and a piano that holds its tuning longer.
Steinway constructs its soundboard bridges from vertically laminated hardwood with a horizontal grain, capped with solid maple. Each Steinway bridge is notched by hand for precise, individual string-bearing, another advantage to a handcrafted piano.
Steinway’s popular Model D and Model B have a single-piece bridge. It is one long continuous bridge from the highest treble to the deepest bass.
This design ensures optimal sound transmission from the strings to the soundboard. It also allows for the instantaneous transfer of the vibrations of some 233 strings throughout the bridge and the soundboard, creating more colors to the Steinway palette.
This wide range of colors to the piano’s tone is one of the main reasons professional pianists prefer playing a Steinway: they simply have more ways to express their experience of the music. The piano becomes an extension of their inner passion. They channel their emotions into a more complex and subtle expression of music via the Steinway keyboard.
The use of Hard Rock Maple in Steinway-designed pianos produces a key difference in their sound. Boston pianos use the same kind of Hard Rock Maple used in Steinways for their inner rim. The result is more sound projection and less rim sound diffusion compared to the Kawai.
A wide-tail rim shape, cast-iron plate, an all-wood action, low tension scale, and string length all contribute to the purity of the Steinway sound. Brands like Yamaha and Kawai, with their higher tension scale, have a “brighter sound” than Steinway-designed models.
In contrast, Steinway-designed pianos have a tone that is known for its warmth, longer sustaining tone, and greater dynamic range. This tone is distinctive, quite different from Yamaha and Kawai models.
The best way to wrap your musical soul around this famous Steinway sound is to experience it for yourself at an Authorized Steinway Dealer’s showroom, like one of M. Steinert’s two showrooms in Boston and Newton.
Our seasoned piano consultants can answer any questions after you sample several Steinway models, listening for that famous, warm, bell-like Steinway sound. It is a sound that inspires pianists to play at their best.
“Owning a Steinway, and performing on Steinways, constantly inspires me to be a better pianist,” says Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome, concert pianist, Director of the Piano Academy at M. Steinert & Sons, and Founder of the Main Line Music Academy.
“The rich variety of sound and the amount of subtleties that Steinway permits is unmatched by any other instrument I’ve ever played,” notes Sonya. “The level of refinement its sound allows a pianist to achieve makes us strive to perfect and refine our technique.”
Set up an appointment at your next convenience. In the meantime, learn more about the yearlong process that goes into every handcrafted Steinway. This article will help illustrate the highest grade of materials and handcrafted efforts that go into making the Steinway sound.
What is a Steinway factory tour like?
by Stephen N. Reed
In 2022, you may well be told that the premier piano model you want to buy is not available at the moment. Why? Because piano companies like Steinway & Sons have an interesting problem on their hands.
Sales of their new grands and uprights have been so strong in the past year that those seeking those same models this year may have to wait for their piano to be produced.
In the case of Steinway, their American factory in Astoria, New York –which services the entire Western hemisphere–simply can’t keep up with demand.
Yes, Steinway is on it, and production is being gradually increased, as the company trains skilled workers. However, this increase in production is never at the expense of the quality that is Steinway’s trademark.
This kind of limited supply is rare in the piano industry, and typically such supply catches up with demand in a relatively short amount of time.
Nevertheless, a piano brand of choice having limited supply could pose a problem to the individual or institution who needs their new piano by a certain date.
In these times, what course of action should a piano buyer take to have the best chance of securing their preferred model when they need it? We’ll explore this course of action below.
At M. Steinert & Sons, we have helped customers with limited supply issues during five wars and one Great Depression. For over 160 years, we have learned how to secure quality new and used pianos for a wide range of customers. Our Premier Dealer status gives us a unique advantage in securing pianos in these remarkable times.
By the end of this article, you’ll know what you can do, in tandem with a Steinway Authorized Dealer, to obtain your preferred premium model of piano by your deadline.
2021 was an outstanding year for Steinway piano sales, better than expected. As a result, the company is making the necessary adjustments to increase production.
“Demand has simply outstripped supply right now,” says M. Steinert & Sons President Brendan Murphy. “So each Authorized Steinway Dealer has been allocated a finite number of new Steinways this year. Because M. Steinert has represented Steinway & Sons pianos for well over a century, our allocation is greater than many dealers and has a greater number of larger Steinways, like the popular Model B.”
