| Page created 31st May 2007 Revised June 2008
In our opinion a professionally restored Bosendorfer from about 1920 to about 20001 is the finest domestic piano. If has a If you're thinking of buying a Bosendorfer grand piano then they generally have a warm, powerful rich tone and smooth responsive touch, with an aesthetically pleasing cabinet. The most common colours are black and mahogany. They also do many "Art cases".
General comment: In the UK there is about one Bosendorfer for every twenty Bechsteins, Bluthners or Steinways They vary enormously in quality and in how much they've been used, but generally speaking older Bosendorfer grand pianos have been used extensively and therefore very worn. Reconditioning can also vary widely.
Baby and boudoir grand Pianos: There are a few baby and boudoir Bosendorfer grands from 1900 to 1930, mostly black and mahogany.
Warning! Older 5ft to 6ft Bosendorfers often have what's known as a "Viennese" action. This is a very different design from the standard. They aren't really acceptable for all-round playing.
Concert grand pianos. There are a reasonable number of modern Bosendofer concert grand pianos on the second hand market (about one for every 15 Steinways) . These vary from being well worn to hardly used. They are often unique, having extra notes in the bass. (More information to follow later.)
As previously mentioned, there are too few of these superb grand pianos in the UK. The most common are:
Bosendorfer 170 (5ft 7in): Superbly engineered baby/mid size grand piano. You'll mostly find them from about 1920 to 1965. Used Bosendorfer 170s are mostly black, with a few mahogany ones
Modern Bosendorfer grands from 170 to 280cm. These mostly date from 1960 to 2000. the casework of used modern Bosendorfers is nearly always bright black.
Further detailed information to be added later.
Very few Bosendorfer upright pianos are available in the UK so you may be frustrated trying to find one. If you're thinking of buying a professionally reconditioned Bosendorfer upright then you're getting a piano with a very refined touch and warm subtle tone The most common colours are black and mahogany.
Recommendation:
You're highly unlikely to find a used Bosendorfer upright in the UK.
If you're looking for a fine older style German upright piano in the UK, you're more likely to find a Grotrian Steinweg, Bluthner, Bechstein or Lipp. Modern Steinways (from about 1950) are also a good choice.
Information to appear here soon
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