THE Alex.Steinbach Difference
Triple-Strength, Fine-Grain Spruce Soundboard
A soundboard is a thin piece of wood that reflects sound made by the strings. Sound vibrations need to pass through the whole soundboard quickly without being inhibited, so only the highest grade wood, with a straight, fine grain is used. Spruce from countries with cooler climates produce a finer grain (lines) because trees grow more slowly in the cold. A finer grain reduces impurities and makes it easier for sound waves to travel through the wood. For this reason, Samick sources soundboard spruce for Alex.Steinbach pianos from the mountainous areas of Germany and Italy, Quebec or Alaska.
All Alex.Steinbach pianos also feature an advanced, triple-strength soundboard, designed to withstand the harsh Australian climate. The orthodox method of using a single layer, solid spruce soundboard is not suitable for climates with extreme temperature or humidity changes. Even the highest quality spruce soundboards may crack or split in time and in certain locations.
In the past, some piano manufacturers ineffectively glued together panels of spruce, laminated the soundboard with polyester, or placed particle board inbetween two layers of spruce in an attempt to reduce cracking and splitting. However none of these options produced good resonance and longevity.
In addressing this serious problem, Samick instead chose to retain the traditional solid spruce soundboard in the centre, plus add an innovative thin veneer (0.5mm) of genuine spruce wood, across the grain on each side. This tri-layer of spruce gives the soundboard strength and durability, while still retaining quality of tone with the spruce core. For this reason, all Alex.Steinbach piano soundboards demonstrate excellent sound generation and also withstand extremes of temperature, providing complete investment security.
Longer Strings Produce Better Resonance
The quality of string wire used in pianos is very important in the creation of sound. In addition, the length of a piano’s strings is directly related to the quality of sound and tone. Taller upright pianos and longer grands possess longer strings, allowing better vibration and consequently richer sound. Klaus Fenner achieved greater length in the bass by increasing the angle of these strings. A comparison can be seen in the photos below, illustrating how Alex.Steinbach piano strings are longer due to the acuteness of their angle.
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Alex.Steinbach ‘Romance’ JS121 | Other 121cm piano |
High Quality Double-Felt Hammers
The hammer head is part of the action. When a key is pressed the hammer hits the strings and starts the sound ringing. The quality of felt used in the hammers is very important. It has to be dense enough to prevent the strings from cutting into it but not too hard so that tone is compromised. Alex.Steinbach pianos use Japanese felt in the majority of their upright pianos, with German felt used in the professional Millennia model and all their grand pianos.
In addition, top grade hammers should have two layers of wool felt. The outer layer called the ‘hammer felt’ is usually white and the inside layer called ‘underfelt’ is usually red. In Alex.Steinbach pianos the hammers are made of pure wool felt that is attached to winter-cut hard woods, through a process of applying extreme pressure to each layer of wool. Red underfelt is featured in upright pianos 118cm and above and all grand piano models. Underfelt is designed to provide an amount of compression outwards to keep the hammer in shape and ensure it rebounds when it hits the strings. This produces a warmer sound. In contrast, the outer layers are applied with higher tension to give the hammer balanced hardness to ensure durability through repeated use.
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Alex.Steinbach ‘Romance’ JS121 | Other 121cm piano |
Wooden Pedal Levers Improve Sound Quality
Hollow metal parts are not usually used in pianos because they can cause unwanted vibrations when the piano is being played. This is why Alex.Steinbach pianos utilise wooden pedal levers to eliminate unwanted noise.
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Alex.Steinbach ‘Romance’ JS121 | Other 121cm piano |
Safety Options
Soft close key lids, called ‘slow-falls’ or ‘slow-fallboards’ are featured in upright pianos 118cm and above and all grand piano models. This prevents the keyboard lid from falling too quickly, reducing the risk of damaging small hands. It operates through a hydraulic mechanism that exerts pressure against the key lid when it starts to fall.
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Alex.Steinbach ‘Romance’ JS121 | Other 121cm piano |
Unique Lifetime Warranty
Pianos First honour a Limited Lifetime Warranty on all new Alex.Steinbach pianos. This is a unique attribute. Other piano manufacturers generally only offer between 5-10 years warranty. The Alex.Steinbach Lifetime Warranty is not a gimmick. Pianos First and Samick have maintained an impeccable warranty service record over the years and, together with your dealer, genuinely guarantee that your Alex.Steinbach piano will provide you with many decades of trouble-free performance. This provides Alex.Steinbach owners with peace of mind. A Lifetime Warranty is especially reassuring for such an important financial and lifestyle investment.
Extensive Choice
Pianos cannot be hidden away in a cupboard like other musical instruments, so choosing the right piano is a very important decision. A piano should not only sound wonderful, but also look beautiful.
Alex.Steinbach Pianos understand musicians and also respect Australian home makers. They provide the largest choice of models, styles and colours in any piano range in Australia with over 50 variations from which to choose. With Alex.Steinbach you can select a piano to reflect your home décor, your family’s lifestyle and your own personal musical tastes.
30 Day Exchange Welcomed
When you purchase other piano brands, changing your mind is discouraged, especially after the piano has been delivered to your house. In contrast, if you purchase an Alex. Steinbach piano, there is no need to be concerned about not making the right choice, because you will have 30 days to decide whether or not your piano fits in with its surroundings and meets your requirements. This means that if you would like to try another design, size or colour within the first month we will happily exchange the piano as many times as you desire. You only need to pay any difference in the piano price and transport costs.
