Steinway Fibonacci Grand Piano
In the late 1980’s, I was completing high school and thought it would be interesting to try out the new computer program called “Choices”. Our guidance counsellor had this brand new hot-off-the-press system to help determine ideal career options based on a series of questions. You would sit in this tiny little cubicle and fill in little circles with a dull pencil that marked answers to questions like “Would you rather be in the garden or work on a science experiment?” After what seemed like an eternity the computer card filled with answers was then scanned into the computer and [...]
Interview with Udo Steingraeber
You don’t need to look at the artist page of Steingraeber Piano for too long before you start to realize that their pianos are highly sought after and prized by world renown pianists. It begs the question, what are they experiencing that compels them to perform on their pianos? What goes into a Steingraeber piano that sets it above others? I had the wonderful opportunity of sitting down with Udo Steingraeber at this last NAMM show in California. It was one of those unplanned, unscheduled talks which revealed much about this 6th generation piano maker and his company.
Glen Barkman: At [...]
Why Do Piano Keys Stick?
Aside from tuning the piano, there’s one question that gets asked more than any other. “Can you fix a sticking key?” The term ‘sticking key’ refers to a mechanical failure where a piano key is depressed and it doesn’t return to its normal position in a timely manner. It can happen on new pianos and old pianos alike and today we’re going to examine the main reason why piano keys stick.
F stands for Friction
The vast majority of the problems with a sticky piano key come from unwanted friction. That friction shows up in four forms: blockages, wood swelling, joint corrosion, [...]
Player Pianos in the 21st Century
A Voice from the Past
“Step right up… See the amazing piano that plays by itself!” I can just hear the man at a trade show in the 1920’s. “Just push the pedals and this paper roll will play songs like Swanee and The Entertainer and Bicycle Built for Two.”
This invention in the late 1800’s was quite remarkable. It functions similarly to a harmonica in reverse. Rather than blowing through holes in a harmonica, the player piano sucks air through a perforated tracker bar. The paper roll has a punch-out hole position for every note on the piano. Through the use [...]
The Ins and Outs of Piano Moving
“George… hands”. I was 22 at the time and this seasoned piano mover was a man of few words. When things at the local piano store were slow, they would send me as a swamper, a helping hand to move pianos. Cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth, tanned and etched lines in his face, I always found it amusing that he called any young guy “George”. I mean, why bother trying to learn someone’s real name? He would always say it with a smirk pretending as if he didn’t know. If we were delivering to a [...]
Bösendorfer Secession Grand Piano
Definition: Secession – se·ces·sion /səˈseSHən/- to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc.
This definition of Secession piqued my curiosity as I had recently viewed the Bösendorfer piano with the same name. It’s based on this very famous building in Vienna, Austria. Why Secession? What was the need to withdraw from an organization? I dug a little deeper.
In Vienna, Austria, during the 1860’s, there were 2 main academies of art, The Akademie de Bildende Kunste (the Academy of Fine Arts) and the Gesellschaft bildender Künstler Österreichs, Künstlerhaus (Co-operative Artist House). Works [...]
Optimizing Piano Acoustics At Home
“Just place the piano up against the wall”. It’s a common statement told to piano movers. But why should a piano be against a wall in the first place? Aside from the fact that the back of an upright piano is rather unsightly, let’s consider the placement of the piano. Although the perceived sound appears to emanate from everywhere on a piano, the predominant tone source is the soundboard – the large sheet of wood that amplifies the vibration from the strings. Piano strings make little sound by themselves without transferring the tone to the soundboard. If you think about [...]
The Sostenuto Pedal
There has never been said any words in the piano industry that are more divisive than “But does it have a middle pedal?” Why are these words divisive? Because the middle pedal on the piano is the least used and yet most focused on in the piano industry. I’ve often told the story about one of the greatest jazz pianists in my city, when he was just signing the papers to purchase a beautiful grand piano, he stopped and turned to me and said, “Glen, I’ve just got to ask… What does the middle pedal do? I get asked because [...]
