Read what people who play Steinway's have to say:
I've loved Steinways since I was a boy and first played them. I've loved listening to them on the many recordings of Arthur Rubinstein - and Horowitz.
Over the years, I've played a number of pianos that I've enjoyed - but typically have owned Steinways.
Why not have the piano whose tone you feel most attracted to?
When I was in the market for the most recent piano, I played a number of Mason & Hamlins along with Steinways - didn't really think about Bosendorfers or Bechsteins because I prefer the tone of American pianos... Why the preference? Maybe because of my familiarity with the sound. I have played hundreds of pianos at dealers and at the conservatory where I worked many years ago.
In any case, were I buying a piano today, I'd do the same - though I might broaden my search to be more national - and really check all the best rebuilders in addition to the big dealers on the East coast and in my area.
When either S&S or someone else gets it right, they are a fantastic piano - without equal in my opinion. I won't disparage other pianos because I do enjoy other instruments - but just to a lesser degree -- doesn't reflect on anything other than my personal preference.
Ken from Chicago
My first piano was my mother's Steinway console. My first teacher owned a Steinway L. As a kid I noticed that when I played my best friend's Baldwin grand, it felt different and sounded different. Not better or worse...just different from what I was used to. That preference for the sound and touch has remained with me since childhood.
When I resumed lessons as an adult it was with the same console Steinway I grew up playing. Very quickly it became clear to me that I either needed to sink some serious money into having the console rebuilt or buy another piano. For the money wanted for a rebuild I realized I could have a grand. I went shopping. I played Baldwins, an old Chickering, an old Bechstein, Yamahas, Kawais, Boston and of course, Steinway. The Steinway was simply out of the question because of my budget. I ultimately fell in love with a rebuilt M&H AA, circa 1913 that had the feel and sound I was used to in Steinway. I couldn't afford it. I spent several agonizing weeks trying to find a way to pay for it...and could not. The dealer would not come down on the price far enough for me to acquire it. So I bought a small Boston grand with the intention of not owning it for long, but as a step towards acquiring a Steinway.
Imagine my extreme distress when two weeks later this dealer ran an ad in the paper for that very M&H at a price $6,000 less than he offered it to me... At that price I could have owned it and that would have been end of story. That piano still haunts me.
But I am very happy with my Steinway. I was very fortunate that on the day I was looking at them, a well-known local pianist was in the store too. He gave the L a good "workout" in ways I could never repeat and pronounced it better than any of the Bs on the floor. It really does have a gorgeous sound and since the action has been regulated, it feels like the Steinway I grew up playing. There's just something about that accelerated action that I do miss in other pianos.
Anyway, I love my L, which is a good thing, because it's my last piano purchase!
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. - Beverly Sills Richmond Va
We do a lot of entertaining when we're at our home in NYC and I wanted a piano that most people we knew would feel comfortable playing. Steinway is pretty much the industry standard, so that's what I bought. I have a number of friends that play piano much much better than I do and they were kind enough to make numerous trips to Steinway Hall to try and judge pianos for me.
I really wanted a B but Steinway gave me a "template" and the biggest piano that would fit in the space allotted was an L--which is just fine.
My friends and daughter who plays, chose a piano they all agreed on and now we're very happy with our Steinway.
Tom from NYC
Piano with great action and most importantly a wonderful wonderful tone.
They sound like no other.
love, Õun (apple in Estonian) from Kanas
I started playing the piano in the first grade. We bought an old Howard upright from the neighbor down the block. My father and his brothers rolled it down the street to our house and carried down the stairs to our basement. That's where it still is today! Piano recitals were performed at my grade school on the gymn stage on a big black grand piano. I loved the way that piano sounded and the way it made me feel when I played it. The piano was an old Steinway B that had been donated to the school. They never tuned it or really paid any attention to it and we played it year after year. The piano is long gone now, who knows where.I've played many pianos in my 45 years yet that piano lives in my memory as one of the finest pianos I have ever played. In my 30's I bought my own Steinway. I think I will always have a Steinway.
Daly City Cal
Warning - Long Post )
Many thanks to those who shared their reasons for buying a Steinway. I've read your comments with interest. Here's my story.
I've played many pianos since beginning my search in February. I started out considering uprights, but quickly came to the conclusion I wanted a grand.
Piano Quest led me to ME, NH, MA, CT, RI, CT, PA, NY, MD, VA, and NJ. A number of dealers I returned a 2nd, 3rd, or more times to play the great pianos that caught my fancy. I feel the time was well spent and valuable in learning about the pianos out there.
It's amazing to me how each kind of piano sounds different. I kept an open mind and tried to judge each piano on its merits, not the name on the fallboard. Some of the pianos that caught my fancy along the way: Charles Walter, Kawai, Shigeru, Mason & Hamlin, August Forster, Bohemia, Grotrian.
