What makes a Steinway Piano last so long?
August 3rd, 2009 ~ Michael Inman
Why is it that Steinway pianos last for 60 – 70 years or more when other mass produced pianos last as little as 15 – 25 years? I was recently asked this question by a customer at Steinway Hall – Fort Worth. Beyond the obvious reasons attributed to the use of the highest quality materials and workmanship in The Family of Steinway Designed Pianos – Steinway, Boston and Essex – lies the use of a low tension scale design.
When you press a piano key, the hammer strikes the piano string. The energy is then transferred through the bridge and into the soundboard where it is amplified into the familiar piano tone. The relationship of how much downward pressure that the many strings of a piano exert on the soundboard is crucial; in that, if there is too much downward pressure or tension, then the sound board cannot vibrate freely. Conversely, if there is not a solid contact from the string to the bridge, then this results in a weak tone.
Most pianos built today rely heavily on modern machining techniques to produce more pianos in less time. It is beyond a machine’s ability to accurately and consistently create a piano with just enough string tension to create a powerful tone while not ending up with some strings that don’t put enough tension on the bridge and therefore create a weak, defective tone. So the solution for most manufacturers is to design a piano with a higher tension scale. This guarantees a consistent, loud tone, however the trade-off is that the tone decays much more quickly, since the soundboard cannot vibrate freely.
Low tension scale design allows for longer sustain as well as less strain on the piano over a long period of time. The longevity of the instrument is increased dramatically along with the pure musical enjoyment.