Mason & Hamlin Features High Tech Components
I was in the office of a metal fabricator recently and admired his collection of vintage wooden golf clubs. Not being a golfer I inquired “Are these rare?” He laughed and replied “Not really… titanium and other alloys have all but replaced traditional clubs like these. I just like the look of them.” Having been around pianos most of my life, I’ve often wondered about the traditional use of wooden parts in the mechanical action of the piano. We somehow have managed to romanticize every aspect of this instrument and when faced with the possibility of making more efficient, versatile, [...]
Latest Cosmetic Trends in Pianos
To prove artistry and craftsmanship in the late 1800’s, pianos were intricately and ornately carved. As the Victorian era ended and we were ushered into the 20th century, many of the older piano legs were swapped for simplistic ones to stay ‘modern’. The advent of both world wars saw an era where mainstream piano cabinets became simple and plain and if you wanted something a little special you ordered an “art case” piano. Fast forward to the late 60’s… black is IN. Browns are in the background. Why? With the advent of resins and polyester finishes, there was a demand [...]
Making Bösendorfer More Austrian
I have to admit, I let out a big sigh 6 years ago when I found out that Bösendorfer was purchased by Yamaha. Why? I have nothing against Yamaha. It’s because like many companies as of late, small piano makers are sold to larger ones and they’re dissolved into bigger corporations and it soon becomes merely a name on the front of a piano. The history, the heritage, the piano making expertise are lost and replaced as a name plate – simply selling credibility on the laurels of a former name.
Regarding Bösendorfer, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Fast forward [...]
Researching Pianos - The Soundboard
When doing research on pianos, what role does the soundboard play? After a key is struck on the piano, the hammer is activated to strike against the strings. The vibration of the strings, in turn transfers the vibration through the bridge to the soundboard. It’s the job of the soundboard to act as a transducer, transforming the vibrations of the strings into audible waves of sound. While we casually talk about the soundboard being an amplifier, technically speaking an amplifier ADDS energy to multiply the sound source whereas a soundboard inherently transforms and radiates energy into sound waves. If you [...]
Michael Spreeman - Ravenscroft Piano Interview
This month I had the great privilege of interviewing Michael Spreeman, owner and founder of Ravenscroft pianos. They are a new addition to Piano Price Point. You can find their listings of pianos in the manufacturer index. It’s always great to hear inside the minds of piano makers and designers – why they do what they do. Hope you enjoy this talk as much as I did.
When was the company officially launched?
MS: The official date… we opened the Scottsdale Studio in 2004… wow, that was nearly a decade ago. Time flies when you’re having fun as they say.
There are so [...]
Testing Pianos Like a Pro
I have to admit, I’m a duck to water when it comes to playing the piano. If I see a piano, I’m always curious as to how it sounds and plays. Recently someone said to me “y’know you really should do a blog about how to test pianos… I don’t have the slightest clue how to go about that”. It’s one thing I do instinctively and it made me stop and think about my procedure.
Going back just over 20 years, I was a new upstart that just got hired by the local piano store. With 2 Classical degrees behind me [...]
Why Upgrade from a Digital Piano to a Real Piano?
The teacher has said “It’s time you start looking for a real piano and move up from a keyboard. You’ve outgrown this one”. Really? How does that happen? Just 2 years ago you bought this brand new 88 key weighted digital piano and now you’re being told that it will not suffice. They both have the same amount of keys and it has the same touch as a piano. Why do we need to upgrade? In order to answer that question, we need to look at the differences between acoustic piano (traditional piano with strings and hammers) and digital piano [...]
How Often Should I Tune My Piano?
Over the last few years, I decided to run a few ultra-marathons (marathons run on trails in the forest). And I must go on record by saying that maintaining fitness is much easier than trying to get in shape to begin with. It was an arduous journey trying to get ready for my first event. But when our bodies are used to a certain routine over time, it becomes the new normal. In essence, we train in order to raise the bar for a new level of expectation.
You wouldn’t think it, but pianos can be in shape or out [...]
How Much Is My Piano Worth?
The value of a piano is obvious ~ it’s the music that you make with it. But often, families are going through life changes which involve a house move and unfortunately, the piano needs to be sold. They invariably ask the question, “What are we going to do about the piano?” This question comes up because, as you can imagine, they’re not easy to move. We don’t simply pack them away in a cardboard box with the rest of our belongings. We live in a world in which monetary value is attached to objects. And despite the fact that it’s [...]
