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Model A

Finishes:

Black Cream White White

Crown Jewel:

Amber Wood East Indian Rosewood Indian Appletree Kewazinga Bubinga Macassar Ebony Mahogany Pommele

The colours displayed by the monitor may differ from the original.

Width: 147 CM
Weight: 325 KG

The Steinway Model A is well regarded for faithfully producing the quality of sound associated with grand pianos as a medium-sized instrument. As expected from Steinway pianos, whether large or small, the Model A delivers a sound quality that resonates with depth and passion, made possible by its solid spruce soundboard and expertly crafted mechanisms.

“Owing to its perfection, the Steinway gives the pianist, wherever he plays, absolute security.”

PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD

Steinway Artist

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Specifications and Design

SPECIFICATIONS RIM SOUNDBOARD BRIDGES & PINBLOCK CAST IRON PLATE
Photo of MODEL A - Specifications - Steinway & Sons
DIMENSIONS

Length: 6′ 2″ (188 cm)
Width: 57¾” (147 cm)
Net Weight: 695 pounds (315 kg)

BRACES

The Model A features three solid spruce braces, measuring 1,387 cubic inches in volume (22,729 cm3). These reinforcements provide high tensile strength whilst keeping the weight of the instrument as low as possible. A seamless foundation, onto which the tonal component is built, is created by fastening the braces to the rim with maple dowels. The plate is secured in place by a steel bolt and the sturdy cast iron treble bell, which is fixed to the rim’s underside at the treble bend. Permanent rim posture is ensured by affixing the Steinway & Sons iron wedge anchor brace ends to the cross-block.

SCALE

Overstrung; combination agraffe; front and rear duplex.
Tension: 41,888 lbs. (19,000 kg)

RIBS

Made from long-lasting sugar pine, ensuring the down bearing of the strings across the soundboard is long-lasting and secure. The rib ends are fitted by hand.

TUNING PINS

Resistant to rust; nickeled heads; made from choice bluing steel.

STRINGS

Treble: crafted from high-tensile Swedish steel; twelve whole and one-half sizes.
Bass: pure copper wound around a Swedish steel core
Longest: agraffe/bridge: 55⅝” (141 cm)

HAMMERS

Top and underfelt made from first-rate wool which is treated to be insect and moisture repellent. The shape is retained by compression wiring. The hammer mouldings and shanks are crafted from first-rate hard rock maple.

DAMPERS

Premium wool is cut horizontally to ensure successful dampening, adhered with durable maple heads.

KEYS

Steinway piano keys are produced only from carefully selected European spruce. Each key is precisely weighed-off. The white naturals are coated to be resistant to staining and chipping. Black flat and sharp keys are abraded to be slip-proof and ebonised for rich colour. Peak tonal power is assured with each touch by durable Linden wood buttons reinforcing the keys over the balance rail. The longest key measures 19″ (48.3 cm).

KEYBED

The keybed is formed from quarter-sawn spruce planks. Birch planks are cut horizontally and vertically to provide a vented system that allows moisture to escape. Enjoy heavy playing with a crowned and reverse-crowned action frame that ensures a tight fit, preventing ‘slapping’ and allowing for intensified key movement. A sturdy mount for adjustable brass touch-regulating screws is offered by the large maple down ends. Thickness: 1¾” (4.45 cm).

PEDALS

Finished from durable, solid brass. Ideal for soft, sustained and full sostenuto play.

Photo of MODEL A - RIM - Steinway & Sons

The elegance, durability and unrivalled excellence of each Steinway grand piano are due, in part, to the infrastructure provided by the rim. The Steinway Model A is built using a single bent rim, measuring 2 3/4“ thick, which is crafted from 16 layers of hard rock maple. The inner and outer rims are compressed in a single undertaking. Steinway pianos are expected to bring joy to generations of artists, making the continuous, single-piece rim instrumental to ensuring its strength. This ingenious method of manufacture represents one of many innovations in piano building led by Steinway and Sons and was created and patented in 1878, making it unique and indispensable to the manufacture of Steinway grands.

Photo of MODEL A - Soundboard - Steinway & Sons

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 A’s soundboard is 8 mm thick at the centre, tapering to 5 mm at the rim and outer case, where it is double crowned.

Photo of MODEL A - Bridges & Pin block - Steinway & Sons

Steinway instruments maintain their excellence because our craftspeople never compromise on quality. This includes the selection of materials used to craft these magnificent instruments. High-quality materials are instrumental in creating beautiful sound, and the soundboard bridges used in Steinway pianos are formed exclusively from vertically laminated hardwood with a horizontal grain and are capped with solid maple. Steinway craftspeople painstakingly notch each bridge manually to ensure optimal tone.

The 1963 patented Hexagrip Pinblock, developed by Steinway & Sons, guarantees the flawless conveyance of sound from the strings to the soundboard, permitting pianos to keep their precise tuning for longer. This creates the unmistakable Steinway sound, marked by its uninterrupted, resonant tone. The Hexagrip design includes seven laminations of quartered hard rock maple stock. The consistent grain orientation around the circumference of the tuning pin is essential to provide impeccable pin gripping; this is achieved by arranging the grain symmetrically at angles of 45º and 90º, sequentially. This patented pinblock establishes an effortless dynamism under torque and a more continuous retaining action, ultimately resulting in a piano that remains in tune for longer.

Steinway treble bridges are crafted from hard rock maple in vertical laminations. These are capped with solid hard rock maple and levelled, coated with graphite, and finally diligently hand-notched and drilled. This provides exact string bearing and exponentially reduces the risks of splitting.

Photo of MODEL A - Cast iron plate - Steinway & Sons

Each time a piano is played, its strings undergo a significant amount of tension. Up to 20 tons, precisely. The cast iron plate is an integral part of a piano’s construction, counteracting this exceptional weight and providing a Steinway with the durability and support it requires throughout its life. At Steinway & Son, we only use bell-quality iron to produce our cast iron plates, which are created in our own foundry with castings made specifically for Steinway. These measures guarantee optimal reinforcing for string tension, decreased vibration and enriched sound quality. A Steinway’s plate is robust grey iron, filled CNC-milled and sealed, bronzed and lacquered.