Tag Archives: steinway piano

Steinway Vs. Yamaha – What Piano is Harder to Play?

I was asked this question recently and it’s a tough one to answer. The brand of the piano does matter when it comes to how they are built and how they play, but even more important is the size of the instrument and the manner in which it is prepared.

The keys on larger pianos like concert grands, are longer than those of baby grand pianos (on the other side of the fallboard). So you will be moving more mass with each key press, requiring more energy to play.

Actions on different size pianos are weighted to compensate for their larger size, but a bigger action will still require more strength and can take more energy also because the strings are longer and there is more soundboard to excite.

When it comes to Steinway and Yamaha the opinions are endless. Some will claim that Steinway pianos are stiff and others will say that Yamaha pianos have heavier actions – or sometimes it’s the exact opposite!

So where does the truth lie?

The most important variable when it comes to how heavy an action can be is how it’s regulated by a technician. An action isn’t necessarily heavier or lighter by design, however, each individual piano, even new pianos of the same make and model vary in action weight. This is due to the handwork in manufacturing as well as the regulation performed on the instrument. Also, new pianos tend to be harder to play since the felt bushings aren’t broken in yet. So, there is more friction to overcome.

Most actions are around 48-60 grams of downweight. Lower notes also tend to be heavier than higher notes because there is more felt on the hammers and the keys are longer behind the fallboard.

You may wonder if there is anything you can do to change the weight of your piano action.

If your action is too light, your technician should be able to re-weight it and make it heavier for you. If it’s too heavy, there are techniques to get things moving better unless there are serious problems or the hammers have been replaced with the wrong specification hammers.

What’s more important for a technician than the weight of the action is to ensure that the action is running properly and moving smoothly. There are dozens felt points of contacts on each key and if there is unnecessary friction, it can severely impact the weight of the action. Sometimes it’s necessary to rebuild an action in order to get proper response if parts are gummed up such as Steinway pianos with verdigris problems.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to find a good technician. I’ve sat down at wonderful pianos that played like a nightmare because of bad work. Something as routine as replacing the hammers on your action could end up ruining the touch response. Just a few grams of extra weight from the wrong hammers or wrong geometry can make the piano feel extremely heavy.

Sometimes when a piano has been played a great deal and the hammers have been filed again and again to reshape them for proper tone, the action can become substantially lighter. It may not affect your enjoyment of the instrument, but if you want optimal response, you could either replace the hammers or have your technician re-weight the action.

Overall I don’t think there is a specific difference between Steinway and Yamaha when it comes to the weight of the actions. It’s a very specific issue that is more dependant on the size, condition and regulation of the instrument rather than the manufacturer. I would love to hear from pianists and technicians what experiences you have had with the action weight on different pianos.

Thanks again for joining me. Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729.

How to Buy a Piano – Spotting Good Action.

There are many things to consider when purchasing a piano. The action is certainly important. The complexity of all of the parts working together in precision is awe inspiring. Interestingly, the action is the one part of a piano that can be restored to like-new condition to the vast majority of pianos. Of course, the level of performance is relative to the quality of the original design and manufacture. Many companies produce first-rate actions.

It is rare to replace an action. When you hear of people utilizing Renner action in a rebuilt piano, they are not putting in a new action, they are replacing all the worn parts. This accomplishes exactly the same results, but rarely do keys, keyframe and the basic structure deteriorate at all. (However, it could be possible with water or fire damage.)

The action is comprised of different elements that wear at different rates.

piano-bushings

Bushings: The keys pivot on rails in the front and back of each key. Around the rods are felt bushings. In time the felt becomes compacted and there is play in the keys. The front rails can be turned to achieve tighter tolerance since the rails are not round. Eventually the key bushings need to be replaced when there is too much play.

piano_hammers_strings

Hammers become worn from hitting the strings. The felt becomes compacted at the point of impact with the strings. They also become somewhat flattened out in time. They can be reshaped with filing and voiced by needling to get uniform tone. Eventually after many filings there is no more felt to work with and the hammers must be replaced.

piano_hammer_shanks

Hammer shanks and knuckles: Sometimes the joint that the hammer pivots on (the knuckle) becomes worn to the point that the hammer doesn’t hit the strings in exactly the same point each blow. That is when it becomes necessary to replace the knuckles and shanks.

piano_dampers

Dampers: Above the strings are the dampers. When the felt becomes hard, noises and inconsistencies in the termination of notes results. Often these problems can be regulated, but there comes a time when optimum results aren’t possible without replacing the felt.

piano_back_check

Back check: There is a leather piece that engages the hammer after the key is pressed. If the felt becomes hard, it can be roughed up to avoid excessive noise. If the leather is too hard it must be replaced too avoid action noise.

piano_key_punchings

Felt action rail and key punchings can harden and replacing is desirable.

whippens

Whippen: Now here is where it gets interesting! There are around 100 parts to the action and all the rest of them come pre-assembled in a piece called the whippen. So when rebuilding an action to new condition, there is nothing more to do than what I have listed.

First-rate parts are available from a variety of companies. The important thing is using the right parts that match the original specifications. When this is done, the performance of the action is indistinguishable from a new piano. When you hear of a “New Renner Action”, they don’t actually put in a whole new action, they are using Renner parts to rebuild the action.

Are the newer composite materials utilized in many Asian pianos superior to the traditional wood parts? Here is one clue to the answer to that question. Both Yamaha and Kawai use synthetic materials in their actions. However, their best pianos, Yamaha S series and Shigeru Kawai have all wood actions. In fact, other than Mason & Hamlin which is utilizing the questionable practice of sourcing pre-assembled composite actions and plates from China, no handmade piano uses synthetic materials in their actions!

The fact is, there are aspects to a piano that is fundamental to the quality of the instrument. Even the best action will wear out and need attention over time. But the soundboard, scale design, rim materials, bridge composition, string tension, and plate manufacturing process are intrinsic to the quality of the instrument. These things cannot be improved. So, when looking for a piano as a long-term investment, this is what is most important. That is why a hand-built piano cost more and are more valuable over time. It is also why it is not advisable to rebuild Asian production pianos. There is limited potential for what results are possible. Over time the basic structure of these instruments deteriorates because of the design and materials utilized in manufacturing allowing for the right price for mass marketing.

Robert Estrin
949-244-3729