NAMM 2023 Piano Review
NAMM is always a great time to see the latest pianos. This was my first show since covid and despite being off-schedule in April (the show usually runs in January), it was nevertheless well represented. Many of the manufacturers opted out of this show because the upcoming show in 2024 is only 9 months away. These shows are a massive amount of work for presenters. When you think of how many pianos get moved and tuned, you can appreciate how much coordination and personnel are required to put together a booth and understandably, some manufacturers didn’t wish to present twice [...]
How To Remove Scuffs and Scratches from Pianos
It’s inevitable that pianos will get bumped, scratched and scuffed. High polish finishes are like mirrors and when something unfortunate happens, it can be not only disappointing but daunting to know how to remedy the situation. In this 2-part series we are first going to investigate removing scuffs and hairline scratches and then in the second part, we’ll look into chip and deeper scratch repairs.
Disclaimer: while this presents one solution to repairs, this is by no means exhaustive. It is just one method that I have found to be successful over years of working with pianos. If you don’t [...]
Pearl River and Schimmel Alliance
Recently I sat down with June Wang from Pearl River Piano Group and corresponded with Rob Slayman from Schimmel Piano to discuss their strategic alliance as I was curious how it had affected both companies. It was announced at NAMM 2016 that Pearl River had purchased a controlling interest in the Schimmel company.
Why do piano companies purchase other piano companies? We hear of company mergers in the news all the time. What is the impetus – the driving force for one piano company to acquire another piano company? If we paint with large brush strokes, on one side there is [...]
Who Is Grotrian?
The World Fair became The World Exposition which became Expo as we know it. I stumbled upon a book about the musical instruments from the world fair in the late 1800’s. It was said of Grotrian “There is no effort to produce them in great numbers, but rather to create in every one, as it passes through the factory, an instrument fit for the inspiration of great artists who have long accorded to its makers the highest place.” Of their experience, “It is said that nowhere in the world are there more veteran employees than in the factory of Grotrian.” [...]
Piano Touch with David Stanwood
I was speaking with someone recently about this blog post on touch, describing it as “an interview with a piano mathematician”.
“There are piano mathematicians?” was the reply. If people only knew how many calculations go into the engineering of a single instrument, they would be astounded.
Today we have the privilege of speaking with David Stanwood, a piano technician who also happens to be a published author specializing in piano touch metrology. (Metrology being the science of measurement). He has spent decades studying, pouring over data to understand what it is that we FEEL under our fingers at the piano [...]
Keybird ~ A New Portable Piano
Many years ago, I remember seeing a piano in a museum similar to the one shown above (built in 1787 by Christian Gottlob Hubert. On display at Germanisches Nationalmuseum – Nuremberg, Germany). I have often wondered why acoustic portable pianos never really took off. Although we’ve seen more portable keyboard instruments like harpsichords, accordions or electronic keyboards, they operate completely different from a traditional piano in that they either pluck the strings, use air with reeds, or play back a recording to create sound. This is unlike a real piano that utilizes mallets to strike the strings. But when you [...]
Making the Perfect Piano Black
Have you ever heard someone describe an object as being “jet black”? Jet is derived from the French word “jaiet”, a process that dates back to the 1300’s where lignite (a type of coal) was polished to a deep sheen. It was referenced as the benchmark for black as early as the 1700’s. But jet black has been overtaken by “piano black” as the example for the deepest, darkest, smoothest finish of comparison. In recent decades, with the advancement of technology and engineering, piano finishes have been perfected and there is now an association with “modern piano” as being black. [...]
Researching Pianos - The Bridge
In the last 2 articles, we examined the hammers and strings, which are primarily responsible for the initial impact of piano tone. But tone without amplification will not be heard. If you’ve ever listened to an electric guitar that is not plugged in, the sound of the strings is very faint. That’s because they do not have natural amplification from the soundboard which magnifies the tone. This month, we’re not going to look at the soundboard, however but the intermediate piece that transfers the tone to the soundboard. The part responsible for this is called the bridge because it acts [...]
