We are thrilled to share this look inside our history, talented staff, along with a few reminders about what makes the Steinway piano such a remarkable instrument. This episode of New England Living TV originally aired on WBZ TV, the local CBS affiliate, in the Spring of 2021.
Learn more about 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 Charles Johnson, Updated November 2021)
Are you looking to purchase a Steinway piano? Or just curious, and aren’t sure whether to buy new or rebuilt? In this article, we explore the pros and cons of new vs. rebuilt Steinway.
When the possibility of Steinway ownership first occurred to me – I focused on the brand – and forgot that I was purchasing an individual instrument. The idea of owning a Steinway, any Steinway, was powerful – it’s what almost every pianist aspires to.
However, I didn’t ultimately inquire about the details of the piano and a pending rebuild which didn’t include certain Steinway parts.
Now, with the sweetness of a lower price forgotten and daily exposure to the touch and tone of new Steinway pianos, I’ve come to realize what I didn’t get. My next piano will be a new Steinway.
Suppose you are considering a rebuilt Steinway. In that case, you will need to consider every rebuild on its own specific merits and history to avoid the investment into a potential’ knock-off.’
First, let’s examine the term “rebuilt.”
Typically an older fine brand piano, acquired by a rebuilder to profitably resell by replacing critical parts to make the piano seem new.
Rebuilding is not to be confused with restoring a piano, meaning repairing existing parts. Rebuilding often includes replacing major structures and significant-finish work to retain aspects of the original instrument.
The piano rebuilding industry is dominated by the Steinway brand purely because Steinway is arguably the most prestigious and widely recognized brand of a fine piano.
Simply put, it is worth it for rebuilders to attempt to rebuild a Steinway piano since the brand name itself confers so much value. Rebuilders can charge a hefty premium for any piano that says Steinway on the fallboard or plate and “looks” like a Steinway.
Other pianos that will get rebuilt include Bechstein, Bosendorfer, Mason and Hamlin.
Typically, Yamaha and the other production pianos are not rebuilt. Their foundation structures are not conducive to this process and don’t have value on the rebuilt market.
There is always at least one rebuilder who will rebuild ANY piano, even if the rebuilding costs more than the piano is worth before or after the rebuild.
Dealers of non-Steinway brands often advertise that they carry used and restored Steinways to attract the Steinway shopper. See our new vs. used article for a deeper look at aged vs. new Steinway.
It still “says” Steinway on it, even if it’s only a label at that point.
As described in the “Cons of Rebuilt” Steinway – the shortcuts and cost-saving techniques employed by rebuilders will tend to reduce the end price. Note: a Steinway Factory Rebuild costs about 80% of new.
Steinway does offer a rebuilding service at their NY Factory – and a properly rebuilt Steinway can approximate all the features and characteristics of their new instruments.
The factory rebuild is a good choice if one has a family heirloom Steinway with sentimental or historic attachment value but wants it rebuilt to the quality of a genuine Steinway.
The expertise and resources needed to properly deconstruct, repair, and reassemble a fine instrument without falling prey to inevitable shortcuts is the province of Steinway alone.
Virtually all rebuilt Steinways are no longer authentic Steinways (except those rebuilt BY Steinway).
The heart of the Steinway sound, the patented Diaphragmatic Soundboard, cannot be made or installed outside of the Steinway factory.
The legendary wood selected for a Steinway soundboard is only available thanks to long-standing relationships with the best Sitka spruce suppliers. Steinway requires Sitka Spruce from trees on a north-facing slope – focusing on the straightness of grain, and 10 to 12 growth rings per inch.
Then, artisans select and match the planks for assembly and utilize a $500,000, custom piece of laser-guided machinery to complete the proprietary soundboard manufacturing process.
Essentially, no matter how hard they try, rebuilders and dealers can not recreate the sound of a Steinway soundboard. They can not manufacture their rebuilt pianos in the same manner or with the same materials. Steinway does not sell its proprietary soundboards or pinblocks to any rebuilding shop, dealer, or distributor.
In addition, the patented Steinway Hexagrip Pinblock is essential to Steinway tuning stability and overall piano tonality. The Steinway pinblock would be nearly impossible to manufacture outside of the Steinway factory – and if someone tried – it would cost as much as Steinway’s.
Rebuilders are forced to use generic substitutes of these critical components from various suppliers or create their own parts, resulting in an inauthentic Steinway piano.
Think of rebuilding a Ferrari, without using a Ferrari engine, and you get the idea.
Rebuilders leverage the likelihood that few buyers of rebuilt Steinways understand or will inquire about the role of these critical components. Buyers are often told they’re ‘no big deal.’ Yet, the unaware buyer is now getting a “Stein-was.”
