Steinway & Sons is one of the most reputable and recognizable piano manufacturers in the world. This brand is known to practically every person who is even slightly interested in pianos or classical music. This remarkable and already iconic brand has allowed us to enjoy its instruments for 170 years. Are you curious about how Heinrich E. Steinweg created Steinway & Sons? What patents of his are still used in pianos today? What is the difference between a Steinway piano made in Hamburg and a Steinway piano made in New York? Or why are Steinway pianos so expensive? Find the answers to these and other questions in the article below.
Table of Contents:
- How did Heinrich Steinweg create Steinway & Sons?
- Steinway the same as always only better – Steinway patents
- Where are Steinway pianos made?
- Steinway & Sons grand piano models
- Steinway & Sons upright piano models
- How old is my Steinway?
- How much does a Steinway piano cost?
- Why are Steinway pianos so expensive?
- How to sell a Steinway piano?
How did Heinrich Steinweg create Steinway & Sons?
The history of Steinway & Sons dates back to the 19th century and involves the founding of a German immigrant, Henry E. Steinway, his own company in New York. But let’s start at the beginning. Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (he changed his name to Steinway after moving to America) was born on February 22, 1797 in Seesen in the Kingdom of Hanover (Germany).
At an early age, he became interested in working in his father’s piano workshop. He built his first instrument as early as 1825 – a small square piano, which he gave as a wedding gift to his wife Julianne. It wasn’t until 1936 that Steinweg built his first kitchen piano.
You’ll find a replica kitchen piano on Klaviano!
In 1850, as a result of the economic difficulties that prevailed in Germany at the time, Heinrich Steinweg decided to emigrate to the United States with his family. Just 3 years later, he established his factory in New York with his sons. The first piano under the Steinway & Sons brand was made in 1853. Steinway was determined to create an exceptional instrument with excellent sound quality and design.
Over the following decades, Steinway & Sons continued its development in piano manufacturing. The company won many awards at exhibitions and fairs, which further raised its prestige. For many generations, the Steinway family oversaw the company, and the name became synonymous with quality and excellence in the piano world. Although the company has been sold twice and is now part of the Steinway Musical Instruments conglomerate, the tradition and reputation of Steinway & Sons still continues at the same high level. In addition to the Steinway & Sons brand, the Steinway Musical Instruments conglomerate is responsible for 2 other piano brands, Boston and Essex.
Steinway the same as always only better – Steinway patents
Steinway introduced all sorts of innovations and patents in piano production, which contributed to its reputation as a manufacturer of high-end instruments. Among his more important achievements were the use of a metal inner frame to strengthen the piano, the placement of longer bass strings over soprano strings, and the introduction of a repetition mechanism that allowed quick and precise repetition of notes.
Today, still every Steinway piano is created by hand, with materials of the highest quality. Both the production process itself and the materials used are a combination of many years of craftsmanship tradition and modern technologies. This is best reflected in Steinway’s slogan: We still make them like we used to… ONLY BETTER.
Steinway Spirio
Spirio is Steinway’s proprietary playback system. This is an innovative Steinway system built into select models of Steinway & Sons pianos. It allows you to play piano recordings made by famous artists on your personal Steinway piano. This allows you to enjoy the unique sound and interpretation of the masters live, as if these artists were playing in your own living room.
A new Steinway piano with a built-in Spirio system can cost from $122,000 to even more than $400,000, depending on the size of the piano, the finish and any additional features. If this amount stuns you a bit, you can look for a used Steinway Spirio for sale. Such copies are already available on the market, and their prices are more delinquent.
Where are Steinway pianos and grand pianos made?
Steinway & Sons has two main piano manufacturing plants: one in Hamburg, Germany, and the other in New York in the United States. Both factories are known for their high-quality production, but there are reportedly some differences between pianos made in Hamburg and those made in New York. You can learn more about them in the article STEINWAY – 9 things you need to know before buying a piano.
Steinway & Sons grand piano models
| Model | Length | Width | Weight | Price |
| S-155 | 155 cm / 5’1″ | 147 cm / 57″ | 267 kg / 588 ibs | Steinway baby grand – Check price on Klaviano |
| M-170 | 170 cm / 5’7″ | 147 cm / 57″ | 281 kg / 619 ibs | Check price on Klaviano |
| O-180 | 180 cm / 5’11″ | 147 cm / 57″ | 286 kg / 630 ibs | Check price on Klaviano |
| A-188 | 188 cm / 6’2″ | 147 cm / 57″ | 325 kg / 716 ibs | Check price on Klaviano |
| B-211 | 211 cm / 6’11″ | 148 cm / 58″ | 354 kg / 780 ibs | Steinway model B – Check price on Klaviano |
| C-227 | 227 cm / 7’5″ | 155 cm / 61″ | 425 kg / 936 ibs | Check price on Klaviano |
| D-274 | 274 cm / 9’ | 157 cm / 62″ | 500 kg / 1102 ibs | Steinway concert grand – Check price on Klaviano |
Steinway & Sons upright piano models
| Model | Height | Width | Length | Weight | Price |
| 4510 | 114 cm / 45″ | 148 cm / 58″ | 64 cm / 25″ | 218 kg / 480 ibs | Check price on Klaviano |
| 1098 | 118 cm / 47″ | 148 cm / 58″ | 64 cm / 25″ | 218 kg / 480 ibs | Check price on Klaviano |
| V-125 | 125 cm / 49″ | 153 cm / 60″ | 68 cm / 26″ | 267 kg / 588 ibs | Steinway upright piano – Check price on Klaviano |
| K-132 / K-52 | 132 cm / 52″ | 153 cm / 60″ | 68 cm / 26″ | 295 kg / 650 ibs | Steinway concert piano – Check price on Klaviano |
How old is my Steinway?
To get the answer to this question, be sure to find the serial number of your piano and then enter it into the Steinway serial number search engine. To get information about the year of manufacture of your piano.
How much does a Steinway piano cost?
Steinway is a reputable and high quality brand, which translates into their price. Prices, of course, depend on what model you are looking for, its condition, type of finish or age. In general, a new Steinway grand piano can cost from tens of thousands to even hundreds of thousands of dollars. For that, used Steinway grand pianos can already be found for as little as several thousand dollars. As for new Steinway upright pianos, their prices range from a dozen to tens of thousands of dollars. We can buy a used Steinway upright piano even for a few thousand dollars.
Why are Steinway pianos so expensive?
One of the reasons Steinway pianos are so expensive is their really high quality workmanship. Or the collaboration with the most outstanding artists and designers to create limited editions. For example, Joseph Burr Tiffany, Dakota Jaskson and Karl Lagerfeld have created their Steinway Limited Editions. Besides, Steinway & Sons is one of the most famous piano brands in the world. Steinway pianos have been played by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Billy Joel, Diana Krall and Lang Lang, among others. Steinway concert pianos are also regularly used in international piano competitions such as the Frederic Chopin Piano Competition.
Well don’t wonder why a Steinway piano/piano is so expensive, think better on what a sensational investment it is 😉
How to sell a Steinway piano?
Selling a Steinway piano can be a process that requires certain steps. You will find them thoroughly described and illustrated in the article: 9 steps to a fast and effective sale.