The Making of a Steinway - A Steinway & Sons Factory Tour Narrated by John Steinway
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2011
- The making of a Steinway piano is a time-honored process involving the hands of many skilled craftspeople over the course of almost a full year. Steinway & Sons pianos are built in just two factories worldwide - one in Astoria, NY and one in Hamburg, Germany. Both factories have been building pianos for well over a century, and although Steinway has always been at the cutting edge in utilizing and perfecting the latest technology where it could make the piano better, we have found that certain things are simply better when done by skilled craftspeople than by a machine. For that reason, many parts of the process in building a Steinway have remained essentially unchanged for generations. So much so, that we were able to take decades-old audio from a narrated factory tour by the late John H. Steinway (great-grandson of Henry E. Steinway, who founded our great company in 1853) and use it as the narration for footage shot at the Steinway NY factory in 2011 by Ben Niles, producer of the documentary film "Note by Note" (www.notebynotethemovie.com).
We hope you enjoy this look inside the Steinway New York factory, narrated in detail by the late, great John Steinway.
To learn more about Steinway & Sons, visit www.steinway.com.
Music from Bach on a Steinway, Steinway & Sons Label 30001, Jeffrey Biegel, Pianist. Available at www.arkivmusic.com
Video produced by Plow Productions: www.plowproductions.com. - เพลง
Good. Now I know everything I need to build my own.
Is it ready yet?
Great now all you need is to get a job
Imma reply cuz my pfp is also green :)
but its patented.... lol
@@nagatouzumaki8750 the wood is still drying
If I had a dollar for eveytime this guy said steinway, I could actually afford one
i don't know if that will do it. maybe just add all the times patent was said too
Wei Chen So much patents, yet not enough money
@@Cat-ls1jr Flex
Nah, you could buy 2
LMAO, Really
Now I understand why they are not cheap at all...
What is the cost of one?
@@sreevivasaraghavan6848 I'm seeing used ones going for $30k to over $100k
It takes like years just to make a piano
@@reddyup9713 Not at all. The factory builds a thousand grands a year. Not necessarily the big Model D Concert Grand. And about 250 uprights. That's over 80 a month, which means more than twenty a week. However, they have to make rims and soundboards in advance to let the wood stabilise. The woods used today are of inferior quality- I know, I'm a cabinet maker by trade. All the fine trees have been cut down and no longer exist. You'd have to be a fool to lay out 285k for a piano that's simply not worth that- at all. Better off buying an older model- 30's, and having it totally restored. The sound of the modern instruments is atrocious- no soul. Have a look at the Australian Stuart and Sons, the most original piano on earth today. Then there's the parallel-stringed Stephane Paullelo built here in France. These are real artisan instruments, unique in their own rite. Steinway is just a monopoly. They have extremely agressive market techniques. Bösendorffer are a big cut above.There's also the German Steingraeber und Sohnne- excellent.
Reddy_-TDM No, it doesn't.
Piano has got to be the most complete musical instrument of all. It is percussive, melodic and harmonic, all at the same time.
And you have a drummer speaking here.
Fake...drummers can't talk
What it lacks are a dynamic-changing voice in a single note like what any string, brass or woodwind instruments would have, and the beautiful vibrato a violin produces.
+Jeremy Chan C H but a piano can sing many voices at the same time, the violin can only have 4 simultaneous sounds.
+Jeremy Chan C H you are quite right, many other instruments have more depth in sound quality.
Jeremy Chan C H They did way back in Mozart's day...
It saddens me that so many steinways never see a competent pianist and just sit around as furniture.
same with Grestch guitars
yeah...
Well, they do make beautiful looking furniture.
lol
Why? They are so expensive, it is a waste. They should just buy some Chinese crap grand that looks good on the outside if they want furniture
Steinway to heaven.
Momentum Mori.
Good ONE! Excellent!
^..^~~
Michael David I see what you did there. Brilliant.
Heh
ALL HAIL OUR NEW FURHER
STEINWAY & SONS
I am so grateful to have a 1922 Steinway. It has been passed down from my grandparent’s house (and when they moved it came to my parent’s). It is one of my most prized possessions and I spend at least 3 hours a day playing Chopin, or whatever comes to mind.
