There has been a lot of gossip, speculation and talk about where certain pianos are being manufactured. You expect and know that certain brands are made in Asia. You would hope that certain pianos are made in the U.S. and you are convinced that others are made in Europe. So I want to discuss this topic.
Europe is the origin of piano manufacturing. Germany specifically is the country where most people arguably agree that pianos are the finest. For example, the top five rated pianos presently come from Germany. The next question is just how much that means.
In this age of globalization, even pianos that come from Germany have parts that are made in Asia. According to a friend of mine in Salzburg, only a small handful of companies produce pianos that are 100% Germany. One of those companies is Sauter also Grotrian and August Forrester.
What this means is that these piano makers actually guarantee that each and every piece that is used in manufacturing has Germany as their country of origin. This is a very difficult process and quite impressive. It does show in their pricing. For example you would expect to pay considerably more for a 6 ft. grand that is made by hand in Germany than one that is mass produced in China.
I for one have high regards for companies that are able to accomplish what Sauter has accomplished in using only German parts in the process of making pianos. However, I’m not convinced that having parts from China (for example) is not acceptable as long as those parts are made with the same specs as those from a much higher caliber part.
If specifications are followed and the parts come out within acceptable tolerances, I feel that they are equal in performance value. We have long been aware of some very high profile pianos that use certain parts made in China or Japan and until recently have done so with little or no comments from anyone.
I am proud of the American heritage of building pianos. However, to my knowledge there are only two American pianos left. The Steinway of New York and Charles Walter are both made in the U.S. and claim to only have U.S. made parts. I can not confirm nor deny this but, Iwill have to say that you also can see a difference in pricing from these two great piano makers than you see in an import.
So does this make the piano finer? You will have to determine that based on your own opinion when played. There truly is a difference in these pianos not only from the process of building but also in playing. The textures of sound are much different and the touch of the piano is quite different.
I would encourage you to go to a piano store and try these pianos out to see the differences in each one. It will be a test for you and hopefully, proof of what we are talking about here.
I will continue to offer opinions and profiles in the near future.
Ric Overton