Pianos I've played in roughly this order: Charles Walter, Mason & Hamlin, Conover, Kawai, Sohmer, Kohler & Campbell, Bechstein, Schimmel, Yamaha, Samick, Young Chang, Shiedmayer & Sohne, Schulze Polman, Wilm Steinberg, Chickering (rebuilt), Steinway, Boston, Baldwin (used), Ronisch, Shigeru, Estonia, Petrof, Essex, Pramburger, Fazioli, Bosendorfer, Pleyel, Grotrian, August Forster, Bohemia, Steingraeber, Bluthner.
My husband, Lloyd, told me for months, that from his observations of how I was responding to Steinway pianos, that Steinway is the piano for me. But I'm somewhat stubborn and didn't listen. I needed time and experience with the other pianos to decide for myself.
After playing all of these pianos, it came down to Steinway. There's just something in the tonal quality of a good Steinway - to me it's magical. To hear a single note is heavenly.
Steinways, IMO, have the most color and sweetest tonal quality. I chose a Steinway because of all of the pianos I've played, it's the one that most speaks to me; that feels right. I didn't buy it because of the name on the fallboard. No other piano speaks to me the way a good Steinway does.
Maybe it has something to do with wanting to be able to " or having to " dig into the keyboard to get to a certain place when the emotion strikes. The first time I played a Grotrian it left me breathless, literally, but I've had that experience with Steinway also, it just takes a bit more effort to get there.
Some of the music I write probably had to be dug out of somewhere, I speculate that I relate better to a piano that requires one to do a little more digging to get to the heart of the matter. Also, I'm not an open book in real life again, perhaps this relates to the experience of playing a S&S. As opposed to some other pianos that impress me as being immediately thrilling to play and with less effort.
There's also that thing that sprang out of nowhere that I blurted out to Keith Kerman during a visit to Pianocraft. We were talking about Masons and Steinways. I was trying to figure out why I love S&S so much. I said something like: Life is not always neat but is messy. Maybe that's why I don't like clean sounding pianos. (Clean sounding pianos such as Fazioli, Bechstein, and, yes, Mason & Hamlin). Hmmm.
That is not to say I don't like those other pianos. I do. If I could, I'd have more than one piano. But I need to get real.
Other pianos I seriously considered in roughly this order:
Charles Walter-Nice, but not quite the dynamic range I'd like. A clean sound. Not really the sound for me, I realized, after hearing other pianos.
Mason & Hamlin-Wow. But just a bit too brilliant for my taste. Anyone loving a clean brilliant piano, please, please make a point of playing a M+H.
Estonia-Wow-another phenomenal piano. But it doesn't have the sweetness of tone of a Steinway. Just my personal preference - for a sweet tone, that is.
Bohemia Very appealing. Sweet tone, terrific sustain; strong treble; responsive action. I have a few criticisms of this piano, but I still really liked it and found it quite impressive. A quieter instrument. Those who like the sweet S&S sound - play a Bohemia!
Shigeru-Wow-great piano. But my impression is they don't open up much when played forcefully. ?? And I kept waffling between: I like the tone; no it's too mellow. (I know it would brighten up, but...)
August Forster-Wow-Tonal quality IMO somewhere between a S&S and a Grotrian. Aspects of each in its tone. But, again, I was comparing it to a S&S. Why not take the hint? It's a S&S I want.
Grotrian- Wow-Great clarity & sustain; phenomenal treble. Oh, geez, the action - so responsive. In the end, it came down to opposite ends of the spectrum: Grotrian vs. Steinway. A piano that emphasizes the fundamental vs. a piano that emphasises harmonic content. Well, a Grotrian just doesn't sound like a S&S (well, gee - no kidding). In a side by side test, S&S won. It's the S&S sound that most gets me and I think that most gets me where I'm trying to go with my music.
The main reason I chose a S&S is its tonal quality. And the performance that accompanies *the tone*.
Jeanne W New England
Mainly because I'm shopping for a grand piano and have turned my attention to older/used pianos. I'm not finding new pianos in my budget that I really *love*. I find my personal gold standard is my piano teacher's piano, which is an old Steinway O. That is the sound I'm looking for, and guess what - I haven't found it anywhere but on Steinways. The older Steinways also appeal to me more than other names because, like it or not, financially they hold their value. I work in finance and this aspect is impossible for me to ignore.
SF Bay Area |
As a non-Steinway owner I'd like to chime in.
The best piano I ever played was a used Steinway. I loved it. It was about the same size as the piano I bought, but the reason I didn't buy the Steinway is because I couldn't really afford it (I didn't want to afford it). It was over $40K. I got mine for less than half the price and I've never regretted it one day.
Okemos, MI
Please take note:
Firstly , I only have the S&S B for one month while I had the M&H BB for 10+ years.