Solidify1000 I recently found out through ancestry research that my great grandfather, Stephan Lentz a German immigrant, worked there early 1900’s to the late 1930’s he probably had a hand in the building of your family piano .
Thomas Messeder that is amazing! Who would have known!
Just bragging to us plebs
my family has one as well idk what kind though i should look into it
Yours is a golden era made Steinway.. as mine is, 1917. I'll take mine over any "new" Steinway made in recent years.
I have a Mahogany Steinway from the early 1900’s. The signatures of the people who made my piano are on the underside of the top 4 notes. Original Ivory keys. Amazing craftsmanship. It will be passed to my children when I am gone. What a treasure.
Hopefully Your Children are Musicians of pianos they will surely appreciate it & care more for it. Especially with the Original Ivory keys.
Whatever age is, the piano will be one of the most perfect and beautiful instrument ever invented...
+Ponysynth One Official Orgel?
Agree 100%
And the clarinet
***** True
it is unfortunately not perfect at all. the advantage with piano is that it is a nice solo instrument since you can make so many notes simultaneously, and it has a wide range, but the sound of one single note is very limited compared to many other instruments.
Dear Santa...
+chocolatechocochoco lol
+chocolatechocochoco Dear TRUMP...
😂😂😂
5 years later...
I asked Santa for one in 1970(I was 9yrs old)My dad spit coffee all over himself to which I replied "Santa is bringing it NOT you dad"50 yrs later no Steinway!Lol😊
I found an extremely beautiful 1949 Steinway at a local store for sale for like 6 grand or so. It has a very warm and mellow sound that would be perfect for a lot of the music I want to play. Now I just need to win a small lottery....
6k is a huge deal! Especially for being so old!!
It was beautiful. I haven't been back, but I honestly hope someone bought it already. That thing deserves to be played.
***** Still sounded better than most of the other new pianos they had from other brands for more than double the price
+Nerd Nation Dude i played a 1894 steinway that sounded amazing.
Well 6 grand is nice maybe it'll have a baby grand soon.
The Steinway piano is NOT an instrument.
It is a dream.
If ever I could afford one, it would be a dream come true.
I agree...I would love one!
pretty sure its an instrument
Will check it out. Tnx.
Michael Murphy I want a job
Michael Murphy How about selling some of your organs LOL (jkd =] )
I'm looking at my Yamaha digital piano made of plastic and particle board trim. I don't feel like playing it now after watching this.
Nunsweepit421 wow... and I'm looking at my detuned (50 Euro) piano and wished i could afford a yamaha. But I still feel like playing tho c:
Nunsweepit421 i have the same piano but mine was made to imitate the feel of a real grand piano
how dare you!? play it till it is broken!! (still saving for piano, must satisfied with a keyboard)
I agree. Now I feel bad about my digital piano (Also a Yamaha). Ah, now I want to go play piano
I have one of those too lol
Was anyone else hoping they’d let you hear the sound when the robot was smashing keys?
Yep hahahahha
Surely ✋
Me
Also, the wood does dry/season naturally - for a full 2 years - before it ever enters the kiln. The thing is, natural drying can't guarantee you get the moisture content to as precise a level as we need. When woods go in, we know the moisture content and know exactly how long it will need to spend in the kiln to get to the very precise moisture content for this wood to be ready to continue in the process towards becoming a piano.
have you guys experimented with the curved rib design? have seen some tests done and using a curved rib to put the crown into the board seems to have a notisable increase in sound over the traditional method of drying ouy the wood, glueing the ribs on, then letting the moisture create the crown.
i used to work for rex lumber and we made stuff for you guys . after i left there i used the same way of glueing maple to build speakers and subwoofer boxs . i won every spl contest i ever entered . just wanted to say thank you !!
Before choosing the Steinway M I bought ( 1945 ), I've probably played 10 to 15 other Ms, including new ones. Why such a drastic difference in sound? Shigeru Kawai pianos and top Yamaha don't present such drastic differences. Also, I can't understand why most technicians have a beef with Steinway, while constantly praising Shigeru Kawai, Bosendorfer and Fazioli? Do these manufacturers have higher standards than today's Steinway production?
