Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today we are talking about a seminal question: whether it is better to buy a new Steinway or a vintage Steinway. You might wonder why anyone would buy a 100 year old piano instead of a brand new one. I get this question all the time, and technicians debate it endlessly. Some say old pianos are junk. Others say they do not make them like they used to. So who is right? Let’s break it down.
The Wood Makes a Difference
The first point is the wood. In the 1920s and 1930s, and even earlier, piano makers had access to old growth wood. Today, most woods are plantation grown. Older woods tend to have tighter grain, which produces greater resonance and depth of sound. There are even major challenges now in obtaining Sitka spruce from Alaska, which is protected. This has created a real crisis in sourcing the finest tonewoods that were once commonly available to piano manufacturers.
Hand Building Versus Machines
Another important factor is how pianos are built. Modern pianos rely heavily on CNC machines, which stands for computer numerical control. These machines are incredibly consistent and precise. Vintage pianos, on the other hand, were hand built. Each one has its own individual personality. When you find a good vintage piano, it has a soul that machines simply cannot replicate. That individuality is something many pianists find irresistible.
The Golden Age of Piano Manufacturing
If you go back to the period before World War Two, there were over one thousand piano companies in operation. Only about 300 or 400 of them were full scale manufacturers, with the rest being smaller assemblers or short lived firms. Still, it was the heyday of piano manufacturing in America. Compare that to today, when only a couple of companies are producing perhaps two or three thousand pianos a year. It was truly a different era.
Why Old Pianos Can Be a Problem
Here is where many people get burned. Pianos are not violins. Violins tend to improve with age, but pianos are machines that wear out. Old strings, cracked soundboards, and worn actions mean that many vintage pianos are essentially furniture unless they are properly restored. To unlock the magic, restoration is essential.
The Hybrid Solution
The solution is a hybrid approach. For example, my piano is a Steinway Model S that my grandfather bought for my father in the early 1940s. It was built in the late 1930s, and it has since been completely rebuilt. You get the original rim, the case, and the structural elements that cannot be replaced. If you are lucky, you also retain the original soundboard, which can be resurrected to produce a magnificent tone. All of the action parts can be rebuilt using Steinway or Renner components. Hammers might be from Steinway or Abel, depending on what is most appropriate for that particular piano.
This is why it is critical to work with a rebuilder who truly understands pianos. Not every Steinway performs best with current Steinway parts, even though Steinway now owns Renner. When done correctly, you can install new strings and a new action while preserving the tonal beauty of old growth wood. This approach gives you the stability of a new piano combined with the tone of aged wood. You can hear a beautiful pianissimo and a gorgeous, singing sustain. That is what people mean when they talk about singing wood from old growth forests. You also get tremendous power and a deep bass growl that is hard to find in most new pianos unless you are spending well into six figures on top tier instruments.
What About Consistency?
One advantage of buying a new piano is consistency, and that is generally true. However, new pianos also have a break in period. During the first couple of years, strings stretch, felt parts settle, and everything gradually seats into place. So the real question is whether you can hear the difference. Listen to Asian production pianos. Listen to new Steinways. If you have tried new Steinways, how do you feel they compare to vintage instruments? I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment at LivingPianos.com, we are Your Online Piano Store!
Also see: New Vs. Vintage Steinway – What They DONT’T tell you:
2 thoughts on “New vs Vintage Steinway: Which Is Better?”
The value of vintage Steinways was made apparent in your last video. The new Steinway 9 foot resonated like a Yamaha grand – crystalline rather than lyrical in the upper registers, percussive rather than sonorous in the bass. The old Steinway was mellifluous from tip to toe. It was a true piano-forte – quiet or commanding, every note retaining a bell-like purity. To me, it was an epiphany. I formerly perceived old pianos as curios, as anachronisms. After that video, I now understand the immense musical value of a fully-reconditioned vintage Steinway.
You aren’t alone in hearing the warm, rich sound of well-restored vintage Steinway pianos!