To attract buyers to generically rebuilt Steinways, used Steinway dealers and rebuilders have perpetuated elaborate myths about a Steinway “Golden Age.”
Rebuilders created and now attempt to perpetuate this myth to suggest that Steinway pianos were somehow better in the past. They infer something mythical or magical about this period to propose that a Golden Age piano is better than a new Steinway. The reality is that there isn’t a “Golden Age” period. The rebuilt Steinway you purchased will not sound or play as well as a new Steinway.
The new Steinway retains old-world building methods where appropriate. Yet, Steinway also embraces new tools and technology where applicable as well. Continual investment in new machinery and ever-refined processes yields a new instrument with a broader range of tonal color and a more consistent touch.
Uninformed and unsuspecting consumers often fall for these romanticized lies. The well-documented fact is that the vast majority of leading concert pianists and professional music institutions worldwide have always performed on and invested in new Steinways for over one and a half centuries.
Only select dealerships can sell a new Steinway piano. Any business can sell a used or rebuilt one – and the golden age myth plays perfectly into our historic sympathies and sense of nostalgia.
The range of expertise among piano dealers and technicians in rebuilding old Steinways is vast, so buyer beware.
Some workmanship is low-grade at best, while others sincerely do the best they can within the limits of parts and materials available to them. Since they cannot obtain all the genuine Steinway parts and equipment they would prefer, there truly is no way a rebuilt Steinway can sound exactly like a new one.
There is no standard for accountability or consistency in the rebuilding industry, and the results and risks to the consumer vary widely.
New Steinway pianos (manufactured at the New York and Hamburg Factories) reflect all the experience, design refinements, and evolved selection of materials to maintain the reputation of the world’s finest piano and their place on the world’s concert stages.
In a heavily used institutional setting, a properly maintained Steinway & Sons piano has a lifespan of approximately 50 years. In a home with standard usage, that lifespan can often be much longer. The famous rim construction process creates the shell/foundation for a very durable instrument. Contrast this to other brands where a 10 to 30-year life is ordinary.
Only new Steinways have enjoyed the accumulated knowledge, expertise, and legacy of the Steinway factories since 1853. Steinway has produced 139 engineering patents to date, 13 in the last ten years alone.
Since 2016, Spirio technology has revolutionized the way many experience the sound of Steinway.
To maintain the quality standards set by Steinway and demanded by its customers and artists, the company must absorb the price of materials and the costs of skilled labor to produce these remarkable instruments. For this reason, the cost of a new Steinway has generally increased often at a rate greater than the annual inflation rate.
Since its founding in 1853, Steinway & Sons’ mission statement has been simple; “Build the Best Piano Possible.” This mantra is plastered all over their factory. Steinway will not compromise their mission statement to achieve a price point. So, as labor and material costs increase, the Steinway piano price must also increase.
There are only about 2600 Steinway pianos produced worldwide each year. Many of these go to China, where there is a burgeoning demand for them. Only a select group of dealers in the US are authorized to carry new Steinway pianos.
You will need to decide if it is worth the worry and stress to go the rebuild route. Determining whether a given piano is authentic and a technician is experienced and disciplined enough is a daunting task at best. Sometimes techs that at one time were highly disciplined don’t hold to the same standards over time when they realize they can cut corners and costs and still sell their wares.
We remind our new Steinway shoppers that 97 percent of concert pianists worldwide choose new Steinway pianos over rebuilt ones, so why shouldn’t you? As Lang Lang said, “I’ve been playing Steinway pianos exclusively for many years. In my experience, they keep getting better every year, and I have no doubt that the best Steinways ever produced are the ones being built today.”
To learn more, please view our Piano Bits Video about the role of design and time in piano manufacturing featured in our New vs. Used Steinway article.
Are you in the Boston region? Feel free to make an appointment to experience a new Steinway at one of our Boston area locations.
You can also fill out our contact form or piano finder form to assist you in finding the perfect Steinway piano for you.
Pianists performing with the world’s major symphonies continue to overwhelmingly choose STEINWAY & SONS, as evidenced by STEINWAY’S most recent symphony survey taken following each concert season to assess piano preference; during the 2018–19 season, over 97% of piano soloists performing with orchestras played on STEINWAYS.
The survey includes data from 794 performances with 100 orchestras around the world. These orchestras reported that 777 of their piano soloists performed on STEINWAY & SONS instruments. The rating is consistent with results of surveys throughout the last decade. STEINWAYS have never accounted for less than 95% of the performances reported in a given year. It is this data that consistently supports the assertion that STEINWAY is the choice of 9 out of 10 concert artists and is the preferred instrument of countless pianists, professional and amateur, throughout the world.