Brendan notes that those needing a piano by a certain date will want to place an order sooner than later.
“Though we have been allocated a certain number of Steinways, they aren’t made yet but will get here throughout the year as they are finished,” says Brendan.
Placing your deposit puts you at the top of the waitlist. Upon receipt of the piano at our Service Center, the piano will be fully prepped by our factory-trained technicians and you will be invited in for a private showing. Our technicians are dedicated and talented and will work with you to make sure you are happy.
If you prefer to wait for the next piano to arrive from the factory, you may do so. No piano will be delivered until you are fully satisfied.
Here are the steps to go through while waiting for a new Steinway this year:
With a little bit of advanced planning, a new Steinway or another premium piano can still be purchased, despite the current limited supply. Check in with your Authorized Steinway Dealer like M. Steinert & Sons to determine what we have allocated and when you can expect your desired model to be available.
If you can wait, purchasing the new Steinway you really want will be worth it. After all, these popular models have a limited supply for a reason.
But if you need your piano sooner, we’ve got you covered with new models from Boston and Essex, the two Steinway-designed brands, as well as a range of top used models.
Learn more about new and used pianos in the article below:
New vs. Used Steinway: Which is the better value for me?
by Stephen N. Reed
The Boston piano line is produced in a Kawai factory in Japan but is designed by Steinway engineers. Some understandable confusion has resulted from this arrangement.
True, despite having many of the same features as a Steinway, the Boston is built outside the Steinway Factory by an Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM. Kawai is the chosen OEM partner for the majority of the Boston line of pianos currently. So is the Boston just a Kawai?
Actually, Kawai is simply one of the OEM providers for Steinway, hired to produce the Boston in Japan to Steinway’s strict specifications. As a result, even though the Boston is built in the same facility by some of the workers who build Kawai’s line of pianos, Boston’s design and materials are quite different from Kawai pianos.
In order to better understand the OEM / Designer relationship, let’s explore a well-known product outside the piano industry; a product that you probably have in your pocket right now, you may even be using it to read this article: a smartphone.
Everyone is familiar with Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android-based phones. Did you know Google Android phone and Apple’s iPhone are both manufactured by the same factory? It’s true. Foxconn is an Original Equipment Manufacturer for many different brands of smartphones.
Despite being manufactured by the same company, no one considers the iPhone just another Google Android phone. This is because the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s role is to simply produce the phone as designed and specified by the designer.
Google’s design and specifications differ greatly from Apple’s design and specifications. It is the same with the Kawai factory and Steinway & Sons. Kawai’s role is to simply manufacture the Boston piano according to Steinway’s design and specifications.
M. Steinert & Sons has been in the piano business for over 160 years, helping individuals and institutions to discover the best piano for their particular needs. Since their rollout in the early 1990s, Boston pianos have been among our most popular models for customers looking for a high-quality piano at a reasonable price.
By the end of this article, you will understand the differences between a Boston and Kawai piano, most importantly in the overall design but also in the materials used to create the Boston.
Steinway & Sons set out to build the best piano possible beginning in 1853 in New York. Over the years, that mission statement has resulted in well over a century and a half of proud Steinway owners and inspired musicians. Over time, the costs of producing Steinway & Sons pianos have increased precipitously.
In the early 1990’s Steinway & Sons recognized that while their pianos were still the best in the world, the price-point was becoming unattainable for many musicians and institutional clients (schools, churches, etc.). So, they took their century of piano design and manufacturing experience and set out to design a new line of pianos called Boston.
Steinway designed 5 distinct grand pianos and 4 distinct upright pianos at Steinway & Sons’ New York factory. Once the designs were completed in New York, Steinway set out to find an Original Equipment Manufacturer.
The Kawai factory was known for having a consistent output and consistent product. It was for this reason that Steinway & Sons entered into an OEM/Designer relationship with the Kawai Corporation.
As Kent Webb, Steinway & Sons’ Manager of Technical Services and Support, has noted, a great chef can prepare two different recipes in any sufficiently-equipped kitchen.
That is the case here. Steinway recognized the consistency of the Kawai factory’s production and their ability to produce a piano to a set standard of quality. Together, they have proven that two quality piano lines–different in nearly every respect–can be built in the same production facility.