0:00 Bourrée, French Suite No. 5 in G, BWV 816
1:07 Gigue, French Suite No. 5 in G, BWV 816 (fades out)
3:02 Allemande, French Suite No. 5 in G, BWV 816 (fades out)
4:16 Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 858
6:45 Rondeaux, Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826
who s the pianist...it are beautiful performances.....
Fritz Mooney maybe glenn gould.
he was a great pianist.
Peter Schulz its not Gould..
Cool thanks
@@glenngulda Yeah, no humming....
I played a 1939 Steinway grand at a museum in Louisiana. One of the prettiest sounds I've ever heard!
Hello everyone, I am the proud owner of a Steinway D Concert Grand, made in Hamburg Germany in 1965. I have played all other piano brands and can tell you from personal experience that there is no other piano in the world that sounds as wonderful as a Steinway. It sounds so amazing that you do not want to stop playing it ever, other pianos are harsh and you get tired of playing them quickly. I can tell you, Nothing sounds like a Steiway!!!
You stopped playing only long enough to compose this comment on your computer keyboard....then back to the Steinway!
If I had the money I would rather buy a Steinway than a Ferrari. Am I weird? Don't care. Pianos are awesome instruments.
Ur friccin right, I would buy a Steinway than a Ferrari
Me too
I agree
ofc because with 50k $ you can’t afford a Ferrari xD
@@nemesisanje1679 I thought Steinways go for around 100k+? Or at least their concert grand piano's do.
shut up and take my money! oh right, I do not have any money.
Everyone in that craftsman shop appeared to genuinely enjoy the job they were doing, their craft.👌
JSB HIFI • so true
There was a man with a club just out of camera view making sure they looked happy...just like at Disneyland.
Thrillscience, the wood used in the rim may sometimes erroneously be referred to as "plywood" but it's not. It is Hard Rock Maple, one of the hardest woods available, and absolutely not cheap. This wood needs to be as hard as possible for a couple of reasons. 1) to provide strength and stability to the entire piano -- the rim is essentially the foundation 2) because softer woods (like Luan which is sometimes used) would absorb some of the sound rather than projecting it back out of the piano.
Steinway & Sons tyt
Yes, the rim of a grand piano must reflect the sound back to the board and then into the bridges. With many European pianos including Yamaha, softer woods are used for rim construction and tonal power and complexity of sound is lost. Yamaha does use a solid rim, but not true rock maple. It is usually beech with a layer of luan which will never work for a piano's projection power.
It's multiple layers of wood (in this case hard rock maple), that makes it a plywood.
@@jacobgreengas7121 Exactly. I think the original point is a good one: this is a high quality, custom made piece of plywood, and is not the same as the $20 pine sheets at Home Depot, but it's still plywood.
You need to take some courses in piano technology instead of parroting brochure text. The rim prevents energy from being lost but an excessive reflection of energy can cause undesirable sound reflection that very often occurs on Steinways. Piano manufacturing is always about compromising and energy consumption has positive effects to balance the tone, an extreme example of this is Bosendorfer which uses spruce (a soft-wood) the energy consumption rate is higher and diminishes the amount of reverberation resulting in a cleaner sound envelope. There are a number of piano makers who have surpassed these mediocre piano manufacturing methods implemented by Steinway, unfortunately, don't have the presence in the market or the ability to make professional pianist acquaintance with their pianos. I know this comment will be deleted because it is not in the best interest of Steinway to be exposed. Including the fact that I suspect that some of the small pianos' rims with black polyurethane finish are not made in the USA by Steinway and although I have no evidence that this is true, the hint is that they look identical to another brands' rims, and I never saw any infrastructure at Steinway's factory that indicates they are set up to make rims with black polyurethane coatings.
At least for a brief moment, someone will find out that there are people out there who really know about piano-manufacturing and are not impressed by fairy tales or the indoctrination of piano players but they have true expertise and had evaluated multiple manufacturers.
All these famous pianists favor Steinway because they already know that when you are touring that's all they will find to play on, so even though they may enjoy or like other brands better, they understand that they won't be able to find it or bring it to concerts so they already OK with a brute workhorse like model D. At that level a piano is a tool, people on the outside think the pianist is melting playing a Steinway. No! they are working that's all and many expressed how crappy they can play. Many concert pianists around the world owned fine pianos in their homes that are not Steinway.