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at M. Steinert & Sons (please, regional customers only).
updated for 2023, by Brendan Murphy, President M. Steinert & Sons
So, your child seems musical. All those studies you’ve read about music and brain development are starting to resonate. The piano lessons seem to be sticking. Practicing is one of the only times of day you see him/her calmed, focused, and engaged. The piano teacher is saying the old keyboard is not cutting it.
Or that old piano you got for free from the neighbor is not sounding too good. (I thought it only needed a tuning…?) The piano technician refuses to work on the piano, saying it is beyond its useful life. Perhaps it’s time to get a real piano. BUT… What does a piano cost?
I am asked this question almost daily by musicians, pianists, and people just curious about my profession. The history of M. Steinert & Sons and the fact that I’m 4th Generation at the company are intriguing enough for the next question to be “What does a piano cost?” Well, the answer requires some explanation.
Pianos vary significantly in price from a few thousand dollars to over $1m. In this article, I’ll address the various factors that affect the cost of a piano and discuss the typical price ranges for different types of pianos.
First, there are generally three types of piano; Acoustic Grand Piano, Acoustic Upright Piano, and Digital Piano. In this article, we’re going to focus primarily on acoustic pianos.
The basic style will be the first factor affecting an acoustic piano’s price.
Is it a Grand piano or an Upright piano? Grand pianos are typically more expensive than upright pianos because of factors inherent in their design. Grand pianos are larger than upright pianos and require more labor and raw materials than upright pianos. These things alone point to a higher price point.
Going beyond the piano style (grand or upright), many other factors affect the price, including construction method, design, and materials used. These factors can be simplified into three categories of piano; Handmade Pianos, Production Pianos, and Economy/Stencil Pianos.
Handmade pianos are instruments in which the production process is typically limited and relies on the skills of the artisans and craftspeople building the pianos. Examples of well-known handmade pianos would be Steinway & Sons, Bosendorfer by Yamaha, Fazioli, or smaller concerns, such as Stuart & Sons in Australia.
Handmade Pianos are typically made to a standard of quality rather than a price point. Handmade pianos are sought after by professional and amateur pianists and music lovers, collectors, and buyers who demand the highest quality.
Handmade grand pianos are typically on the higher end of the pricing spectrum because of the high-quality materials used, more skilled craftspeople, and more labor-intensive processes. Depending on size and model, standard model handmade pianos can range from $60,000 to over $200,000.
See our article on The World’s Most Expensive Pianos
Production Pianos could also be described as “consumer-grade.” This piano category is designed by and has materials specified by a manufacturer and utilizes more automation in the construction process than a handmade piano.
Production Pianos will vary in quality and design and thus price point. Still, they often can be a good choice for families looking for a piano that can hold up to consistent household playing. They are typically backed by a solid design and a strong manufacturer’s warranty (when new). Some well-known Production Pianos are Yamaha, Kawai, Boston, and Essex by Steinway.
It is essential to know that many manufacturers that produce “consumer-grade” Production Pianos also employ manufacturing facilities and piano designs that fall into the next category, “Economy Pianos.”
While the name on the fallboard is the same, the design/manufacturing and quality standard are not comparable. Yamaha, for instance, builds pianos of similar look and size, some of which could be considered consumer-grade, others economy.
Production grand pianos vary in price from about $15,000 to $60,000, whereas production upright pianos range from $7,000 – $18,000.
At the turn of the century in America, hundreds of piano manufacturers built pianos, including M. Steinert & Sons. Over the years, all of these manufacturing operations went away, except for Steinway & Sons.
Today, companies manufacturing overseas (typically Indonesia and China) have repurposed many old American brand names for their piano designs. Stencil Pianos are manufactured to a single design and have various names depending on the regions they are marketed for sale.
Since the manufacturer uses the same piano design with different names, the piano’s name is essentially “stenciled” on. Stencil pianos tend to use lower-quality materials and are built to a price point rather than a quality standard.
Stencil Pianos are a good choice for the non-player that wants a piano for the home-décor design elements it can bring. In many cases, Economy/Stencil Pianos are not a good choice for areas with varying climates and seasonal changes as the instruments do not hold up well to varying seasonal environments.
Economy/Stencil Pianos vary in cost but can be found between $9,000 and $17,000 for a grand piano and $4,000 to $7,000 for an upright piano. For most buyers, the low cost does not make up for the instability and poor tone quality inherent in this piano category.
“Standard-design” acoustic piano costs are described above. A Standard Design could also be considered an “off-the-shelf” piano or a standard model in regular production. These are typically ebony-finished pianos in various sizes/scale designs.
