Steinway Piano Comparison Shopping

The most important component of shopping for a restored Steinway grand piano is the quality of the instrument. The use of the best parts, and the best technicians is essential. There are several piano restoration shops that are capable of this in the New York area. Then you must consider the musicality of the instrument.

A piano can be perfectly put together; the action evenly regulated using Hamburg Steinway Parts, and still not be musically appealing. To allow the pianist to be creative the piano must have a range of dynamics and colors which the fine pianist can access effortlessly.  This takes time, knowledge of music, knowledge of pianistic technique, and cooperation over years with concert artists who can define what they want from a piano. This is what separates a good Steinway restoration from a concert quality restoration.  This is what we strive for at Craftsman Piano Co. There are very few other companies that have the knowledge and desire to restore pianos at this level.

For the purpose of this article I have made a chart that compares the prices of new Steinway Pianos, with the prices of the restored Steinways of our two finest competitors, with the prices of the restored pianos at Craftsman Piano Co.

I invite you to come to our new location at 453 White Plains Rd, Eastchester, NY 10709 and sample our pianos. I also invite you to our concert series.  Friday night jazz, and Saturday night classical which are produced in conjunction with Crestwood Music Education Center.

Download the chart here.

Piano Plate Welding Demonstration at Craftsman Piano in Yonkers, NY

Master piano plate welder, Victor Apuango, demostrates his craft as Joe Hanerfeld, of Craftsman Piano, speaks about plate welding at his Yonkers, NY piano showroom.

We use the world's finest parts which are used in the best pianos such as the Hamburg Steinways, Bosendorfers and Mason & Hamlins, with all of our piano restorations. Our technicians take pride in paying attention to every detail and are truly dedicated to doing the job as if it were their own piano. The piano restoration process takes approximately 12-16 weeks from the time your piano is picked up, and we guarantee our grand pianos for five years on all parts and labor and three years for uprights.

Doesn’t the piano have to “play”? A funny story from Joe Hanerfeld of Craftsman Piano Co.

Years ago a colleague of mine made the ill advised decision to purchase six Louis XIV Steinway pianos of various sizes. These are beautiful ornate Steinway pianos, mahogany or walnut, with exquisitely carved French legs. These are beautiful pianos. The problem with them is that they are very hard to sell. Why? Because they are very expensive, they are very ornate, they are not suitable for most households because they over power the rest of the décor. My friend’s dilemma was that he had six pianos totaling over $300,000.00 in value, and not enough cash to maintain his expenses. Into this equation stepped a chance client of mine. She wanted a Louis XIV mahogany Steinway B. Nothing else would do. My friend shipped the piano to my shop. The client arrived ten minutes after the piano was set up and tuned. She fell in love with the piano immediately. Just as immediately she started to renegotiate the price. My friend had no alternative but to sell the piano so he agreed to her demands. Everyone breathe d a big sigh of relief. The client signed the check and handed it to me. Then she made one more demand. The piano would have to have an electronic Pianomation player unit installed within two days. I told her that would not be possible. She started reaching for her check. In desperation I asked her why she needed the Pianomation. She said that her husband’s company was having a very important party in two days and the piano “has to play, doesn’t it?”. This was a wealthy sophisticated lady, yet she just didn’t realize that she could hire a pianist to perform at her husband’s party. I was able to recommend a pianist to her. It was the beginning of a relationship that lasted until this client moved away.