As a premier piano brand, Steinway pianos are highly valued and maintained by their owners. Yet, there are many misled assumptions made about Steinway pianos, their value and their care. That is why a large part of our job at Lindeblad Piano Restoration is educating our customers on what should and should not be a consideration when evaluating restoration or service for your Steinway.

Here are several Steinway myths and misconceptions we hear a lot from customers inquiring about restoration and service:

Steinway Myth #1 – An authentic Steinway piano contains only Steinway parts.

Perhaps one of the single most common misconceptions about Steinway is in regards to their historical authenticity. Many people believe the myth that a Steinway piano with one or more parts replaced that aren’t Steinway parts has lost its value. This could not be further from the truth.

In fact, many parts including the soundboard, pinblock and action found in a Steinway piano are often no longer manufactured by Steinway Pianos. Depending on the year of your Steinway piano, it may be more historically accurate to replace a part with a different brand or manufacturer to obtain what we call maximum “authenticity of restoration.”

For example, Steinway pianos are manufactured today in Queens, New York, and Hamburg, Germany. Nearly all Steinway pianos manufactured in Germany have a Renner brand action. When a customer comes to Lindeblad looking to restore or replace the action in their Steinway piano, we have access to both the Steinway and Renner brands. We educate the customer on which brand would provide them with the most historical accuracy for restoring to the original piano.

Steinway Myth #2 – Steinway Pianos knows the most about Steinway and should be the first choice for restoration and service.

Another Steinway myth we often hear is that Steinway Pianos must be the most authoritative and best option for restoring and servicing a Steinway piano. Just because they share a name does not mean that a Steinway piano is best understood and cared for by Steinway Pianos as the original manufacturer.

At Lindeblad Piano Restoration, we have three master craftsman who have a combined 40+ years of experience on Steinway pianos alone. Having worked on upward of 1,000 Steinway pianos between them, their expertise far surpasses the average factory worker at Steinway Pianos who can achieve “craftsman” status with only two years of experience. x

The difference in our approach is the level of apprenticeship and experience we require of our team. This is evident in the quality of our work, the customizations we are able to do for our customers’ pianos and the knowledge we have of early Steinway pianos that are no longer in production.

Steinway Myth #3 – A Steinway piano, particularly the early models, should be restored in my local town or area to avoid moving and transporting it too far.

Moving and transporting a piano can seem like a logistical nightmare for a piano owner. However, the fear of having a piano moved should never keep an owner from evaluating the best restoration and service available – even if it means shipping nationwide.

This misconception that transporting a piano long distances can be damaging and that pianos are “fragile” is one we often hear. The reality is that with skilled movers to properly pack and load a piano, the actual transportation distance is irrelevant, and the piano is easily-able to make the trek.

At Lindeblad Piano Restoration, we have a nationwide network of piano technicians we trust to pack and load your Steinway piano. This ensures that all pianos shipped to and from our facility are guaranteed the best of care while on the road. After all, you’ve invested in some of the best, custom restoration work available on the market today – the packing, loading, unloading and moving should be the least of your worries!

Steinway Myth #4 – The best place to take my Steinway piano for restoration is the Steinway dealer from where I bought it.

While this seems like a logical assumption, it is sadly a myth many Steinway owners pay the price for believing. While your local dealer may have helped you purchase the Steinway of your dreams, their ability to source a new Steinway is not a reflection of their ability to properly service and maintain them.

Very rarely are Steinway dealers also Steinway-certified shops for restoration and service. While many owners believe the Steinway myth that this dealer is shipping the piano back to New York to Steinway Pianos for service, they are often having someone local come in to do the work that is not necessarily a Steinway expert. This means an uncertified technician may be servicing your pristine baby grand without the knowledge or understanding needed for quality Steinway restoration work.

At Lindeblad Piano Restoration, our extensive knowledge and years of experience working with Steinway pianos makes us a trusted choice for your restoration and service. When it comes to evaluating the best quality and care for your Steinway piano, we help our customers understand everything they should consider before beginning restoration or service on their piano.

Are there any Steinway myths you may be believing? Comment below to ask us your common questions to see if they’re Steinway truth or fiction.