Trouble with Steinway

[AD43]

I was once in Wales looking for an instrument to practise on for my piano exam and I found a steinway upright. First impressions were alright, it was solid, but when I played it the tone was dull and it was far too quiet. Has any one else been frustrated or tricked by Steinway which seems to be rather overrated and resting on it's laurels?

[AllenAnalog]

How old was the piano? That can make a huge difference in the condition of the strings, hammers, downbearing, etc. All of those factors can diminish the quality of the sound of the piano. Even new pianos typically get voicing done on the hammers to bring out their best sound.

[andijah]

Even the best piano may suffer from old age - or from bad acoustics in the room where it stands. You can't expect any piano to withstand the various factors of time, negligence and whatever else might play a part.

Side note: while I wouldn't say no if someone gave me a Steinway grand as a present, I'd prefer Steingraeber when it comes to uprights. ;-)

[jbird604]

There have been discussions along these lines in the past, as it seems that there are many different opinions about Steinway, the sound and quality, etc. Your experience is not unique. I too have played a few of them that I found disappointing, but perhaps it was due to age or other factors.

The Steinway uprights that I have encountered seem to have a certain "solid" character that sets them apart mechanically from many other pianos, but may also have something to do with the impression that the instrument is harder to play or less responsive or that it has a "woody" quality to the tone. Some of the most accomplished pianists I know own Steinway uprights and/or grands and are perfectly pleased with them.

To my ears and fingers, there are others that I'd prefer to play if I played piano every day. I almost never encounter a Yamaha piano that I don't love. It seems that with few exceptions pianos that come out of Yamaha are very well built and are voiced and regulated to perfection before they are shipped. Steinway fans may prefer their Steinways, which many claim get better with break-in or which only come into their own when regulated and voiced after delivery.

[Leisesturm]

I'm not even a pianist and I know that it is Steinway Concert Grand pianos that get people's hearts aflutter. I didn't even know Steinway made uprights. I feel kind of greasy being taken advantage of in this way by the o.p. who has to know this. As well as all the other qualifier points mentioned by previous posters to me. Not sporting o.p., not sporting at all :-(

[samibe]

I think they are way overrated as a company.
https://organforum.com/forums/forum/...6-why-steinway

[RogerM]

I know precious little about pianos. I understand that they need tuning but that's about it. From this forum I see that they also need regulating and possibly also further setting up after delivery. What is regulation and why is it necessary? What, if any, further setting up?

Just in general layman's terms, please, to expand my knowledge - I have no intention of getting one.

[tpappano]

In a prior life I had an old upright, and was impressed at the complexity of such an old invention. As I understand it, regulation is adjusting how the keys and hammers function together in striking the strings and adjusting the actual felt on the faces of the hammers. The hardness, softness and texture of the hammer has a big effect on the tonal color of the note. Uprights in particular have several adjustments on each key that determine how the hammer actually strikes, rebounds and is held until the key is released. If I was ever to get another used one, I think I would want a Mason & Hamlin model 50.

[samibe]

Tuning a piano is adjusting the string tension so that the piano is at the correct pitch and sounds as good as possible.
Regulating a piano is adjusting all the little screws, wires, levers, etc. so that the piano functions mechanically.

A piano action has several levers for each note. The pivot points and contact points on each lever wear with use and over time may get to the point where notes don't play as expected. Inconsistencies (note-to-note) are frustrating to deal with (way more so than a piano that's slightly out of tune).

In my book, tuning a piano without regulating it is akin to putting a new paint job on a car that is so mechanically out of wack that it is scary to drive. A piano that needs regulation is frustrating (if not downright scary) for a pianist to perform on.

A new piano usually needs a bit of regulating and a good tune (often with a pitch raise) once it's at its new home. In my experience, new Steinway pianos usually need a lot of regulation (and sometimes modification) so that the mechanical action functions within Steinway's specifications.

[voet]

I sold my grand piano a few years ago to make room for my organ. If I were to purchase another piano, I think I would look at the Cassio GP 510 or GP 310. The sound is wonderful and you get the option 3 different piano sounds. The action is a replica of a genuine piano. They take up much less room than a grand piano.

[Organkeys Jones]

I've played a Steinway spinet years ago and it was impressive. It was in North Dakota in the home of a friend of Lawrence Welk.

But one time I was asked to play a concert for a university faculty women's club. The organizer said the hall had a Steinway grand, but they would bring in a different piano if I preferred. In all my years of playing piano or organ for events no one ever told me they would swap out instruments if I didn't like it! I assumed Steinway grand at a major university would be more than adequate. Went to practice the day before and what a surprise - the action was in bad shape, but too late to get another. Tuning was tolerable, so I worked with what I had! The ladies seemed to enjoy the performance. But I had broken my own rule of "Don't never assume nothing"!