German Steinway Model D concert Grand piano c1990


A Steinway model O grand piano c1925.


Steinway model V upright piano c1980.


Steinway Model A grand piano - this model  made between about 1890 and 1902


Steinway Model M grand piano


Steinway Model K upright piano c1929

We restore all types of Steinway grand and upright pianos and will be pleased to quote for work on modern and old Steinways.


Brief information on the best and most commonly available used Steinway grand and upright pianos in the UK:

Used Steinway grand pianos available in the UK

German or American?
There is varying opinion even amongst top dealers and restorers as to whether the German or American Steinway grand piano is the best, though quality control is reputed to be better in the Hamburg factory. In the UK about 95% are German Steinway pianos. The American Steinway can be recognised as it generally has a square shaped "fall board" or "lid" over the keys, whereas the German Steinway fall board is rounded as in most makes of grand piano found in the UK. Also the German Steinway pianos are usually more mellow in tone and the American ones more strident. However, there are exceptions to these differences!


Restored Steinway pianos, from 1877 to about 1950.
If you're thinking of buying or restoring a professionally reconditioned Steinway grand piano then they generally have a powerful rich tone and fine touch, with an aesthetically pleasing cabinet. The most common colours of those available in the UK are approximately as follows:
1877 to 1920: 60% Rosewood 30% black (ebonised) 10% other
1920 to 1950: 50% Rosewood 30% black 10% mahogany 10% other

How big is your room?
Bear in mind that if you have a small room, particularly if the ceiling is low, then a Steinway grand piano may be too loud; the exception to this is the model S which is designed to be quieter. Bluthner grand pianos were the main high quality domestic piano in Europe from about 1890 to 1910 and were the main maker of exceptional small grands up to about 1935. We recommend restored Bluthner grand pianos as ideal for the smaller room.

Used modern Steinway grand pianos in the UK, from 1951 to present
These are mainly black polyester. The ones made in the 1960s have a particularly rich warm tone; the key tops of these are normally ivory until about 1989.

Restoration of Steinway grand pianos
We are experienced restorers of Steinway grand pianos; they invariably require at the very least new hammers, and often restringing. If the piano is well used the action becomes slack and the springs weak; this then needs regulating. We are also traditional French polishers and are able to recreate the original finish or change the colour if required.

Recommended most readily available used Steinway grand pianos in the UK:
We are used Steinway grand piano dealers and buy, restore and sell good quality used Steinway grand pianos. Here is a list of the most commonly available in the UK:

Grand Pianos
By far the most common restored Steinway grand pianos are model O's, A's and B's. For the most common colours see above. They vary enormously in quality and in how much they've been used, but generally older Steinway grand pianos have been used extensively and therefore very worn. reconditioning can also vary widely in quality so if you're buying a restored Steinway grand we strongly recommend having a Steinway trained technician to check it first. 

Description of most common models of Steinway grand pianos.
The following models are listed in order of availability in the UK:

Model O Length 5' 10½" (180cm), usually Rosewood or Mahogany. Earlier ones with turned legs and later with square tapered
(about 50% of all Steinway pianos available) The best have a rich, full and powerful tone

Model A Length 6' 2" (188cm) usually rosewood or mahogany, earlier ones with turned legs and later with square tapered. The best have a rich, full and powerful tone. (about 20% of all Steinways grand pianos available)

Model B Length 6ft 8in to 6ft 11in (212cm). These are uncommon second hand, and much sought after. Model D Length 8ft 11in. 274cm. Concert grands; used ones usually need extensive reconditioning.

IMPORTANT ADVICE
Steinway grand pianos have a powerful tone and are designed to be played in a sizeable room with high ceiling (the model "S" made around 1925 is the exception to this, being of quieter tone) . If your room is small, you would therefore be advised to consider a quieter piano such as a Bluthner.

Adverts for new Steinways in 1907 (click to enlarge). For today's equivalent price according to inflation click here

Brief description of all Steinway grand pianos.

CASEWORK
The wood used for the case is most commonly rosewood followed by mahogany and black. Used modern Steinway pianos are nearly all bright black with the occasional mahogany or other wood colour.

IMPORTANT
Note that if you buy a mahogany piano with a bright polyester finish, over time the wood will fade under the polyester and be impossible to restore without stripping the polyester. Therefore if buying a piano with a polyester finish it's a better investment to buy a black one.

Turned legs and fretted music desks are found on most Steinway grand pianos up to about 1905. Thereafter square tapered legs and plain music desks are the most common.

MODERN STEINWAYS
Over 95% of modern (1955+) used Steinway pianos in the UK are black, the rest being of a wide variety of finishes.


Steinway upright piano - advice
If you're thinking of buying a professionally reconditioned Steinway upright piano then you're getting a piano with a fine firm touch and rich tone The most common colours are black, mahogany and rosewood, and some walnut. After about 1920 mahogany becomes common.

GENERAL COMMENT
Most used Steinway upright pianos for sale in the UK are pre-1900 and require extensive reconditioning. Dealers restoring Steinway grand pianos rarely restore uprights as all Steinways are "fussy" pianos and eat up much time in the reconditioning process. The older uprights take almost as long as the grands to restore, and they are therefore not an economical proposition for dealers. However, we are able to undertake restoration on all Steinway upright pianos including full action replacement.

If you're looking for a fine older style German upright piano in the UK, you may be better considering the more simply designed Grotrian Steinweg, Bechstein, Lipp or other top make unless you can afford the restoration costs of the Steinway. However modern Steinway pianos (from about 1950) are more simply designed.

Brief description of all Steinway upright pianos:

Most common Steinway upright pianos that are more commonly available in the UK:

35%   Model V Height 125 cm, Length 152,5 cm, depth 67,5 cm.  
55%   Model K Height 132 cm, Length 152,5 cm, depth 68 cm.     
10%      Other models such as N, E, or Z 

IMPORTANT
Shorter Steinway uprights are vary varied in quality. In fact Steinway Hall in London didn't stock any in the 1980s but rather stocked small Knight pianos, which are some of the best small uprights still available on the second hand market. We generally have 3 or 4 of these instock, along with top quality Welmar uprights when available.

Click here for a list of past and present Steinway stock. Please enquire to check that a piano is still available.

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We have supplied Steinway grand and upright pianos to most UK destinations including:
London, Aberdeen, Aylesbury, Bedford, Berkshire, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Chichester, Coventry, Croydon, Dorset, Edinburgh, Essex, Gloucester, Hampshire, Inverness, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Central London, West London, North London, South London, Maidenhead, Manchester, Northampton, Norwich, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Rugby, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Somerset, Southampton, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tangmere, Tunbridge Wells, Warwick, West Sussex, Winchester, Wimbledon, Windsor, Witney, York.