Most manufacturers offer different veneer and color options.
Veneers often offered on Production Pianos, and Economy/Stencil Pianos are typically limited to mahogany and walnut. This option can add about 10-15% to the price of the piano.
Depending on the manufacturer, these veneers might be low-quality veneers of the original species stained/colored to look like the species specified.
Handmade Pianos offer higher quality veneers and often many more options. Steinway & Sons offers 15 species of exotic veneer in their “Crown Jewel” collection. This will add 15-25% to the price of the piano. Stuart & Sons offers dramatic veneer pairings on every piano; ebony is not an option.
Did you know that player pianos have been on the market for over 100 years? Today’s player systems have come a long way from the old pneumatic pump actions controlled by paper rolls. The systems of today can be native to the instrument, such as Steinway & Sons high-definition Spirio pianos or Yamaha Disklavier. Other systems from QRS and PianoDisc can be retrofitted to most pianos.
The native systems add about 25-30% to the instrument’s price. Retrofitted systems range in price between $7,000 to $15,000. Options such as onboard music, record functionality, and external speaker systems contribute to the price.
Often a manufacturer will offer a special edition case design. This can range from a different furniture style (Louis XV or Chippendale) to unique cases with an impressive range of veneer and color options.
Steinway & Sons offers a “John Lennon” edition piano with design features specified by Yoko Ono, including incorporating John Lennon’s artwork on the case.
Steinway also recently reintroduced a historic furniture style initially released in the 1940s designed by famed mid-century design firm Teague. Special Edition Case designs can add between 15-40% to the price of the piano.
A limited-edition case design differs from the above “Special Edition” in that the production numbers are limited. These pianos are produced to commemorate special occasions and special partnerships. Recently Steinway & Sons collaborated with famed designer Dakota Jackson and international concert pianist Lang Lang to create the “Black Diamond” limited edition.
Limited Edition pianos can cost as much as double the standard production model.
Most Handmade piano manufacturers will engage with clients to create a bespoke case design. In addition to clients’ bespoke visions, certain manufacturers will occasionally make a single one-of-a-kind instrument to commemorate an event or milestone. These instruments are usually produced in partnership with an outside artist or designer.
In 2016 Steinway & Sons created the Fibonacci for serial number 600000, featuring the Fibonacci spiral illustrating the geometric harmony of nature.
More recently, Steinway & Sons partnered with famed artist Paul Wyse to create the “Pictures at an Exhibition” Steinway to celebrate Modest Mussorgsky’s immortal work for solo piano with classical painting, Russian history, and meticulous STEINWAY craftsmanship.
Price ranges vary according to design and detail but often exceed $1m.
Unlike many stringed instruments (violins and cellos), pianos do not get better with age. The piano is a percussive instrument subject to tens of thousands of pounds of string pressure. A piano is made predominantly of wood, which is subject to expansion and contraction with seasonal or climatic changes. A piano’s value comes from its musical quality, not its age.
Design, craftsmanship, and materials used will determine the useful life of a given piano. Typically only Handmade pianos have significant value as used instruments, but condition and musical quality are the paramount determining factors for the value of a used piano.
In general, a well-maintained used Handmade Piano less than 30 years old can often be valued at 70-80% of a new piano equivalent. Production Pianos less than 10 or 15 years can be valued similarly. Economy/Stencil Pianos often deteriorate rapidly and do not have much value as used instruments.
Of course, there are many variables of a used piano; age, condition, usage/wear, replaced components, etc.
Anyone inside the piano business whether in sales, education, or technical work gets asked this question frequently. What do we think? The quick answer is – ready for this – it depends!
Many differing opinions are floating around as to what is the best way to provide humidity control for a piano. The popular opinions passionately expressed in favor of or against Dampp-Chaser units tend to be rooted in sincerely held beliefs. It is important to understand the facts as well as the motivations behind differing opinions.
This warrants a deep dive into all the factors that contribute to this important decision of whether or not to get a Dampp-Chaser installed in your piano. They are useful humidity control units in most situations. They are not the best practice for humidity control in some situations. Sometimes they should not be used under any circumstances. And they pose a unique challenge for new pianos.
Steinway & Sons does not cover warranty repairs on issues that were caused (or potentially caused) by Dampp Chasers. M. Steinert & Sons does not advocate for Dampp-Chaser products for new pianos under warranty, except where extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations necessitate their use, such as in many schools and churches.
The essential reason for this is that these units do not do enough to address the problem of humidity control.
Dampp-Chasers create a small localized ideal environment for the piano in the immediate surrounding areas of the piano, specifically maintaining humidity levels at the soundboard, bridges, and strings.