I always love watching master craftspeople make beautiful things.
love how the guy explains the procedure and plays his piano at the same time
I've been the proud owner of a Steinway Tricentennial Grand for 20 years now and have loved every single minute of playing it. I am always amazed at how great it sounds and how responsive it is to my touch; it's almost as if every time I play it is the first time.
I sit and watch and have tears in my eyes. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life and until the day I die I will regret not buying a fully restored Steinway when it was offered to me over 30 years ago.
watch what you wish for, you might just get it
It's so heartwarming to watch these people working so hard to make one of the best pianos in the world...
I'm happy to see that Steinway and Sons hire local workers in the US.
I've watched this video before and was always in awe in how they're made. I just returned from getting the chance to actually play on one, and it was the best piano I've ever performed with. I had to watch this video again after that experience.
For the background music, using solo Baroque pieces is an obvious choice to convey the clarity of the Steinway piano, but I still want to express my appreciation for the selection here. They picked five little masterpieces by the King of Counterpoint, J.S. Bach, that are already loved by any student of music, and by not picking those that are by now part of the popular culture of classical music, thus avoided the distraction that would cause. And the progression is just perfect: The simple beauty of the selections from the French Suite in G during the woodwork, followed by one of the most elegant and dramatic fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier (especially for a major key) during assembly, and finally a selection from the Partitas (some of the most gripping and mature solo piano music Bach wrote) once the piano is complete and final adjustments are made to achieve perfection, with a powerful ending in a minor key at the close of the video that imparts the magnificence, solemnity, imagination, and suspense any musician feels at the sight of grand piano.
And of course we must acknowledge the artistic expression of the pianist, adding ornamentation and expression that is tasteful for the Baroque, yet unique and charming in that way.
This video just shot to the top of my all-time favorites!
well, it is video from artisan in piano making. make sense they would appreciate and knows many piano's piece
Page one of 3000 chapter one of 800
how about BOOGIE WOOGIE,now that would test ANY piano let alone a Steinway.
My toys were under the piano. The vibes went down to my toes and are still there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A lot of Scarlatti is in my baby toes. Ravel is in all the rest!
Thank you very much Mr. John, an honnor to us...
Amazing craftsmanship goes into these pianos. I’m not a pianist, but appreciate quality made products. Beautiful
I love you guys! When I was six, I learned on my Dad's baby grand. In high school, I had a bad experience with marching band music and left the music world for engineering. After many decades, I am getting that steinway back into playing shape and am now playing and building the violin and the piano. Damn that cornet. The Steinway is pure bliss..... it is GOD! A music person's dream.... a woodworkers dream. That sitka spruce is just delicious and the maple is heavenly.
Splendid. Thank you Steinway for sharing this with us. It is especially wonderful to see the people who actually make these great pianos. They have our great appreciation for a job well done.
I used to sell Steinway's and have taken the factory tour twice. It's truly a marvel to see. If ever in New York I believe you can still schedule a factory tour. if not by all means visit Steinway Hall on 57th street for it is also something to experience.
378,000+ views of Steinway pianos being made. There's hope for the world.
Wow, over 2 million now. :-)
Terrific video presentation on the making of the Steinway piano. Still the finest made instrument with the most beautiful sound.
Steinway is such a beautiful piano. It's so rich in tone and intuitive to the ear
What a great precision musical instrument. Nothing like it. Nothing even comes close. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate their hard work working on them grand pianos keep up the awesome work 😊
This piano deserves the $100K price tag.
Yep, it is sonetthin like that
D model "Full size Grand" starts at $78k........
Awh 😍 grateful for the people who build them!
Every year I get the chance to play a Steinway a couple of times.. It's a humbling experience. The touch and tone. always encourage me to do my best.
I want to cry. This is so beautiful.
Of course there are no other piano’s like theirs, they patent everything
well actually thats not true. most of the designs are standardized for the parts. I mean the design being used for most parts ate from the late 1800s so they cannot be patented. What is patented usually doesn't matter in terms of sound
No, every piano is great!
Or they patent something like teflon (R) bushings and abandon it 20 years later because of problems...
