Our FAQs
Is my livingroom large enough for a Model “L“, should
I be looking for the smaller “M”?
Answer:
First, move the furniture away from the spot you intend to position your Steinway.
Then, go to the kitchen and get five coffee mugs, a spool of string and a tape
measure. Okay. Now, decide where the keyboard will go. Got the spot? Mark it
by putting down two coffee mugs 58” apart. That's the width of nearly all Steinway
grands. How long of a grand can you accomodate? Here are the model lengths:
- Model S 5’1”
- Model M 5’7”
- Model O and L 5’10.5”
- Model AI 6’1”
- Model AII 6’2”
- Model AIII 6’4”
- Model B 6’10.5”
- Model D 8’ 11”
Let’s say the Model “B” looks like a good fit for you. Take the third coffee mug and place it at a right angle 6’11” from the lowest note on your keyboard. Then, parallel to the keyboard, place mug No.4 about 39” from mug No. 3. And the last mug? Put it down at a right angle 32” from the highest note on the keyboard.
Finally, take the spool of string and run a line through the handles on the coffee cups. BINGO! A Steinway Model “B” is outlined in its approximate dimensions on your livingroom floor. Now pour yourself a cup of coffee and contemplate your handiwork. Is it a good fit? Great! Too big? Move your mugs around and see what works.
Steinways are like wine, right? Some years better than others?
Answer:
Before the Great Depression and World War II, in a period called the “Golden
Age of Pianos” (when no parlor was compete without a piano) the Steinway
company was hugely successful. With the factory running fullsteam, their
workforce of craftsmen was very busy makng what some think to be the best Steinways
ever made. But then movies and radio came along and the stock market tanked.
WWII brought marterial shortages and hundreds of piano manufacturers went belly-up.
Steinway survived making green upright pianos for the war effort and other products
to keep their craftsmen busy and close by.
After the war, Steinway struggled to keep going despite years of red ink. Finally in 1972, the Steinway heirs, after more than a century of family ownership, decided to cash out and sell the company. The ownership may have changed but the craftsmen are still there.
Some believe that Steinway's best pianos were made in a particular period of time. The key is not to judge a Steinway by the year it was made. Judge it by how it sounds and what it feels like to play. If you can't tell the difference, ask for help from someone who can.
The Japanese mass-produce a great piano. Why should I stick with a Steinway?
Answer:
Two reasons: Your ear and your portfolio. Let's talk money first. If you buy a Steinway grand and take good care of it, in ten years, it could very well be worth more than you paid for it. Far East manufacturers can't make this claim.
“A Steinway piano...is a singularly inspired investment – an instrument
that combines the joy of musical perfection with the security and reassurance
of financial appreciation. It is, quite simply, a treasured possession that grows
in value over the course of time. According to Forbes, over the past ten years,
the retail value of a Steinway concert grand has appreciated nearly 200%.”
Now, as for your ears, the difference between the sound of a hand—made Steinway vs. a mass–produced Asain piano is something like eating Grandma’s special Sunday ravioli instead of a can of Chef Boy Ar Dee’s. (Okay, we're snobs. We admit it.)
All pasta is not created equal. Neither are pianos. Take it from the N.Y. Times: “A
Piano Is Born, Needing Practice.”
How does your warranty compare?
Answer:
Our warranty covers the same things as offered by Steinway on a brand new piano. We warrant our pianos to be free of defects in material and worksmanship, for five years from the date of purchase. If you’d like a copy of our written warranty, send us an email.
Who pays the cost to move a piano?
Answer:
The buyer. If we buy a piano from you, we’d pay to move it. If you buy one from us, you get the mover’s bill. We make all necessary arrangements on your behalf.
How much will it be?
Distance. Piano size. Difficulty of the move. (Live up four flights of stairs?) All these things are part of the formula in determening moving costs. But to give you some examples: A coast to coast move would not exceed $1000, and a delivery to the San Francisco area would be around $600.
Will the other piano makers ever catch on or catch up?
Answer:
Steinway isn’t the only great piano manufacturer.
The Austrian Bosendorfer. The Italian Fazioli. The German Bechstein. These are also very fine, very well–made instruments with fans so devoted it’s best not to pick an argument with them. (Especially if one is a piano technician.) But Steinway has some very powerful long–time friends. Chief among them, the cultural arbiter of the Universe, the old gray lady, THE NEW YORK TIMES. Thumb through the Times and you’ll see that rarely a week goes by without a music review featuring a photograph of a Steinway grand piano. (Let’s hear it for the company guy who first said: “Here’s an idea: Why not plaster our logo on the audience–side of the piano?”)
Pretty tough to compete with publicity like that. Especially, week after week after week...
How much is my Steinway grand worth?
Answer:
“My tuner says my Steinway is worth $32,000. He’s right, isn’t he?”
A good tuner is a good guy to know. But just because he has a good ear for music, doesn’t necessarily mean he has a good grasp of the market for used Steinways. Although, if you’re pleased with his estimate, get it in writing and save it in case your house goes up in flames. If he tells you it’s worth less than two thousand dollars...and then offers to take it off your hands...get a second opinion.
Just like your Ferrari, your lithographs, and your grandmother’s Oriental carpet, a Steinway is only worth what someone will pay for it. The price you’ll fetch depends on the piano's condition (both inside and out), the kind and quality of any reconditioning it may have received, and how hard you work to market it. Where you live impacts the price too.
Steinways command higher prices in New York and San Francisco for example, than in Boise. The closer you are to cultural centers, the better you’ll do on re–sale. So, don't take your tuner’s estimate without a grain of salt. Do your homework. Try a market–based approach to learning it’s value. Getting busy checking used Steinway prices on the internet. It’s easy with search engines like Google. Here are some good websites to get a feel for the market:
www.pianomart.com
www.craigslist.com (visit “New York” and “San Francisco”)
www.ebay.com
Does Tom Watson buy Steinways too?
Answer:
Scenario 1: “We’re moving in four weeks and can’t take it with.”
Scenario 2: “We don’t have the desire or the time to sell it ourselves.”
Scenario 2: “Grandma passed on and we’re handling her estate.”
We’re always on the lookout to buy good used and vintage Steinway grands. (Sorry, we don’t deal uprights.) Give us a call or send us an email and tell us the model, finish and serial number of your piano. Be sure to mention your town. We can be there within the week with a cashier’s check.
Do you take pianos on consignment?
Answer:
Sorry, no. And you should be very careful about consigning your Steinway for sale. There are retailers out there who’ll be perfectly happy to have your instrument sit on their sales floor, beefing up their inventory (at no cost to them) and avoiding having to compete with you for a sale.
How hard will they market it? Not as hard as you. To maximize your return, you’re much better off trying to sell the piano yourself. Unfortunately, relying on a classified ad just doesn’t cut it in this internet age.
For tips on how to turn your computer into a Super Steinway Sales Machine, send us an email. We’d be happy to share what we’ve learned.
Do you take trade–ins?
Answer:
If you’d like to trade your Steinway grand for one of ours, we’d love to talk to you. Perhaps you’re moving to a bigger house and are ready for a larger size. Or, perhaps the reverse is true. Because we only deal in Steinway grands, we’re not able to take trades of any other kind. However, we’ll be happy to offer you tips on how to sell your piano in this internet age. |
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