Quality in Pianos

[Hans E. Sanders]

Greg,
In giving advise on grand pianos we are never comparing apples with apples, even if it is the same brand! I am really interested in what you and others believe in a "hand made" piano. I might have visited over 50 piano factories in the world and haven't found a truly "hand made" piano yet. The closest was a mom and pap shop in China. Forget about that quality. And now, if there are really those wonderful "hand made" pianos built, then there will be thousands of different quality produced each time, because there are millions of different hands. Isn't that the reason you select your Steinway 'D' because they all turn out to be different? Yes I know there was a Rembrandt some time ago and we are still waiting for the next Einstein. But to put the Steinways, Baldwins, Charles Walters and Masons into the hand made category is simply not true and unwise in the year 2000.

Hans Sander, RPT
U of L, School of Music


>>> MsPiano4@AOL.COM 04/04/00 09:40AM >>>
Richard/List
It seems that in giving advise on grand selection often we are not comparing 
apples with apples.  I find it less confusing to separate pianos by 
construction type. I use two categories for this.  Hand made and Massed 
Produced.  Some companies fall into a gray area but in general it makes 
sense.  

Some attributes of hand made piano's are.
1.  Small production.
2.  Hardwood rims like maple or birch
3.  Sand cast plates.
4.  Heavy bracing.
5.  Much longer production time.

Massed produced:
1.  Large production
2.  Softer rim material like mahogany
3.  V pro plates 
4.  Bracing is usually spruce or some other soft wood.

In massed produced it must also be mentioned that their are least three 
different quality levels re: Yamaha C series, GH series, GA series.  Kawai 
and Young Chang also have three levels.  So recommending a piano by name 
alone is unwise.  

Finally to place a massed produced piano in the same category as a hand made 
Steinway, Baldwin, Charles Walters, Mason , Etc., seems to put them in a 
class where they don't belong.

Greg