LOOSE or LIGHT Piano Action? Your Upright May Have LOST Motion
I see this problem regularly with upright pianos, especially ones that haven’t been maintained. But this problem can also occur on instruments that have undergone a temperature and humidity shift. It’s also commonly found on old pianos with compressed or worn parts. It’s called lost motion. The name is appropriate because it refers to the simple fact that the piano keys are not “connected” to the hammer assembly. There’s a gap in between. So while you’re pressing down the keys, quite often, the hammers of the piano are not moving because of this gap. Essentially, the motion is lost. The [...]
Hailun Piano Factory ~ A First Glimpse
Three weeks ago I was in a discussion with Basilios Strmec of Vienna International (North American distributers for Hailun, Petrof & Sauter) regarding the creation of virtual piano factory tours on Piano Price Point.
After a slight pause his first response was, “Glen, how flexible are you?”
“Pertaining to what exactly?” was my reply not having any clue where he was headed.
“I’m leaving for China in 10 days and if you can clear your schedule, I’d like to invite you to Hailun Piano Company to do your first tour”.
Knowing I was planning a trip to Toronto for that week I said “Let [...]
Inside the Steinway Vault
Have you heard of the Steinway Vault? Deep in the basement of the factory in New York City, the Vault houses just a handful of precious pianos worth between $200,000 and $2,500,000! But you won’t be seeing these on the next public tour. The Vault is only accessible by biometric fingerprint to 4 people at the Steinway factory.
What makes these pianos so valuable? They are all situated there for different reasons: Lang Lang, the famous Classical pianist, is one of the few artists who has worked in conjunction with Dakota Jackson (furniture designer) and Steinway artists to develop the Black [...]
Piano Sizes ~ What Should I Buy?
I’ve heard this statement many times “I don’t want a concert grand, I’m looking for more of a baby grand”. To many, this is a completely normal statement. For those who have been around pianos, the translation is more like this: I’m not interested in a limousine, I’m looking for a subcompact car”. I believe that there is a lack of knowledge why the former statement is prevalent. People either see a massive piano on a stage or they see a piano in a home. VOILA! 2 sizes of pianos – concert grand and baby grand. When you start to [...]
Mapes Piano String Company - How Piano Strings are Made
Stephen Mapes established the Mapes Piano String Company in 1912 and shortly thereafter in 1918 it was purchased by John Adam Schaff. Now 4 generations later and employing 125 people in a space of 200,000 square feet, Mapes produces piano wire for many of the pianos we play on today. This month I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andy Wilson from Mapes to discuss some of the basics of piano string making.
Glen Barkman: Mapes is the oldest piano wire maker in North America. How old is the Mapes company?
Andy Wilson: Mapes is not only the oldest but the [...]
Mason & Hamlin VX-94 Concert Grand Piano Review
It’s not every day a new concert grand gets unveiled. In my mind, concert grands are the Formula 1 pianos where a company invests the very best in technology, materials and workmanship to present their utmost to the world. This year at the NAMM show (pre-covid in January 2020), I had the opportunity to play the newly released VX-94 concert grand from Mason & Hamlin.
What surprised me about this piano was the response. I guess I was anticipating a beautiful sounding and playing instrument. This piano did, in fact have both of those things in spades but what I was [...]
Public Domain Sheet Music
If there were one word that I would use to describe myself it’s tactile. When I’m not in the garage working on a project, quite often I’m in the kitchen and if I’m not in the kitchen, I’m doing something related to the piano. I suppose that it’s due to the fact that I like to be active and that quite often tactile activities have tangible results. One of my pastimes (I know, it’s a bit odd) is to browse recipes. If you have enough experience with cooking or baking, you can almost perceive what the end result might be [...]
Why Upgrade to a Professional Level Piano?
Last month we looked at why upgrading happens from an electronic keyboard to a real piano. This month, we delve into the concept of why it is sometimes necessary to upgrade from one acoustic piano to another. Having been in sales, I’ve discussed this concept many times with parents shopping for a piano. The teacher has said, “your son/daughter is advancing and you need to consider upgrading your piano to something better”. This begs the question, “Why do we need to upgrade? And what’s inferior about my existing piano that makes it inadequate?”These are both valid questions. I need to [...]
