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Oct 10, 20237 min read
Petrof: The Next Chapter
Petrof is one of the very few remaining family-owned and -operated piano manufacturers in the world.


Jan 28, 20236 min read
Adjusting the Piano & Adjusting Myself: How I Found Change at the Fazioli Factory
A tour of the Fazioli factory was an experience that had a significant impact on my broader understanding of pianos.


Oct 6, 202219 min read
An Insider’s History of Mason & Hamlin, Part 3: The Long Road Back (1989–2011)
As would be expected, a century later things can be done better, and at Mason & Hamlin they are.


Jun 23, 20226 min read
Buying a Used Steinway
As an aid to those buying a used Steinway, I have listed all models of Steinway pianos made in New York City since the firm’s inception.


Jun 12, 202213 min read
Selecting a Performance Piano For Concert Hall or Home
This article assumes that you have chosen a brand and model, and are now about to select a specific instrument from among several examples.


Jun 12, 20224 min read
Piano Maintenance in Institutions
Institutional pianos will require more frequent service by technicians with special skills, and greater attention to climate control.


Jun 12, 202214 min read
Buying Pianos For an Institution
Because pianos can last a very long time, any piano-buying decisions you make today can have consequences for a generation or more.


Apr 14, 202218 min read
An Insider’s History of Mason & Hamlin, Part 2: Decline and Collapse (1932–1989)
By Bruce Clark The Great Depression The golden age of Mason & Hamlin, and of pianos in general, ended with the Great Depression. Though...


Apr 14, 202210 min read
New York and Hamburg Steinways Harmonize
In 1984, Steinway & Sons began a project to reduce the many different manufacturing processes used at its factories in New York and Hamburg.


Apr 13, 20226 min read
Buying a High-End Piano
The best piano is the one that will deliver to you and your family the joy of music, now and over the long run.


Apr 13, 202210 min read
The Uncompromising World of High-End Pianos
Those who’ve found themselves in a showroom full of high-performance pianos know that the experience can be both impressive and unnerving.


Oct 15, 202115 min read
An Insider’s History of Mason & Hamlin - Part 1: The Boston Years (1854–1932)
By Bruce Clark Mason & Hamlin, as well as other deserving makes of fine pianos, are often overlooked today because of the strength of the...

Jun 12, 201612 min read
German Piano Makers Face the Music of Globalization
By selling out to China, are German piano families securing their firms' futures, or are they digging their industry's grave?


Mar 14, 201317 min read
The All-Steinway Program vs. The Diverse-Inventory Approach to Buying Pianos For an Institution
When an institution is ready to purchase a large number of new pianos, one major decision is to be made.


Jun 14, 201010 min read
Dealers Speak About Their High-End Brands
These dealers describe the musical and other qualities of the high-end brands they represent, service, or play.


Jun 9, 201030 min read
Technicians Speak About the High-End Pianos They Service
Our goal in this article is to inform the reader of the characteristics of the brands the writers most admire.
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