Patents expire, I would imagine the European has more patents and they just cross license to each other like most tech companies.
Steinway is a masterpiece of workmanship, amazing the fine details in making their great piano's. They are the finest for a good reason.
I never learned to play a piano, but I love the sound they make. One of my uncles had one and played it every morning and often in the evening. Many people came to the house to listen to him play and sing. It was great!
The incredible amount of precision and detail that goes into making each Steinway piano is absolutely mind-boggling.
But it's quite clear that each worker takes an enormous amount of pride in what they are doing.👏🤝🥰
4:55 the Company’s classic employee uniform is still worn to this day.
There really is nothing like a Steinway,they are truly a cut well above everyone else.
Incredibly fascinating video, from a technical standpoint as well as musical. I've always respected the long process of producing complex machines.
"See, it's a happy piano after all"
Lmao just finished your lie in april
Guys please... i have tears in my eyes everytime i hear the name of that masterpiece.
Great clip, I really enjoyed that.
I had forgotten that the Steinway piano is an american made product, it makes me proud, in a patriotic sort of way.
Just beautiful. True craftmenship in action. Thank you .
Making of the paino should be reserved as the world's treasure. :)
Great pianos built to last.
Amazing.. I love my steinway....
That's amazing how much detail and consideration is put into it!
Beautiful engineering and craftsmanship , long may it continue.
O sonho de todo pianista ,ter um piano desse...
What he didn't tell you is what an old piano tech told me over 50 years ago - if you suspend a Steinway frame and hit it with a leather hammer, it will "bong" around 1000 HZ, adding brilliance to the bass and fullness to the treble. Other guys frames would just go "klunck".
This video kept me with my mouth open all the Way out, with all my attention to every detail of the report, each piano, a masterpiece
Piano is a magnificent piece of Art!
I had the privilege of touring this factory about 15 years ago with a woodworking guild that I belong to. It's even more amazing than the video suggests!
LOVE STEINWAY...!!!! FOR EVER
I respect craftsmen.
Thank you for a wonderful video.
All of these workers are specialists. This video is fascinating. I once played the Steinway in the city hall. It had a wonderful sound.
I wonder how much these employees earn
At least 7
100 v bucks
vikas singh $100 per what?
Not too much if I see the bandage on the arm of the Belly man.
Probably 4k per piano each
Well, so much for my pet project of trying to build my own grand piano.
I knew they were complecated to make,but not too that degree of perfection.lovely to see
grew up learning to play on 1904 Steinway upright that has been in my family for generations, when my mother handed it down to my older sister i was crushed to be separated from it. truly beautiful instruments of unmatched quality.
Grand father Matheis Weiss was Piano Varnisher for Steinway, Queens, NY abt 1890 to at least 1910. I try to imagine with a Camel hair brush? Would love to take the actual tour. Bucket list!
+George Paul I had an upright Steinway that I sold a while back. It was made in about 1918. I was impressed that the person that worked on it signed his name on the soundboard. It had been used at the Univ of Okla. Everyone always wanted to play it because it sounded so great.
more than I ever thought I'd want to know. But I'm not sad about the experience. I love building with wood. This would be another fun job to have.
I love building with wood and would like to build my own guitar. Never once have I ever thought about building a piano! Where would you get the harp from, old donor piano maybe but what about the action? That would take forever for one man without specialist machines........Let me know how you get on if you take this on because I'm interested in it myself now!
go to the local piano store and inquire about the piano technitians guild
Thank you for such an interesting documentary. It brought a smile to my fave in this troubled times
John was one of the nicest and most knowledgeable men about pianos and artists I ever met. His eyes lit up when I asked him about Rosita Renard!
PIANO,, The most elegant instrument in the world and most toughest instrument to make
Never cared how a piano was made til recently. it's fascinating.
So every piano has a soul? Imagine the labor, very meticulous, excellence to perfection. This is such an excellent craft.
every Steinway is a true masterpiece and definitely a work of art absolutely nothing sounds better
Cheers to the Steinway Craftsmen!!!
Cheers, cheers, and *more cheers* to them!
7:02 one of the keys isn't moving, #7.