NAMM 2024 in Review
This was the first year since covid that the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show was back to its regular January date and, in fact the first show where it felt back to normal. How was it? To answer that, I’m going quickly review the piano market over the last few years. Piano sales boomed during covid. Think about it – everyone was at home and with time on their hands, many turned to hobbies to fill the isolation. Piano stores sold most everything they had but replenishing stock and fulfilling backorders was challenging as many factories were [...]
Yamaha CFX Concert Grand Latest Release
I used to have a teacher who would frequently say, “For every single grade point PAST 80%, it takes as much effort as the FIRST 80.” I believe this statement to be true from experience. The first 80 is the easiest. Chipping away at every point past that is the challenge. The bulk of the work can bring a project into shape but it’s the pursuit of excellence, that’s where the challenge lies.
Yamaha is one such company that dedicates substantial commitment in resources to consistent research and development to refine their pianos. What’s interesting to note and what I’ve begun [...]
Laoureux Dampers
Today’s topic is piano dampers. When your finger depresses a key on the piano, the string vibrates allowing us to hear the wonderful tone of the piano. But what happens when we lift that same key? The key returns to its upright position and the tone stops resonating. Why? The piano mechanism called the dampers simply press felt blocks on the vibrating strings to terminate the singing tone.
To understand a bit more about dampers, we brought in Marc Venet from world renowned felt maker Laoureux in France!
But before we delve into piano dampers, we need to take a brief [...]
Visiting Petrof Piano
I walk up the stairs of the bell tower in the town of Hradec Králové (“City of the Queen”). The stone steps are worn because many have visited this monument built nearly 450 years ago. Massive beams are used to support the bell that appears to be about 5 feet tall. I think about the challenge of building a tower out of stone and then raising this 8 ton bell to a height of almost 200 feet without modern equipment. I’m sometimes baffled by the human spirit. It must’ve been a struggle to survive back then in everyday life. But [...]
Pianos With Headphones? Big Noise About Being Quiet
Recently, silent or quiet pianos have become more prevalent in piano manufacturing. In fact, in our Virtual Piano Trade Show, it seemed that silencer systems were a very popular theme this last year. What are these pianos they call “silent”? It sounds paradoxical doesn’t it? Why make a piano that you can’t hear? And why are they making the headlines in piano manufacturing? First of all, let’s take a look at what a silent piano is comprised of. But before we do that, let’s clear up some definitions of piano types:
Traditional pianos have hammers, strings, soundboards and cast iron frames. [...]
The Una Corda Pedal - The Soft Pedal
A few months ago we examined the mechanical and musical basics of the damper pedal. This month we’re going to look at how the una corda, also known as the soft pedal, works.
I was speaking with an older gentleman recently who used to be a typesetter for a newspaper, meaning that he would manually place letters in rows each day for the daily newspaper (pre-computer and pre-typewriter). Each of the letters in the alphabet was grouped together and were called “sorts”.
As the day progressed, depending on what the typesetting would require, you might run out of a certain letter, like [...]
What is a House Brand Piano?
If I would ask you to name 20 brands of pianos, how would you answer? Could you name 5 or possibly 10? Maybe you can easily name 20. Historically there are approximately twelve thousand brands of pianos! It is entirely possible to encounter brands that you’ve never heard of before. I’ve been in the piano business for several decades and I am still surprised by the number of piano brands that I’ve never encountered.
House Brand or Stencilled Piano?
Piano Price Point analyzes the pianos from today’s major manufacturers. But there are many names of pianos not on this list. Who are [...]
Bösendorfer Vienna Concert Pianos
They say that French cuisine and baked goods are inseparable from the ingredients grown there, that the quality of the food is due in part to the local culture from farm to table. In music, there is something similar in Austria known as the Viennese sound. It is a unique sound that is also considered inseparable to the culture. In fact, there are instruments named Viennese because they are actually constructed to produce tones in keeping with Viennese sound. So what is that sound? After visiting Vienna briefly, you gain somewhat of an understanding but it takes the experience to [...]
How To Buy A Piano
The thought of buying a piano can be exciting but it can also be a bit intimidating or daunting, especially if you don’t know anything about them. But have no fear, because at Piano Price Point, we’ve compiled so much of the data and written articles to make your job easier.
To narrow down the scope of buying a piano, you first need to decide what kind of piano you’re looking for. Ask yourself these three questions:
Are you looking for a grand or an upright piano?