Kawai produces consistent quality production pianos and has deservedly attained greater acclaim in the past two decades. What easily distinguishes them from other production pianos is their ABS plastic and carbon fiber components for their pianos’ newer actions.
Kawai suggests that ABS plastic and carbon fiber material makes their actions stronger than all-wooden actions in other lines like Boston.
This is a key selling point for Kawai. As a result of this ABS plastic and carbon fiber action, Kawai maintains that they are more consistent than all-wood actions. However, Kawai continues to make its keys and hammer shanks of wood, so they seem to still value some wooden parts.
In contrast, Steinway-designed pianos like the Boston have all-wood actions, which avoid the risks involved with having plastic/wood parts that aren’t as compatible.
For example, while wooden action parts expand and contract as a result of ambient humidity changes, they are doing so at the same rate. The entire action expands and contracts together.
As a result, all-wood actions have less of a chance of having the glue joint break. Thus, all-wood actions are known for their stability.
Wood action parts also have different tensile strengths when compared to plastic, which affects the overall feel for the pianists. Pianists tend to enjoy playing a wood action.
Still, Kawai aggressively markets their actions, highlighting what they call long-term precision and a highly stable touch and tone.
Japanese pianos from Yamaha to Kawai have often been described as having a clear, simple tone, not very complex. Bostons, like Steinways, have a warmer, more rounded tone, and have much of the same complexity as a Steinway.
Let’s take a look at some of the other Steinway-design features built into the Boston that makes them different from Kawai and other piano lines.
Susan Kenagy is one of the Steinway engineers who designed the Boston from the ground up at Steinway & Sons’ New York factory, calling upon 165 years of piano manufacturing.
In a recent conversation with M. Steinert & Sons, Kenagy noted that, while the Boston and the Kawai do have the same legs and pedals, when it comes to the features that determine touch and tone, the two brands are quite different.
The Boston now has the same kind of Hard Rock Maple used in Steinways for its inner rim. This produces less vibration and less absorption of sound than the Kawai.
“The Boston has a different wide-tail design rim shape, cast iron plate, low tension scale and string length, bridge, pin block, action, and front-end aesthetics,” notes Kenagy. “Plus the Boston now has the same kind of Hard Rock Maple used in Steinways for its inner rim.”
This provides more stability of the soundboard and less absorption of sound into the rim than the Kawai.
Kenagy also notes that the entire Steinway family of pianos–Steinway, Boston, and Essex–all have similar tonal characteristics because of their design.
This tone is distinctive, quite different from the Kawai. The Steinway family of pianos has a tone that is noted for its longer, sustaining tone, warmth, and greater dynamic range. “They have this same kind of tone due to the design recipe they share,” Kenagy notes.
But Kenagy says that having brands with a range of tonal qualities is not a bad thing at all. “That’s the great thing about humanity,” she says. “We like different things.” Some pianists may prefer a more clear sound, while others like the warmer, even tones of the Steinway family of pianos.
“Different brands have a different tonal target,” Kenagy notes. “One brand may be aiming towards a different part of the market, which is fine.”
Other Steinway-designed features used in the Boston include:
Kenagy notes that Steinway and Kawai teams work very closely to adhere to quality standards. She notes that the two companies act very collegially and meet frequently online and in-person to review any spec or design changes.
Boston’s engineers are always innovating and improving their instruments. Of course, the great advantage for Boston pianos is their relationship to Steinway. Everything that Steinway has learned about piano design and construction from their long experience is considered in the design of the Boston—musicality, longevity, durability, and future residual value.
The Boston 178 PE II grand piano. The PE II series has several improvements, including a lower-tension scale, resulting in a deeper, clearer bass, better treble sustain, and more transparency in the tenor range.
In 2009, 18 years after the launch of Boston in 1991, Boston’s first Performance Edition models were rolled out, further distinguishing Boston pianos from other brands.
This first Performance Edition included the patented Octagrip pin block, which gives the Boston a smoother pin turn and more consistent pin torque. This allows for more precise tuning.
In keeping with Steinway’s design experience, Boston pianos are constantly improving. The Performance Edition II rolled out in 2016, includes a lower-tension scale, resulting in a deeper, clearer bass, better treble sustain, and more transparency in the tenor range.
Additionally, the PE-II features a luxurious Pomelle Sapele veneer on the inside rim of Ebony finish grands and a rose-gold colored plate. Black felts have been added for the plate, under the fallboard, and around the pedals.
