The New World – Steinway & Sons | The Old World – Grotrian-Steinweg | Instrument and Innovation

The idea of sound is in constant development, and with it the construction of instruments, the way of making music and the repertory. Instrument making always means development. The members of the Steinway family therefore worked intensively on special technical issues. They researched, experimented and had many patents registered which count as groundbreaking milestones in the history of piano making. Steinway’s achievements in the construction of grand pianos became known as the “Steinway System” within the piano making sector worldwide. These include the cross-stringing, the cast plate with flange, the freely vibrating soundboard (diaphragmatic soundboard), which is thinned out towards the outer areas, the shifting of the bridge to the center of the soundboard, and the rim, glued together from several layers of hardwood and bent in one piece.

A relevant difference between the two companies nowadays lies in the basic idea of construction   and tonality of the instruments produced. Steinway & Sons aim at a sound body which picks up the energy produced by the strings, transports it and produces sound by resonating in its entirety. The building process goes from the outside in, all wooden parts are being fitted into the rim under tension. Grotrian-Steinweg meanwhile concentrates on the soundboard. This is built on a stable rest (counter bearing for the cast iron plate) to prevent the vibration energy from migrating into the case – unlike Steinway & Sons. The process goes from the inside out, starting with the production of the acoustic system consisting of the rest, soundboard, cast frame, strings and mechanics, until the case is finally put on. 

Cast Plate with Flange
The flange is part of the cast plate, which is cast in one piece. It provides a stable connection between the plate and the sound post. This prevents the plate from slipping in the instrument despite the approximately 18 tons of tensile strength.

Soundboard
The soundboard is located under or behind the strings. It receives the vibrations from the strings via so-called bridges and emits them into the air as amplified sound. The soundboard is made from several pieces of spruce wood glued together. 

Bridge
The bridge is a narrow strip of wood that is attached to the soundboard of an upright or grand piano. It serves to transmit the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard and thus amplify the sound.

Rim
Rim is the name for the case of a grand piano.