At the Piano Shop Bath we have been lucky enough to play a number of the Steinway pianos that have come through our showroom over the years, each and every one has been a very special instrument. So how nice it was to see last night a BBC four special offering a glimpse into the manufacturing process of Steinway Pianos. The gorgeously shot BBC one off featured a behind the scenes look at the Steinway factory in Hamburg as well as Steinway hall in London. The 300 or so artizans that work in the Hamburg factory possess individually specialised knowledge that enables them to create pianos worthy of the Steinway name. I found it interesting to see that the craftsmen who build each piano each work on a highly specialised aspect of the process and can only imagine the level of expertise this method of production must eventually engender. Once all the elements are working together perfectly the piano can begin its journey out into the world, often to be played by the leading pianists of the age. However, the process of creating the perfect instruments does not happen overnight, it takes 12 months and 12,000 parts to build a Steinway model D piano. In an age of machines and overwhelming industrialisation there is something pleasingly reassuring about this, reminding us that the old way of doing things hasn’t completely disappeared after all. It is perhaps no surprise that after such loving and careful construction Steinway pianos stand the test of time, we currently have a number of Steinway grand pianos in our showroom that are over one hundred years old, but still play wonderfully today. These grand pianos really are true testament to the quality of craftsmanship that goes into every Steinway piano.
The Steinway model A Grand pianos we currently have in our showroom date back to the 19th century and have been expertly reconditioned by senior technicians who posses the intricate knowledge required to fully restore these grand pianos. The model A in rosewood dates back to c.1878 while the polished ebony model A is from 1896, both of these grand pianos are delightful to play and quite classic instruments in and of themselves. In an age of built in obsolescence it is really quite refreshing to know that somethings are still built to last. For more information on any of our Steinway Grand pianos do call us on 01225 427961. We currently have two model As in stock and arriving very soon, a completely restored Steinway model o (watch this space).