Secondly, this comparo is STRICTLY between these two pianos. It is not meant as my sweeping characterization of the brands in general.
General impressions of the M&H :
Bold, gutsy, extroverted, lionesque. Can be a little tubby. On the Yang side. If it were an athlete , I'd say a power lifter(the real strength comes from the legs) Similarly, the strength of the Mason comes from it's bass. An ideal piano for Oscar Peterson, perhaps.
General impressions of the S&S :
Subdued, intimate(draws listener in). Dark, on the Yin side. Mysterious. Chameleon like. If it were an athlete I'd say a gymnast(strength + flexibility) An ideal piano for Bill Evans. As an animal it reminds me of an elephant. A gentle soul which, despite it's size and power, can step ever so graciously. But don't be fooled, for the mighty beast can roar when called upon to do so.
So for me, these two pianos are like beautiful women. The M&H is the very sexy girl wearing not much more than a big smile and a provocative bikini. The S&S is the mature woman in the elegant evening gown with a somewhat devilish sparkle in her eyes.
At first it may be hard to resist the temptuous M&H, but in the long run, there is just so much more to uncover and discover with the Steinway.
I apologize to anyone ,including my wife , who may have been offended by my last analogy. I mean no disrespect.
Thank you,
Playing piano at age 2, it was thought that I was some sort of idiot-savant. As it turns out, I'm just an idiot.
From NY
My 1995 B New York Steinway has been with me since 1992. It was the fifth larger grand I have owned, Yamaha, Chickering, and Petrof to name just a couple of my previous pianos.
I developed a sound fatigue with all the previous pianos...and the Steinway just seemed to be alive with a sonorous voice that went from the top to the bottom...without changing "voices" if you know what I mean by that. It had not been played for sometime (ten yrs)as the owner had died and it was being kept as a shrine by his daughter. It sounded soggy, in a heavily carpeted and upholstered room,..but uniform...yet I was unsure, and of course the price was the most I had ever considered paying for a piano.
My tuner said buy it...you won't be disappointed....and I wasn't.
Now that it has been with me twelve years, there are things about the sound that I would tweak just a bit. Bring down the top and heighten the bottom. The opposite problem of the larger older Baldwins I understand.
Perhaps it is the Knabe D that arrived in my house 2 years ago...that altered my perception of what low notes can sound like. Although I realize it's not necessarily a fair comparison....7' to a 9' piano.
No matter how thrilled I am by the Knabe, there is still something that draws me to playing the Steinway,...the way the keys feel under the hands...the musical nuance that is easily available, and sometimes just the sheer power of the instrument. The Knabe is powerful as well, but in a different more massive tonal way.
I enjoy the differences that the two pianos provide and hope to keep the Steinway for sometime to come.
The Knabe D leaves for rebuilding on Monday so the Steinway B and I will have the witner to get more intimately re-acquainted.
What wonderful expectations for both the upcoming winter and for the spring when the Knabe returns.
skyblanche
Canada
I owned both a C-7e and the S-6 handmade.
Both were great pianos. Last year I traded up to a Steinway D.
I feel the action on the Yamahas are more consistently responsive, especially when brand new, hands down!!
The Steinways have THAT SOUND you can NEVER get out of a Yamaha, even the S6 or the CFIIIS. With the the most gifted tech, mine is certainly right up there, you will get a darker, warmer tone on the Yamaha. For a lot of folks, that's the end!!!
However, it's still not "THE STEINWAY SOUND"!! That sound that makes a lot of people shell out a ton of money for what sometimes is an inferior product.
Hey, I guess I belong to that club!!
Space is a consideration, but more importantly to me is the style of music you play.
Are you a primarily a classical player? A jazz guy like myself, who plays at classical music? Perhaps you're more of a pop/rock/r&b type. Or maybe somewhere in between all of that.
To be very general....most serious classical and jazz pianists and jazz/classical players would probably opt for the Steinway, even at the smaller size. This would exclude a lot of jazz musicians that are "Yamaha Artists".
I think the pop/rock folks tend to generally go for the brighter sound and more responsive action of the C7.
Seeing your located in Spain, I would guess all the Steinways would be Hamburgs....you poor guy!!
To echo Steve B's thoughts, play has many A's as possible....they differ greatly from piano to piano.
Enlisting the services of a good tech and another pianist you like/respect to come along can be of invaluable help when it gets down to crunch time. I've been there a few times myself....you're so wrapped up, you can very easily lose all objectivity.
It really comes down to....which piano speaks to you the best. No one can make that decision but you.
Hope my rambling helps a bit.
Good luck
Dave
Try them all!! It's fun anyway. I practice on a 2001 NY B and that thing is a monster...IMO one of the ultimate pianos.
If anything larger than an M would fit up the second flight of stairs in our building, I would most certainly figure out how to get a B.
Enjoy...
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-steve
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