Bosendorfer pianos

bosendorfer 170 grand piano black

Bösendorfer 170

Bösendorfer pianos are regarded as one of the very best makers of the instrument. They are often found on the concert platform, though they are rare in the UK (perhaps one for every hundred Steinways). At Roberts Pianos we do our best to have at least one Bösendorfer grand and one upright piano in stock. A professionally restored Bösendorfer from about 1920 to about 2001 is one of the finest domestic and concert pianos. If you’re thinking of buying a Bösendorfer grand piano it must be said that 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 “Art cases”.

Used Bösendorfer pianos in the Uk


In the UK there is about one Bösendorfer for every twenty Bechsteins, Blüthners or Steinways. Generally speaking older Bösendorfer grand pianos have been used extensively and are therefore very worn. Reconditioning can also vary widely. We fully restore all models from 170cm upwards.

Brief history


Bösendorfer 170 (5ft 7in) are superbly engineered baby grand pianos. You’ll mostly find them from about 1920 to 1965. A used Bösendorfer 170 from this era are found mostly in black or mahogany. Modern Bösendorfer grand pianos are 170 to 290cm long. These mostly date from 1960 to 2000. Casework of modern Bösendorfers are commonly found in bright black.

bosendorfer 275 imperial piano black

Bösendorfer 275 imperial grand piano

List of Bösendorfer models


  • 170 (5ft 8in) Fine grand with rich warm tone
  • 200 (6ft 7in) This is the most common of post 1965 Bösendorfer grands
  • 228 (7ft 6in) As above but deeper tone. Not so common in the UK. This piano can also have 92 keys, going down to F below bottom A
  • 275 (9ft) This model has 92 keys and is superbly engineered with a warm rich deep tone. Highly recommended.
  • 290 (9ft 6in) The longest concert grand, and with 97 keys. Very similar to the 275

Styles of Bösendorfer grand pianos


There are a few baby (170cm) and boudoir (200cm and 228cm) Bösendorfer grands from 1900 to 1930 in the UK, mostly black and mahogany. Warning! Older 5ft to 6ft Bösendorfers up to about 1900 often have what’s known as a “Viennese” action. This is a very different design from the standard. They are not really acceptable for all-round playing. (NB this is not to be confused with the “Strauss” model, which refers to a style of cabinet). There are very few modern Bösendorfer concert grand pianos on the second hand market (about one for every 30 Steinway concert grands) . These vary from being well worn to hardly used. They are often unique, having 4 to 9 extra notes in the bass.

Bösendorfer upright pianos


black model 130 upright piano by bosendorfer pianos

Bösendorfer 130

The most common Bösendorfer upright is 130cm tall and ranks as one of the best uprights ever made. Very few Bösendorfer upright pianos are available in the UK so you may be frustrated trying to find one; we get one or two into stock each year. If you’re thinking of buying a professionally reconditioned Bösendorfer upright then you’re getting a piano with a very refined touch and warm subtle tone. The most common colours are black (95%) and mahogany.

Recommendation


As there are too few Bösendorfer upright pianos in the UK, so if you’re looking for a fine German upright piano you’re more likely to find a Grotrian Steinweg, Steinway, Blüthner, Bechstein, Lipp or other top make (see our “common makes in the UK” page). However if you have your heart set on a Bösendorfer then you could rent or buy one of these other makes while waiting for a Bösendorfer to come into stock.