As you’ve learned, no, the Boston is not a Kawai. They are two separate pianos designed by two different companies.
This matters on several levels, including Boston’s trade-in policy. When you purchase a Boston from M. Steinert & Sons, you get our Lifetime Trade-up Promise: full value trade to a new Steinway for your life.
The best way to discern the differences between the Kawai and Boston lines is to test some of their models for yourself. At M. Steinert & Sons, we encourage our customers to make informed decisions, so that they have no regrets later. We want you to have the best piano for you.
Going to a Kawai dealer, then coming to one of our two showrooms in Boston and Newton, will allow you to determine which piano is best for you. One of our senior piano consultants will be glad to show you our Bostons and any other Steinway-designed models.
Until then, you can learn more about Steinway-designed pianos by reading these articles:
Differences between cheap and expensive pianos
Going from vertical to grand: one customer’s story
by Stephen N. Reed
For over 160 years, M. Steinert & Sons has seen the latest developments as new pianos have been introduced to the public. In all those years, Steinway’s Spirio | r has been the most impressive and exciting new development. Spirio | r is a revolution in player piano artistry and technology thanks to its easy-to-use ways to record, edit, and share piano performances.
What makes the Spirio | r special is its high-resolution, live performance capture and playback. This capturing of live performances is especially remarkable in that the individual playing the Spirio can record and edit their own recordings with the same high-resolution quality as a Steinway artist receives from recording in a professional studio.
Jonathan Kotulski, a piano technician at M. Steinert & Sons, describes the unique experience the Spirio | r provides:
“It’s fun for the person playing because it’s a kind of Do It Yourself project with the recording and editing the Spirio | r provides,” Jonathan notes. “Obviously, you’re not going to have a team of audio engineers in your home like a professional recording artist would have in a studio. However, the Spirio | r’s technology makes it accessible to you.”
As a result, you can develop your audio recording and editing skills, sharing your recordings with a teacher, colleague, or friend.
Plus, when you want to take a break from your own piano recording and editing, Spirio features a unique and growing library of over 4,000 high-definition performances, some digitally-remastered recordings from Steinway Artists of yesteryear and others from today,
But how does the Spirio | r actually work? This article will explore this remarkable piano model–how it works, its impressive capacity, and its high-resolution quality. Steinway’s goal was to enter the player piano market and quickly dominate it by delivering exceptional new technical features without compromising the instrument’s renowned Steinway tonal range and color.
Steinway’s great investment of time and energy into the Spirio line has clearly paid off, as now one-third of all Steinway sales are Spirios.
Yamaha began to develop some early player piano models in the 1980s. Then they created a new model, known as the Disklavier MX80 series, created in the early 1990s. Like the prior models, the MX80 series was recorded on floppy disks and recorded performances in a Yamaha-proprietary file format.
This system was a forerunner of the subsequent industry-standard file format known as Standard MIDI Files. Technical innovations found on these early model instruments included hammer sensors for recording, as well as recording and playback of incremental pedal data on the Yamaha Disklavier “wagon” Grand (featuring a large, rolling external control unit).
After rigorous research and testing, Spirio’s playback edition first entered the market in 2015. In order to achieve high-resolution recording, Spirio had 1020 levels of key and hammer velocity, along with 256 increments of positional pedaling.
Then, in 2019, Steinway introduced the Spirio | r, which is capable of both reproducing and recording high-resolution piano music for later playback. The key here is “high-resolution.” In fact, the Spirio | r features the highest resolution for recordings by player pianos today.
How did Spirio | r arrive at this level of high performance? Happily, the engineers involved in creating Spirio have explained the essence of the process.
IPS is an engineering firm that worked with Steinway on Spirio. They explain how Spirio’s state-of-the-art high-resolution audio is made manifest.
IPS notes that their hardware and software engineers carefully added to the traditional Steinway grand piano a high-performance, embedded control system, consisting of distributed microcontrollers networked for the high-speed movement of data.
These controllers provide precise timing in a multi-step note-driven process, producing accurate timing and dynamics of note events. This process allows Spirio to reproduce the nuances of the original performance.
Additionally, hammer velocity and proportional pedaling are monitored hundred of times per second. The high-resolution recording hardware captures the artist’s performance, thereby ensuring the most accurate reproduction to date of dynamics, timing, and pedal motions.
