So you want to buy a grand piano. And you have decided that out of all the grand pianos you can find, you want a Steinway Model B. Good choice.
Now that we have the internet you can go online and find Steinway Model B’s, but how do you not only find, but then buy a Steinway B online? How do you know what to look for? Even if a Steinway B looks great, how do you assess the moving parts – the hammers, shanks, flanges, and wippens? Do you even know what the wippens are? And even if you do, do you know all the wippen parts – the spoon, the jack flange, and so on? And even if you know all the parts, do you know how to assess if they are all working correctly or whether they are worn and will shortly need replacement?
It’s a nightmare, isn’t it?
You Need Someone Who DOES Know What A Wippen Is
The answer, if you want to buy a Steinway B online is to get hold of someone who DOES know what a wippen is and whether it is working properly, and who knows how to source and buy Steinway B’s online because he does it for a living. That would be Maestro Bruno at Concert Pianos in Dallas, and Bowie, Tx, who has been selling Steinways for over 45 years. Not only has he been buying and selling them, he has bought seven Model B’s for his own personal use.
When it comes to buying a Steinway B, there is a scoring system which is used which, quite frankly, to the man in the street probably doesn’t mean a lot. Indeed, Maestro Bruno says that a PhD Professor once told him that pianists know less about their instruments than any other musicians. So if you don’t know what the wippen is and does, you are not alone! But that is still not much help if you want to buy a Steinway B.
That is why you need to talk to Maestro Bruno at Concert Pianos. He is an expert at sourcing and buying Steinway B’s online and can help you in your search. He is able to accurately assess the condition of a Steinway and score it using the scoring system, which he can then explain to you so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to buy a specific instrument.
This will give you the confidence to buy a Steinway B in the knowledge that you are not going to have to replace the hammers – or even the wippens – a few months down the line.