In regards to the grand piano, because of the location of the installed unit under the soundboard, Dampp-Chasers do not bring humidity control to the pin block or the action. The pin block, or wrest plank, the laminated wood part that holds all the tuning pins at the proper tension, is one of the most important parts of the piano and is severely impacted by changes in temperature and humidity.
After a piano has gone through many dry weather cycles, the pin block wood will dry out, the tuning pins will loosen up, and tuning stability cannot be achieved. A Dampp-Chaser system in a grand piano does nothing to prevent damage to the pin block. It does however benefit the upright piano pin block to a certain extent because of its closed design.
The priority for a new piano owner is to be thinking about controlling the humidity/temperature environment of the room that the piano is in. It can be difficult to control the climate of a larger space, but that is exactly what the new piano owner is responsible to think about and implement.
When investing in a new piano, setting up a properly humidified room for the instrument is always the priority. A properly humidified room ensures that the whole piano is getting the benefits of stable humidity levels, whether the piano is under warranty or older.
Another reason manufacturers of pianos and dealers of new pianos do not endorse Dampp-Chaser systems for new pianos under warranty is because of potential problems with installations. If these systems are not installed correctly by certified installers who are professional piano technicians, there can be damage to the piano.
This is also a problem for the Dampp-Chaser company. For these reasons, manufacturers and dealers of new pianos tend to recommend Dampp-Chaser installations only after warranty periods have expired and still should be considered only as an addition to total room control.
A piano is at its happiest when it is kept in a museum-like environment: 42-43% relative humidity year round without fluctuation is the target. This keeps the soundboard from swelling with moisture in the humid summer season and shrinking as it dries out in the winter in response to central heating systems which dry out the air.
When the soundboard swells, it quite literally tightens the strings making them go up in pitch. And when the soundboard shrinks, the strings loosen and the pitch falls flat. The soundboard is a delicate membrane and amplifies the vibration of the strings. On a very small scale, the soundboard moves and vibrates to act as a transducer and project the soundwaves into the room. These are desirable movements of the soundboard.
However, humidity-related movements to the soundboard are unwanted and can be detrimental. These movements are not visible, but they happen reliably in reaction to the changing seasons. If you can get the soundboard completely immobile in response to the environment, then you have achieved ideal humidity control. Ideal humidity control also prolongs the life of the soundboard, and when controlling the entire room, the action parts, pin block, and case (furniture) also benefit.
In New England climates especially, the dry season usually has a greater effect, so that over time pianos tend to go flatter and flatter each year, if they are not in a controlled environment or getting tuned regularly.
When the tuning changes because of moisture levels in the wood, you can guarantee that the scientific principle of entropy – gradual decline into disorder – is at play. The piano will detune in a chaotic way that will sound unpleasant to the ear. Creating this stable 42% target is usually accomplished through air conditioning and dehumidifiers in the summer and humidifiers in the winter.
Piano owners often get overwhelmed when trying to choose a humidifier. Humidifier options are basically standalone units, HVAC units, or in-piano units like the Dampp-Chaser. It is true that a Dampp-Chaser is both a humidifier and dehumidifier, which is one of the advantages of using this machine.
The Piano Life Saver System is completely silent and installed on the underside of your piano.
Components:
Humidistat: This is the brain of the System. It senses whether the micro-climate within your piano is optimal and automatically switches the System to function as a Dehumidifier or Humidifier to protect your piano from damage caused by changes in humidity.Dampp-Chasers must be installed by certified installers who are also professional piano technicians. They can only be purchased through certified technicians or dealers like M. Steinert & Sons.
Dampp-Chasers can make a good tuning last much longer, by immobilizing the soundboard, and keeping the same micro-environment for the string/soundboard system year round. However, they are not a replacement for getting the piano tuned.
And they are not a replacement for controlling the humidity level of the piano’s room. Dampp-Chasers are only recommended for pianos where room control is impossible or unaffordable. It is worth doing the research on humidifiers and taking measures to protect your investment, boosting the longevity of the instrument and the joy of music-making far into the future!
By Jonathan Kotulski, April 2020
In the search for universal truths regarding acoustic pianos – the list usually comes up short. We’ve developed a simple concept called the “two triangles” that attempts to explain differences between ALL pianos. Lofty goal? Yes. Impossible? You be the judge…
Not all pianos are created equal, and furthermore, time plays a huge role in the musical life of a given piano. There are so many myths spun about old pianos, it’s hard to know where to begin! Hopefully this video is a start and sheds some light on how and why pianos sound and feel different (over time!).
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!
