4 ms·

For anyone interested, there's a really great documentary that I believe is still on Netflix called "Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037". The process r

For anyone interested, there's a really great documentary that I believe is still on Netflix called "Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037". The process really is amazing.

mrchucklepants 13y ago
I watched that a couple of years ago. I have never been able to look at a Steinway the same way since. The skill those workers have developed is impressive and inspiring.
- jacquesm 13y ago
  I spent a good 6 months restoring a Bosendorfer (competitor to Steinway, no umlaut here, sorry), even just repairing a grand piano is a lot of work. Making one from wood, iron, brass, steel, velvet, felt and shellac is an enormous amount of work. Those instruments are worth their sticker price, the brand really is a measure of quality. The one I did had it's strings cut out, the outside was sanded down to wood, bits and pieces were strewn all over Poland. I got to know an expert piano repairman/tuner from the local conservatory and he gave me a mountain of tips&tricks to work off, without that I would have never managed the job. That was a fun project. And not just a little bit dangerous, tuning up a fair sized piano from scratch is a delicate job. You really don't want to unevenly stress the frame and find out what it is like when 13 tonnes of tension is released all at once.
jk4930 13y ago
I also recommend Pianomania (2009): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331115/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331115/ There are clips on youtube.
taway2012 13y ago
Yep, amazing documentary. It was inspired by workers' pride in their work.
gtani 13y ago
This book is also terrific. http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Making-Steinway-Concert-Grand/dp/0805083049/ http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Making-Steinway-Concert-Grand/dp... From it I remember a guy who goes to Tacoma a few times a year to look at Sitka spruce really carefully, another who guards their hand planes, which they can't get anymore, stuff like that. I also have a friend who's a concert pianist and who's quite obsessive about tuning, voicing, regulation, and her (Model C?) sounds absolutely amazing.

For anyone interested, there's a really great documentary that I believe is still on Netflix called "Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037". The process really is amazing.

mrchucklepants 13y ago

I watched that a couple of years ago. I have never been able to look at a Steinway the same way since. The skill those workers have developed is impressive and inspiring.

jacquesm 13y ago
I spent a good 6 months restoring a Bosendorfer (competitor to Steinway, no umlaut here, sorry), even just repairing a grand piano is a lot of work. Making one from wood, iron, brass, steel, velvet, felt and shellac is an enormous amount of work. Those instruments are worth their sticker price, the brand really is a measure of quality. The one I did had it's strings cut out, the outside was sanded down to wood, bits and pieces were strewn all over Poland. I got to know an expert piano repairman/tuner from the local conservatory and he gave me a mountain of tips&tricks to work off, without that I would have never managed the job. That was a fun project. And not just a little bit dangerous, tuning up a fair sized piano from scratch is a delicate job. You really don't want to unevenly stress the frame and find out what it is like when 13 tonnes of tension is released all at once.

jk4930 13y ago

I also recommend Pianomania (2009): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331115/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331115/ There are clips on youtube.

taway2012 13y ago

Yep, amazing documentary. It was inspired by workers' pride in their work.

gtani 13y ago

This book is also terrific. http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Making-Steinway-Concert-Grand/dp/0805083049/ http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Making-Steinway-Concert-Grand/dp... From it I remember a guy who goes to Tacoma a few times a year to look at Sitka spruce really carefully, another who guards their hand planes, which they can't get anymore, stuff like that. I also have a friend who's a concert pianist and who's quite obsessive about tuning, voicing, regulation, and her (Model C?) sounds absolutely amazing.