BUYER BEWARE:
IF IT DOESN’T HAVE 12,116 GENUINE STEINWAY PARTS IT ISN’T A STEINWAY
If you are considering the purchase of a used or rebuilt Steinway piano then there are several very important questions that need to be answered.
What is the age of the piano?
This can be obtained from the serial number on the instrument and resourced from the piano atlas available at all authorized Steinway dealerships.
The reason you need to know the age of a rebuilt/reconditioned Steinway is so you can determine what important and new patents the piano will be missing. There are over 120 patents on a Steinway ranging from year 1878 to 1996.
Though the older Steinways were the best piano in their day, today’s artists prefer today’s Steinway piano by an overwhelming margin. Rebuilt Steinways will only feature the patents of their birth date, nothing more. If that era did not have a diaphragmatic soundboard, accelerated action, or a duplex scale design, then you will be missing key features that make Steinway the most preferred performance piano in the world today.
Assuming you have found the Steinway that you want, the next question should be, Has the piano been rebuilt or reconditioned? If the answer is yes then ask, Who did the work? What is their background in this line of work? Has this person been thoroughly trained at Steinway’s factory, having completed all phases of this technical training program? And when was the work done?
If the piano was rebuilt at the Steinway & Sons restoration center then a Certificate of Authenticity should accompany the piano. This means that all parts replaced in the piano are guaranteed to be genuine Steinway parts. There is no exception! Do not let any rebuilder try to persuade you that generic parts are just as good. The Steinway restoration center is the only authorized Steinway piano rebuilding and restoration facility in the United States.
Once generic parts are used that Steinway is no longer a Steinway. It will not play or sound like a Steinway should. Also, your Steinway is one of a few pianos that will appreciate in value. Although it will cost the rebuilder less to rebuild the piano, it could well cost you thousands of dollars in value on the investment side.
The seller or rebuilder should be able to present you with a detailed list of precisely what was rebuilt or reconditioned. A good first question to ask about any rebuilt piano is, was the soundboard replaced? If the answer is yes, unless the piano was shipped back to Steinway, the soundboard will be a generic soundboard. Steinway does not sell its soundboards to anyone. This part is the heart and soul of the piano and there cannot be any substitutions.
Never purchase a Steinway before it is rebuilt and without playing and hearing the finished product. Handmade Steinway pianos can differ like night and day. The old saying is, “There is a Steinway for everyone you just have to find your Steinway”.
THE ONLY PIANO BUILT TO BE REBUILT IS A STEINWAY
For this reason, most web sites advertise rebuilt Steinways. Be careful. Most of these rebuilders are not authorized Steinway dealers or Steinway factory trained technicians. Many web sites that are advertising rebuilt/reconditioned Steinways are using generic parts. If they do not tell you up front that the parts used were not genuine Steinway parts do not bother to deal with them. Before you make any purchasing decision hire a qualified piano technician to confirm the authenticity of the Steinway you are considering. If the rebuilder claims they are genuine Steinway parts, then ask for a guarantee in writing that will refund all of your money if you find one generic part in the piano.
WEB SITE HEADINGS TO BE AWARE OF
Steinway Pianos For Sale… should say used or rebuilt Steinway pianos for sale.
Sub-Headings
New parts with a list of the parts they used… this does not tell the buyer if the parts are genuine Steinway parts or just new generic parts.
These sites are not being up front with people and you should not have to ask these questions. If these deceptive practices are used then that is your clue to stay away.
Reputable dealers will tell you up front if this is a new piano, used piano or a rebuilt/reconditioned piano with genuine Steinway parts or generic parts.
Most of the “Steinway Specialists” always have an answer why generic parts are better than, or as good as the original, or why older Steinways are better than new ones. Steinway has been designing and building pianos since 1853. They invented the modern day grand. There are over 120 patents on a Steinway. Over 95% of the world’s top performing artists choose Steinway and over 1,400 of the world’s top artists own Steinways as their personal pianos.
Many major institutions, symphony orchestras, and festivals purchase new Steinway pianos. They do not purchase older Steinways that are in original condition or rebuilt condition and for a good reason. They know that the state of the art technology in the new Steinway is simply not available in the older models.
If you question any of the mentioned facts contact your local Steinway dealer, or the customer service department at Steinway & Sons.
Do not fall prey to web sites and people that will tell you anything just to sell a piano. Certainly there are honest sites you can visit but the question is, which one is honest?
You may need to invest a little more to get the real thing. But over time you will be awfully glad that you did.
You should only have to purchase one Steinway in a lifetime.