Considering a Used Steinway?
Caveat Emptor!
(buyer beware!)
A Quality piano manufacturer such as Steinway & Sons has made
several hundred thousand pianos throughout their One Hundred and Fifty-Six year
history. An unwritten testament to the workmanship, unsurpassed artistry and
enduring heirloom quality with which every Steinway & Sons piano is built can be
observed the fact that many of the pianos that have passed 75 years of age are
still around, and still playing.
For piano enthusiasts and
antique collectors alike, finding a vintage Steinway & Sons piano can be a true
dream. Often, they are at a price much less than brand new, and they often have
unique case designs.
The key question to ask
the seller is if the piano has been restored. If it has been restored, you MUST ask by
whom was it restored, and what on the piano has been restored. If the answer is that the restoration was carried out by
a technician other than a Steinway & Sons trained technician, and included
replacement of the pin-block and the soundboard, the piano, no matter how good
sounding to your ears, can no longer be called a Steinway & Sons Piano.
Steinway & Sons pianos
that have been lovingly restored by the Steinway factory Retain their value and
heirloom quality. In fact, Heirloom Restored™ is the name given to a piano that
has been restored by the Steinway factory.
Every antique dealer will
tell you that refinishing an antique piece of furniture lessens its value,
unless that refinishing was completed by the original company, or an artisan
trained by the original manufacturer. The same holds true for Steinway Pianos.
As is the case with vintage artifacts, Steinway & Sons pianos
are sometimes restored by well-intentioned persons, who during rebuilding and
refurbishment, replace authentic Steinway & Sons parts with “piano supply-house”
parts, While the finished product works and produces tone, once the authentic
Steinway & Sons components have been removed from the piano, the piano can no
longer be referred to as a Steinway & Sons instrument, and should have all
Steinway & Sons markings removed. The following procedures in piano restoration
can only be authentically reproduced by the Steinway & Sons Factory.
·
The Diaphragmatic Soundboard. Steinway & Sons does not sell
their patented soundboards to anyone. The only way to have a new diaphragmatic
soundboard in a vintage piano is for the staff at Steinway & Sons to install it.
·
The Pin-Block. The patented Hexagrip™ pin-block is
manufactured by Steinway & Sons for use in Steinway & Sons Pianos. They are
dowelled and glued into place by prying the rim apart to allow their
installation. If they need to be replaced, the rim must be opened once again to
properly remove the old pin-block and re-install a new one with dowels and glue
to hold it in its proper position. 40,000 lbs of pressure are pulling on the
pin-block, and a piano that has had its pin-block sawn out (as happens in most
un-authorized restorations) has only glue and a few wood cleats holding the
pin-block in place. A pin-block that moves a fraction of a micro-millimeter will
throw the tuning of the piano completely out of control. If you’ve ever come
across a “restored” Steinway & Sons that always needs tuning, chances are that
it has had its pin-block replaced by an unauthorized restorer.
·
Hammers. Steinway & Sons manufacture their own hammers using a
patented method with virgin-wool felt, a patented stapling and shoulder support
technique that is not copied by any other
manufacturer or piano supply house.
Far too often, however these “restored” pianos though have a
habit of ending up on antique dealers and piano warehouse showroom floors as
“Authentic Restored Vintage Steinway & Son’s Piano” priced well below the
average rate for a newer Steinway & Son’s piano of similar design and size.
So, be wary of Piano Warehouse Stores, Piano refurbishing
companies and antique dealers who say they can get you a good used, restored
Steinway and Son’s piano for a really good price. Chances are, if the deal seems
too good to be true, it probably is.
If you are in the budget for a used Steinway & Sons Piano, be assured that Trombino Piano Gallerie only sells unaltered used Steinway & Sons pianos that are in excellent condition, and Heirloom Restored™ Steinway & Sons pianos that have been fully restored by Steinway & Sons Restoration Department.
Please contact us for more information about Steinway Restorations.
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