Multiple self-calibration processes allow the control system to adjust its note-driven waveforms, maintaining consistent sound quality and precision.
For more detail on IPS’s engineering work on Spirio, click here.
All of this is extraordinarily advanced, 21st Century audio technology, software development, and electronic engineering. It is designed to produce the high-resolution, nuanced sound any audiophile seeks. This level of high-resolution technology is needed to record a Spirio player’s exact, subtle, soft and loud key strikes.
Whereas Yamaha’s Disklavier library often relies on low-resolution data files, Spirio’s entire library is recorded at the highest resolution possible. Steinway has created a proprietary data file format that captures the nuances and full range of emotion from each artist’s level of performance, resulting in a heightened level of playback and recording.
Spirio | r’s nuanced playback and recording come from a combination of both the proprietary data file format, along with Spirio’s ability to replicate smaller increments of velocity on both the hammers and proportional pedaling.
This technology captures a range of subtlety and nuance that, before now, has not been possible. Spirio | r allows the player to experience that same range in their own recordings.
Clearly, today’s Spirio | r is an impressive blend of traditional craftsmanship and state-of-the-art, high-resolution technology.
However, if such an instrument is difficult to use, all that superior technology will come to naught. Part of the opportunity Steinway saw was to make Spirio easy to use for the average person.
Spirio’s iPad interface is one everyone can learn to use. The elegant interface has made this 21st Century self-playing piano extraordinarily popular.
A person with very little experience with technology can suddenly entertain dinner guests like a tech pro, simply by accessing a selection of songs from the Steinway proprietary music catalog. With the advent of Spirio | r, that same person can record, edit, save, and send friends their own latest piano recordings.
Best of all, Spirio only takes one step to access the piano’s technology, while others in the industry can take up to four steps.
“Spirio’s simplicity is a virtue that removes barriers, enabling pianists of all ages to engage with its software through an iPad Pro,” notes Patrick Elisha of the M. Steinert & Sons Education Department. “Whether studying and improving upon one’s playing or capturing a special performance in the home or concert setting, Spirio | r captures piano playing in a new and dynamic recording medium that will influence the way that we learn and experience piano playing for years to come.”
The Spirio | r is another example of Steinway’s commitment to easy-to-use technology. The Spirio system is operated through the same Steinway Spirio App, which detects when connected to a Spirio | r piano and provides a seamless recording interface that is both intuitive and easy to use.
In addition, Spirio | r features connectivity options through the internet, WiFi, USB, Bluetooth, MIDI, and HDMI, allowing for exceptional interoperability.
Steinway & Sons embraces innovation at the company’s core. In October 2021, Steinway announced a bold new feature on new Spirios: Spiriocast. In a nutshell, Spiriocast allows multiple Spirios to connect for live performances anywhere in the world. A top piano performer could be playing at a concert hall in Sydney, Australia, while you enjoy the performance with friends in your home.
But this is not simply a remote broadcast, as you might experience on television. The piano performer’s music is channeled directly through your Spirio keyboard, bringing you a more enlivening, intimate, interactive experience.
Imagine pressing a single key on a piano, and simultaneously, across the world, that same key moved on hundreds or even thousands of pianos – that is the magic of Steinway Spiriocast.
Video of the performance is remotely relayed as well, but the main attraction here is the stunning clarity of the music, since it is live, coming from your piano, right in your own living room.
Whether it’s a masterclass by a world-renowned teacher, or a performance by a friend, family member, or artist from anywhere in the world, Spiriocast adds some incredible possibilities.
As with the rest of Spirio’s technological innovations, Spiriocast is easy to use, as demonstrated by Boston-area groups successfully linking up to Spiriocast performances.
At M. Steinert & Sons, our goal has always been to help customers find the best piano for them. Increasingly, we find ourselves fielding questions about the Spirio, especially the Spirio | r. Prospective buyers appreciate Spirio | r’s potential for helping students and others with their development as a musician, along with the exceptional high-performance audio and video entertainment options it offers.
For the curious, the best way to learn more about the Spirio | r revolution is to come into one of our showrooms in Boston and Newton to try it for yourself. Our seasoned sales consultants can walk you through the easy-to-use interface and demonstrate the full capacity of this modern player piano.
Meantime, read more about the Spirio from these additional articles:
Could the Steinway Spirio ever become obsolete?
