Piano Brands — Piano Manufacturers — Grotrian — Gulbransen — Hailun

The Definitive Guide to
Buying New, Used,
and Restored Pianos

FALL 2011 — page 166

GROTRIAN

Grotrian Piano Company GmbH
P.O. Box 5833
D-38049 Braunschweig, Germany
+49-531-210100
+49-531-2101040 (fax)
contact@grotrian.de
www.grotrian.de

Friedrich Grotrian was born in 1803 in Schöningen, Germany, and as a young man lived in Moscow, where he ran a music business and was associated with piano manufacturing. Later in his life he teamed up with C.F. Theodor Steinweg, son of Heinrich Steinweg, to build pianos. Heinrich had emigrated to the U.S. about 1850, soon to establish the firm of Steinway & Sons. Theodor followed in 1865, selling his share in the partnership to Wilhelm Grotrian, son of Friedrich, who had died in 1860. Thereafter, the firm became known as Grotrian-Steinweg. (In a legal settlement with Steinway & Sons, Grotrian-Steinweg agreed to use only the name Grotrian on pianos sold in North America.)

Even as early as the 1860s, Grotrian pianos were well known and highly respected throughout Europe. Each successive generation of the Grotrian family maintained the company's high standards and furthered the technical development of the instrument. Today the company is owned by the sixth generation of Grotrians. Housed in an up-to-date factory, and using a combination of modern technology and traditional craftsmanship, Grotrian makes about 500 verticals and 100 grands a year.

Grotrian grands have beech rims, solid spruce soundboards, laminated beech pinblocks, Renner actions, and are single-strung. Grotrian prides itself on what it calls its "homogeneous soundboard," in which each piece of wood is specially chosen for its contribution to the tone of the soundboard. The cast-iron plate is attached with screws along the outer edges of the rim, instead of on top of the rim, which the company says allows the soundboard to vibrate more freely. The vertical pianos have a unique star-shaped wooden back structure and a full-perimeter plate. Grotrian makes five sizes of grand and six sizes of vertical piano.

To commemorate the company's 175th anniversary, Grotrian has issued the 46½" model Composé Exclusif. Limited to only 50 instruments, this elegant model includes such unusual features as 24-karat gold-plated hardware, inner cabinet veneer of red bird's-eye maple, white keys of satin-finish acrylic glass, and a hygrometer embedded in the case.

Grotrian also makes a lower-cost line, called Friedrich Grotrian, with a beech back frame but no back posts, and a simpler cabinet. It's available in a 43½" model in polished ebony with legs, and in 43½" and 45" models for institutional use, with satin finishes but without legs.

The treble of Grotrian pianos has extraordinary sustaining characteristics. It also has a pronounced sound of attack, subtle and delicate. The tenor is darker than many other brands. The bass can be powerful, but without stridency. Overall, Grotrian pianos have a unique, expressive sound and are a pleasure to play. Over the years, many well-known pianists have endorsed or expressed appreciation for Grotrian pianos.

Warranty: 5 years, parts and labor, transferable to future owners.

GULBRANSEN

QRS Music Technologies, Inc.
269 Quaker Drive
Seneca, Pennsylvania 16346
800-247-6557
814-676-6683
www.gulbransen.com

Pianos no longer made.

Founded in 1904, Gulbransen was a well-regarded maker of pianos and organs in the early 20th century, and at one time was the world's largest maker of player pianos. An indication of the company's stature and success in its early history is the fact, that during World War II, Gulbransen was one of only two piano manufacturers allowed to continue production; along with Steinway & Sons, they made pianos for government use. In more modern times, Gulbransen became known for its electronic organs and MIDI products. In 2004, QRS Music Technologies, maker of the Pianomation player-piano systems and distributor of Story & Clark pianos, purchased Gulbransen's MIDI products and company name. For several years, Gulbransen served as an entry-level piano line for Story & Clark dealers (see Story & Clark), but the line has recently been discontinued.