You're damn right :-)))
I also noticed that. But not the key, the damper. And it is stuck in the up position. I had the knee jerk reaction to want to reach into the screen and try and figure out what was wrong. But you can be sure it was fixed. However, they probably shouldn't have let that slip by and show on a video designed to present excellence.
Stream Highlights Wow, what keen observer of detail.
You've got a sharp eye
Really amazing. Each one is a unique work of art.
I grew up with an upright steinway & sons in our living room. Truly amazing
We had a Wurlitzer when I took lessons a million years ago, my mother sold it to a friend of mines father who was a music teacher, I think my friends sister then took it.
I appreciate that Steinway keeps striving for excellence. I thought 2017 pianos were totally different instruments compared to the past Steinway pianos. 2020 pianos are even better. Thank you for the Trade-In-Upgrade. Now I have my dream piano.
such a beautiful craftmanship
I love watching this over and over (not because my music plays in the background--that just makes me nervous!LOL), but for the patient craftsmanship that hasn't changed in all the years to make the finest instruments.
This is for people who say that pianos are extremely expensive, it really takes a lot to make one.
Only when you watch this you'll appreciate the price of a piano! True craftsmanship
idk about craftsmanship, more repeatability and design precision. most of the tasks carried out in this video are basically labouring and machining. I'm gonna say they're great pianos for the price and the design is the world class standard but its fairly easy to find pianos crafted to a higher standard. Steinway used to be the best of the best but I feel they've shifted to a more "mass produced" production method. (mass produced for a piano company anyway) employing lots of low skilled workers and a few highly skilled craftsmen...
don't get me wrong, they still turn out a quality product but they're not world leaders in quality anymore, other companies caught up decades ago.
My 2nd piano teacher had a full concert grand 9' in her home . By its very nature it was big, imposing, yet the volume of sound that you can only get from a hand built acoustic, filled the home. It could make good pianists sound awesome, And could show up a lesser player in a instant. For all its grandeur, nothing feels or quite sounds like a Steinway. !
I have been a piano tuner for 35 years and have a good friend who has a Steinway B. They are great pianos. They are also very loud, being meant for the stage. For the typical piano player or student, the later Yamahas or Kawais are fine. They have excellent tone. Maybe your can't play a major 3rd that sounds like anything in the second octave, but most piano music doesn't do that anyway. I have a Yamaha C5 that is completely satisfactory in my 500 square foot living room. My friend's B is sometimes deafening in her music room, when we have a party. We have to keep the lid down.
just realised grand pianos are essentially harps lying down
Or the other way around.
a harp is a nude piano
Go watch the movie "A Day at the Races." Harpo Marx (who plays the harp) destroys a piano and uses the iron interior as a harp.
@@triple7marc That guy must have forearms like Popeye.
That's a filthy lie from the pit of hell!!!
New drinking game: take a shot every time he says "Steinway" or "patent" 👌
You made it with your muscle, your brain, your intuition and your soul.
Cheers from Indonesia
So complex and interesting .... fascinating. Producing music that feed the soul.
and some people stil have the nerve to call the piano "lame"
INFINITF2 Never have I heard this in my life. You need to find a new circle of friends
INFINITF2 probably because they know of the organ... hahahaha
piano technitiams do make jokes about steinway. its actually very common in the industry. they are middle of the pack as far as high end brands go. no where near the best or the worst. yamaha is actually on par with them when it comes to top of the line pianos
@@boblon5693 really Yamaha is a top piano (with kinda different conception of musicality), but Steinway "no where near the best" is a cheap joke!!
One day I swear I will own one of these.
AMAZING CLIP.
NO WONDER THEY SOUND SO GOOD & ARE SO EXPENSIVE.
WELL DONE
I went to university in the Philippines back in the 90s. In the university church was an old piano that was used for many decades. I didn't know anything about it until one day a room mate of mine who was a music major told me that during that week the piano had to be tuned and the music department hired a piano tuner to tune the said piano. The tuners arrived and when they saw that it was a Steinway they almost cried. It was the first time they have ever seen one in person, having heard of its reputation in the piano world. The university had it appraised after the work and back then it had already reached in the millions of pesos due to its brand and being a classic. It still plays in the university church to this day I believe.