You can find the soundboard at the centre of any Steinway piano, whether grand or upright, concert or baby, and it is instrumental in providing any piano with its unique sound quality. Incredible care must be taken to ensure that every instrument meets the rigorous quality requirements adhered to at Steinway & Sons.
This rigour includes the selection of the wood and the adherence to the design of the Steinway soundboard. Sitka spruce is the most resonant wood available; the Sitka used in the manufacture of Steinway instruments is sourced from one island in Alaska with a unique micro-climate. This ensures the wood has superior grain density, direction and colour. The wood selected for use in the creation of Steinway pianos must meet a minimum number of annual growth rings.
Steinway’s 1936 patented Diaphragmatic Soundboard features a unique design that allows a piano to vibrate more freely, creating a warmer, richer and more resonant sound for a longer period of time. The soundboard tapers gradually outwards from the centre, allowing for greater flexibility of movement.
The Steinway Model D’s soundboard is 9 mm thick at the centre, tapering to 6 mm at the rim and outer case, where it is double crowned.