Introduction
We are about to explore alternatives to Steinway and Yamaha pianos. Most people are familiar with these two brands, and perhaps the piano they grew up with. However, there are hundreds of piano companies around the world, and today, I’ll introduce you to some fantastic alternatives. At the end, I’ll reveal the most logical alternatives to Steinway and Yamaha.
Exploring the Great Alternatives
Bosendorfer
Let’s start with Bosendorfer, an Austrian company dating back to 1828. They are renowned for their 9 ½ -foot Imperial Concert Grand, which boasts 97 keys extending to very low notes. These pianos are exquisitely crafted, maintaining traditional elements from the 1800s, including visible seams in the rim instead of the continuous rim found on all other modern pianos, and the use of spruce in the rim, which contributes to their unique, bell-like tone.
Fazioli
Fazioli, a relatively new Italian company founded in 1981, produces beautifully crafted pianos. Many competition winners choose Fazioli pianos for their outstanding quality. They even have a piano over ten feet long, offering a truly remarkable sound.
German Masterpieces
Germany is home to several top-tier piano companies, including Bechstein, Bluthner, and Sauter. These pianos are meticulously crafted in limited numbers, preserving the high standards set in the 1800s. Steingraeber & Söhne is another excellent German manufacturer, offering unique features like the sordino pedal for a muted sound and the Mozart rail for a historical touch experience. They also provide carbon fiber soundboards for enhanced tuning stability and consistent sound quality.
Asian Excellence
Several Asian-owned companies continue to produce high-quality pianos both in Asia and their original factories in Germany. Brands like Grotrian, Schimmel, and Seiler still produce top-tier pianos in Germany while offering more affordable models made in Asia. Petrof, from the Czech Republic, also deserves mention for their exceptional pianos still owned by the original Petrof family since the 1800’s.
Alternatives to Yamaha
There are numerous Asian piano companies, primarily in China, that you might not have heard of. Two standouts are Hailun and Pearl River. Pearl River is the largest piano manufacturer in the world, producing over 100,000 pianos annually. Korean companies like Samick and Young Chang also produce well made pianos in Korea, China and Indonesia. Some familiar names like Baldwin, Kohler & Campbell, and Steinberg are now produced in Asia and offer high quality Asian production pianos.
The Most Obvious Alternatives
Kawai
For those considering Yamaha, Kawai is the natural alternative. They feature innovations such as ABS carbon action parts and exclusive carbon jacks. As one of the largest piano companies globally, Kawai offers a range of digital, hybrid, upright, and grand pianos, as well as a limited number of hand-built pianos (using the Shigeru Kawai name) similar to Yamaha’s lineup. Some people prefer Kawai for its slightly warmer sound, while others choose Yamaha for its brighter tone (although pianos can be voiced brighter or warmer). Both brands produce well-crafted pianos, making it a matter of personal preference.
Mason & Hamlin
When it comes to alternatives to Steinway, Mason & Hamlin stands out as the only other top-tier American piano company still in production since the 1800s. These pianos, handcrafted outside Boston, feature innovations like thicker rims for soundboard support and the their patented Tension Resonator System for exceptional durability and sound quality. Their state-of-the-art Wessel Nickel & Gross actions, using composite materials, offer a responsive and consistent feel.
Conclusion
There are many hand-built pianos available today, especially from Germany and other parts of Europe, as well as great American pianos from Mason & Hamlin. If you’re shopping for a Yamaha, don’t forget to consider Kawai. Both brands have served the same market for over a century, providing excellent instruments. There are also a plethora of well made Asian production pianos from many companies with Asian as well as American and German names. If you have any other piano brand suggestions, leave them in the comments on LivingPianos.com and YouTube.
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17 thoughts on “Steinway & Yamaha Alternatives”
Robert: Great review of the many types of pianos. I’m glad you mention Mason and Hamlin. Built like a tank. The only one I played had a sustain that was outstanding. If one has the money, hand-made instruments are usually superior to production-line pianos. And Kawii with the carbon fibre parts is impressive for the price.
What do you think of Boston? Steinway design, built by Kawai (or is it Yamaha?) factory. The older both the piano and I get, the more shrill it sounds to me, even when perfectly tuned.
Boston is a well-made Asian production piano produced by Kawai to Steinway’s specifications. However, none of them have a Steinway model scale design. They are stencil brands. Here is more on what that means: https://livingpianos.com/what-are-stencil-pianos/
How about my Schimmel? I think it is a great piano, with nice mellow sound, holds the turning forever. My piano tuner is enthusiastic about this piano, and so am I! I was quite happy with a Yamaha, but the sound is too bright and “jazzy”.
I mentioned Schimmel as one of the Asian owned piano companies that produces pianos in China now and still has the factory in Germany. They are owned by Pearl River.
I did not know that now Schimmel is also made in China. At least I am quite sure mine is made in Germany, unless China is authorised to stamp “made in Braunshweig/Germany” . I bough it in 2017, but was sitting in the piano store for 2 years, and the owner of the store told me it was shipped from Germany.
I was waiting to hear the mention of the “Estonia” by Dr. Indrek Laul…. I heard “Petrof”, but not the “Estonia”…. I think it’s worth of a mention.
They are very good pianos, but probably not quite up to the standard of the other pianos I mentioned. They are also not in the same price range. So they do fill an important market niche
You should have mentioned Charles Walter Pianos as being hand-built.
There are mixed reports whether of not Charles Walter pianos are still being manufactured. I know they weren’t producing pianos for a while. They may be back in the game now hopefully!
I am an advanced intermediate player. 3 years ago I decided to treat myself to a new piano on an unrestrained budget. I looked at the Steinway O, Yamaha GB1K, Kawai Shigeru SK2 and Kawai Blak GX2. 3 Steinways were noticeably different in action feel and sound. Yamaha was a bit bright. Shigeru was superb and GX2 was a tick below Shigeru. I bought the GX2, hired a very well trained technician (North Bennet Street School, 2 year program + 1 years additional studies, Kawai factory trained) and over the next 2 years my GX2 is, to my ear, the same sound as the Shigeru.
Conclusion: Steinway is undergoing changes and piano to piano feel & sound are no consistent. Yamaha is very nice, but the voice is too bright for me and the action is not as controllable as the 2 Kawai piano (maybe keystick length?). Additionally, all new pianos take 18-24 months for the strings to achieve optimum performance AND all new
pianos require voicing, regulating and every 3 month technician visits.
You may be interested in this: https://livingpianos.com/what-happened-to-steinway/
Thank you, Robert, for the link.
The ownership of Steinway might make one curious. Paulson & Co., a hedge fund owned by John Paulson, is the owner since 2013. Shouldn’t one consider buying a piano from a company engaged in significant research instead of a company that makes changes that may in a modest way improve tonal quality, but improve profitability more?
An idea for an article: Piano companies that actively do research and incorporate it into new pianos.
Sangler & Sohne, The German piano company, has many innovations, like the Mozart Rail and a Sordino pedal. Mason and Hamlin has their Wessel Nickel and Gross composite actions, not to mention their Piano Disc technologies.
Yes. I have to go with the Kawii you speak of over the comparable Yamaha. Kawii’s use of carbon fibre parts and more mellow tone are a plus. And the longer key sticks improve the action over the Yamaha.
The longer keys on their smaller grand pianos is a real plus. It provides a closer feel to a larger grand on a smaller instrument!
And provide the same touch-feel from across the entire length of the key that gives better control.