Are you looking for new or used?
What’s your budget?
A grand piano is one where the strings [...]
Yamaha SX Grand Pianos with ARE
Yamaha quietly introduced something this year at the NAMM show that caught my eye. It’s not a new process. In fact, it’s been going on since the 8th century with the Vikings in their ship building. Since the 1930’s, Scandinavian countries have also been experimenting with it. You might even benefit from it with the coffee beans that go into your brew. But it’s only been since the last decade that this has taken the guitar world by storm. What is it? The process is called torrefication (aka torrefaction). In its simplest form, it’s a type of roasting, which involves [...]
Researching Pianos ~ The Action
“I shall build an Arpicembalo!” stated Cristofori excitedly. The year was 1698 and his new invention literally translated means “harp-harpsichord”. It would be a new instrument that would sound like a harp and have keys like a harpsichord. Harpsichords have plucked strings but this new invention would have mallets that strike the strings. It was described in the inventory of the Grand Prince Ferdinand de Medici, his employer as ‘an instrument that could produce both soft and loud tones with 2 sets of strings at unison pitch having a cypress soundboard’. Needless to say, the Arpicembalo name didn’t last but [...]
Researching Pianos ~ The Rim
Close to where I live is a sea wall made of large concrete blocks that extends out into the ocean. It serves to protect boats coming and going into the harbor. At times, the waves crash up against the sea wall and at other times, the waves bounce gently and you can see the reflected waves carry out to sea. Whenever I see these waves, I am reminded of how similar these properties are to sound and light waves bouncing off of a more rigid, reflective surface. Today’s topic is the rim of the piano. The rim is the outer [...]
Researching Pianos - Piano Strings
Last month we learned that felt matters. The quality and make-up of the felt determines the impact point and subsequent character of the piano as the hammers strike the strings. In response to that, the strings themselves vibrate and begin the process of making sound. We learned in the discussion of string tension that there are on average 230 strings running the length of the piano, two thirds of which are plain wire and one third is copper wound bass strings.
When doing piano research, what matters regarding the strings? Isn’t wire just wire? Piano wire is made up of drawn [...]
What's a Piano Cloud? QRS Music
You get your cup of coffee and log in to your computer. “Hmmm… not a lot of practicing from these students this week. Looks like Rachel is having problems with that new scale. Braden is having trouble with timing.” This is the new look of piano teaching in the 21st century.You get off work late and think to yourself, “All I want to do is relax on the couch and watch a movie like The Legend of 1900 or hear Billy Joel on the big screen and listen to it through my piano”. This too is the new look of [...]
Visiting Pearl River Factory
On this latest trip to China, I managed to catch a glimpse into the transformation of Pearl River Piano. Already the largest piano company in the world manufacturing more than 130,000 pianos annually, Pearl River Piano has its sights set on even greater advancement.
One hundred thirty thousand pianos annually equates into about 400 pianos being manufactured per day. Imagine though what it must be like to produce 400 pianos daily. With roughly 225 tuning pins per piano, that’s 90,000 coils per day. Conservatively a piano contains 200 pounds of iron for each frame. That would be 80,000 lbs of iron [...]
Weickert Felt for Hammers
Of all of the articles on Piano Price Point, I find this one the most compelling, the most interesting and the most transformative. A man named Jack Brand, third generation felt maker from Germany, owns a company that manufactures piano hammer felt for the world’s top brands. He tells us the story of how the secret felt “recipe” was lost in World War II and didn’t re-appear until 1990. This story is significant because the hammers on any piano mark the tone of the instrument. Having lost this recipe during the war meant that pianos would never be the same. [...]
The C. Bechstein Sphinx Grand Piano
There’s a church in Dresden called Frauenkirche (translated “Church of our Lady”) which was bombed on February 15th, 1945 during WWII. The church sat in ruins for 50 years until the reunification of Germany. But in 1989, a 14 member group under the leadership of a musician named Ludwig Güttler formed the Citizen’s Initiative for the reconstruction of the church. This grew into more than 5000 members, spanning more than 20 countries. The church was finally completed in 2005 and stands as a memorial to the world as a collaborative project of art, archaeology, faith and unification.
One of the teams [...]
