Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today we’re going to explore a fascinating question about piano tone and design. Did we lose something when piano builders moved from straight-strung pianos to overstrung, or cross-strung, designs? You’re going to hear the difference for yourself by listening to the same Chopin excerpt played on two very different instruments: a meticulously restored 1870 Chickering concert grand and a 20th-century Baldwin with a modern scale design. By comparing these instruments directly, using the same music and the same recording setup, you can decide what you hear and what you prefer.
What Is Cross-Stringing?
First of all, what is cross-stringing anyway? Cross-stringing was an attempt by piano builders to fit longer strings into smaller instruments. The idea actually dates back to the 1820s, when a piano builder named Jean-Henri Pape experimented with crossing strings over one another inside a very small cabinet. By using two bridges, with strings running in different directions, he was able to achieve greater string length in a compact piano.
The Rise of Cross-Stringed Pianos
It wasn’t until the 1850s that cross-stringing really took hold. Steinway introduced a square grand piano with cross-stringing, and that innovation marked the beginning of the end for straight-strung pianos. By the end of the 1800s, nearly all pianos were being built with cross-stringing. This allowed not only for longer strings, but also for bridges to be placed more centrally on the soundboard, improving sound transmission.
The Hidden Trade-Off
In straight-strung pianos, many of the strings sit around the perimeter of the soundboard. Cross-stringing solves that issue, but it introduces a new challenge. There can be noticeable tonal differences where the strings transition from one bridge to another. This is one reason why some pianists, including Daniel Barenboim, have renewed interest in straight-strung instruments and are working with modern builders, such as Chris Maene in Belgium, to recreate historically accurate designs.
Hearing the Difference on a Modern Piano
To demonstrate this, let’s look at a Steinway Model S, which, like nearly all modern pianos, is cross-strung. On this piano, the strings switch from one bridge to another between B and B-flat. If you listen carefully, you can hear a change in tone between those two notes. The tonal continuity is interrupted right at the bridge transition.
How Manufacturers Try to Minimize the Problem
Piano makers have worked hard to reduce this inherent issue in cross-stringed designs. On the Steinway Model S, for example, the scale transitions from three plain steel strings to two copper-wound strings between E-flat and D. There is a subtle tonal change there as well, but it’s far less dramatic than the change that occurs when the strings move from one bridge to another.
Why This Matters for Romantic-Era Music
This is exactly why some pianists prefer historically accurate instruments for music written in the 1800s. The tonal continuity of straight-strung pianos can be especially well suited to composers like Chopin. To illustrate this, you’ll hear a short Chopin excerpt recorded at the same point in the music on both pianos, using the same microphones and identical recording conditions. Check out the video to hear the differences for yourself!
What Do You Hear?
I’m very interested in your opinion of what you’ve just heard. There’s no right or wrong answer here. What matters is what you prefer and what sonic differences stand out to you. Do you hear greater smoothness and continuity, or do you prefer the power and projection of the modern design?
The Pros and Cons of Cross-Stringing
To be clear, cross-stringing has real benefits. You get longer strings, more centrally located bridges, and greater efficiency in soundboard vibration. But you also lose some continuity and smoothness from the top of the keyboard to the bottom, and there is undeniably a change in tone.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please leave your comments here at LivingPianos.com. Let’s get the conversation going!
19 thoughts on “Did Cross-Stringing Ruin Piano Tone?”
I prefer the Baldwin or Steinway, I wasn’t really clear on which one it was. However, it’s richer, warmer and it has fuller bass notes. I will say that the Chickering has a certain purity in tone and is brighter.
I’m actually wondering what I would have thought had you not given me the stringing facts. With the stringing facts removed, I might just have thought that it sounded like just two different brands, two different stringing scales, or just two different sizes of pianos. I think my judgment was coloured by the facts given.
My experience was probably colored by the poor quality of my audio devices, but, that said, to get right to it,
1) I did not like either of the pianos, and
2) I could not hear any crossover difference in either piano.
The Chickering sounded like a fortepiano from 40 years before – very little ringing at all – each note sounding like “thunk” instead of “thunnngg”. The Baldwin wasn’t much better. Your non-legato-in-many-places interpretation may have contributed. Sorry.
The recording was made with 2 Neumann 184 microphones feeding a 32-bit floating-point recorder. You might try listening back on good speakers or headphones if you haven’t already.
Chickering wins because of the clarity of sound.
I’m puzzled why others like the cross strung piano sound. Perhaps it’s what we are used to hearing when listening to piano and the familiarity wins??
I definitely prefer the Baldwin. Brighter and more distinct.
That’s interesting since some other people have found the Chickering to be the brighter piano! It’s sometimes difficult to describe sound with words.
I’ll have to listen again when I get new speakers; with my hearing loss, earphones without the extra amplification just doesn’t quite do it for me. That said, my current impression is that the Chickering just sounds anemic. The Baldwin has a mellow tone that I like very much. Which is why I like Knabes (older ones) so much, because they have a very mellow full tone, especially in the bass, without making the treble sound harsh and tinny. Of course, Chickering and Baldwin are two different manufacturers, so we may be comparing apples and oranges, but my guess is that the difference is greater than that alone would explain. If through sympathetic vibration, the cross stringing brings out more harmonics and fuller tone, I’m all for it.
Baldwin and cross strung sounds much more elegant and in command, without any brightness that the Chickering presented. Onward cross-strund!
I like the cross string better
The cross-strung Steinway, because of the longer strings, and because of their placement, enunciates with greater volume and more abundant overtones. The straight-strung Chickering provides a purity that must certainly be appealing to some, but less so to me. I prefer the rich, elaborated tone of the Steinway, which can transform a single simple grace note into its own symphony of complex frequencies.
You have articulated the primary reasons why cross-stringing on Steinways and Baldwins has won out!
I like the depth of the cross strung one, but I see why people would be interested in the straight strung.
Dear Robert,
I am a Very Adult Student, who began taking piano in her early 20’s, continued for about 15 years, lapsed for 30 and am restarting. I am not going to recitals, don’t want to memorize pieces and the like. Might you address at some time how we seniors can improve our playing just for personal progress (and personal pleasure)? Thank you! Karen
While memorizing music requires work (practicing), it makes playing far more enjoyable. Without practicing, you can elect to find music that is simple enough for you to be able to read through for your enjoyment.
The chickering appears to have a more consistent sound over the keyboard range. It seems brighter than the steinway to the point of being a little “tinny”. The steinway is more mellow with a heavier bass but definitely not as consistent as the chickering. I like both and if the chickering was more mellow I think it would clearly outshine the steinway!
There is a trade-off of clarity versus warmth when comparing straight-strung pianos with cross-strung pianos which you can hear!
Beautiful on both, but on that piece, the Chickering reigns.
2026.01.06
I liked the cross-strung piano best.
To me, the straight-strung piano sounded muddier, especially in the mid-bass range.
The cross-strung piano sounded brighter and crisper all over its bass and mid range.