What's difference between steinway (US or Hamburg)

[selinayip]

Dear friends,

I would like to know what are the differences between Steinway piano from NEW YORK and from HAMBURG.

What's the difference in their sound, tone, touch, and quality?

How about their price?

[rachfan]

A few differences are:

NY Steinway: Uses cold-pressed hammers in the action.  Also, its scale emphasizes the rich harmonic overtones giving it the robust  American sound.

Hamburg Steinway: Uses steamed hammers in the action (which are not interchangeable with cold pressed hammers); also, the scale emphasizes the fundamental tone rather than the overtones, producing the thinner, cleaner sound Europeans prefer.

Another difference is that at dynamic fff, the American Steinway carries it off with aplomb.  The Hamburg's voice shatters in the treble and does not sound as musical at those moments to American ears.

Years ago, Hamburg Steinway's were voiced to be more mellow than their NY counterparts, but that no longer seems to be the case generally.  Quality assurance has always been thought by some to be better at the German factory than in NY.  

[dinosaurtales]

So RachFan, have you ever actually gotten to play a Hamburg one (I never found one in my search).  Would you expect them to sound and play much like Bechsteins, Bosendorfers, etc?  Or would they be more of a *mix* of clean, Euro sound and Ameri-sound, like the Fazioli?  I was always curious about the Hamburg Steinways.

[rachfan]

Hi Dino,

Yes, in my youth (gosh I miss that!) I played my teacher's Hamburg Steinway B at her studio for 10 years.  (At her home she had a Mason & Hamlin A which I didn't like as much).  But I have not played the more modern Hamburg B's in all honesty, as they are infrequently seen on this side of the pond.  

It is a fact though, that if you pick up any CD these days where the piano is a Steinway, the vast majority of the time it will be a Hamburg.  The reason is that most recording has migrated from NY over to London, because traffic noise has invaded the hallowed old U.S. recording studios like RCA's, etc.  Naturally, the Steinway's in London are almost invariably Hamburg built.  So you can get a good sense of the timbre by sampling a bunch of CDs issued in London and crediting Steinway.  I don't mean to imply that I dislike the Hamburg Steinway--I just don't prefer it to the NY.

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

On these pages are a few samples of recordings, this once is on a Hamburg M

https://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?ID=SSCD073

and this is on a Hamburg D

https://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?ID=SSCD082

[benthepianoboy]

correct me if I am wrong- but I beleive that Hamburg Steinways use Beechwood soundboards as the wood is more readily available in Europe. The New York Steinways use spruce. Hamburgs are said to be "brighter" and the New Yorks are said to be more naturally "mellower"   Could it be the woods?

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

Yes, you are wrong. Beech is a hardwood, usually used for bridges or pinblocks, not soundboards.

[SHR]

The modern Steinways seem to have a harsh,  rather unpleasant percussive sound especially when played loud. I have a Mod D (concert grand) made in New York in 1877 - the frame was cast on Aug 4th 1877 and bearing in mind that pianos don't improve with age, miraculously it has a superb tone.  I recently had a new set of German (Arble) hammers fitted and it was fully restored (restrung etc) in about 1975.  The sound is so mellow with no loss in the top treble - a silvery, singing sound - and the tenor and bass which can have "bite" when necessary (eg bringing out a voice) or a mellow, even an organ like tone. I would not change it for a new Mod D although I reckon the Fazioli and 3/4 size  Bosendorfers are far better than any new Steinway.  I don't care for Steinway's marketing methods (or is that par for the course in the good old US of A?