Steinway Hall

[willmillar27]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to London on business next week and should hopefully find time to go to Steinway Hall (The london branch for Steinway and Sons). Has anybody been there before, and if so, can you just turn up or do you have to phone ahead?

Many Thanks

Will

[gfiore]

 Although you can just walk on in. The polite thing to do, is to call in advance, especially if you're not going there to purchase a piano.

[andyd]

It's just another shop, albeit specialised with a grandiose hall at the back.  I've always turned up and been heartily welcomed by sales staff.  There's no pressure, the name sells the pianos here though goodness knows who buys their unbelievably overpriced uprights.  The smaller grands are to your right as you enter, the uprights to your left.  Boston and Essex( ) are through the large doors to your right and straight ahead.  The larger B and D's are in the hall beyond.  Note the high ceilings enhance the sound of the instruments in this inner room.

Do you realise there are four or five other shops within easy reach?
 
Bluthner are only three minutes walk away down Dean Street on the South side of Oxford Street...grands downstairs, uprights and Hessler etc upstairs, well worth a visit

Chappels (Yamaha)of Bond Street are now on Wardor Street near Tottenham Court Road 15 minutes walk or a short bus ride, with a near complete range of their acoustic pianos on the first floor, missing only the C7 last time I was there.  Go if you like Yamaha or want sheet music as the department downstairs has a huge selection.

Then there's Jaques Samuel on Edgeware road, same distance but in opposite direction which sells Fazioli, and Grotrian mainly, but also Ibach, Bohemia, Kawai, Pleyel and supposedly Bechstein, (but you'll need to go to Harrods for Bechstein..and Petrof and Yamaha now and everything is overpriced there).  Don't miss going downstairs if you get to JS.

Finally two minutes from Jaques Samuel is Markson pianos on Albany Street, who I visited for Steingraeber and Pleyel but they sell various and have the largest interesting second hand of these five, situated in their next door unstaffed showroom. They unlock it for you and leave you to play.

See websites..London is a great piano shopping centre

Hope this is helpful

Regards

Andy

[willmillar27]

Thats fantastic! Thanks Andy

I will definitely visit Chappells. I have been to London hundreds of times as I live so close, but I've never gone music shopping before!!

Do they have any objections to the public playing on the Steinway's? Even if it is only The Great Gate of Kiev!

Regards

Will

[pianistimo]

ooh.  i want to hear it. 

i think if you go with an appointment time - you'll have more success playing the pianos you want to play.  they are really into customized service.  are you buying a piano.  gracious!

i wanted to just look at the steuben crystal piano - but i want to play on something that isn't too ornate.  i think it would be distracting, actually.  well...until you got used to it.  i mean the steuben one had a light inside you could turn on.  how cool is that?  you could turn off all the lights and just have this light on inside the piano.  i guess i want it.  ok.  that goes on the list of unreasonable wants.

[andyd]

By all means ring ahead if you know when you can get there, but walking in off the street you'll find no objections at all if you simply ask.  In return they'll ask you what you're interested in size wise (or even what sort of price you were thinking of spending - they expect people to take out a second mortgage just to own their brand). 
This doesn't stop you asking to try anything if the place is quiet.  Compare the sound of a Boston or Essex grand to a more expensive K52 upright etc.  Have a go on a D just out of curiosity.  Just ask.  They sometimes have 4 or more D's and B's in the inner sanctum.
Never a C though.

Only once have I ever seen anyone asked to stop playing in any pianos store - some backpackers were in Steinway and one who was an excellent player was hogging an A.  I was on the uprights on the other side and his consistent virtuoisity was just starting to distract me, when other people came in also wishing to play an A  (this was like rush hour believe me, the place is usually very quiet) and a member of staff asked the backpacker to allow them to play.  Backpackers thanked staff accordingly for the chance to play, gave compliments re stock and left.

The best thing about ringing in advance is you can ask what stock they have.
Are you thinking of buying something?

Regards

Andy

[willmillar27]

Hello everybody,

I'm undecided as to whether to buy or not. It is a fair amount of money to spend on a piano, if any, I would buy or try the Boston GP 156. It's small and looks beautiful. I hope they have that range in there but I'm hoping they will let me play the first three bars of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 on the D and the last page of Rhapsody Paganini just to keep myself sane!

I have emailed the Sales Consultant there and he is aware that I will be going in at some point on that day - so if I introduce myself and we'll go from there. I will also visit Chappels and Bluthner and try my luck there.

Many Thanks

Will

[willmillar27]

Well I've been and played on the D for about half an hour - I was then dragged onto the Boston which still had a nice tone but the weight of the keys and the sensitivity were worst than what I have at the moment.

They were very helpful (if not a little pushy) but I had a great time.

Definitely recommend going - they "encourage people to play the instruments in the showroom" as I was told on countless occassions.

All the Best

Will