Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Bosendorfer 214CS vs. Steinway B

Sorry, I was being flippant. There is no real difference in price. The only real difference between the two is tone coloration. The Bosie is more focused where the S&S is more rich. I'm just having a hard time deciding which I would prefer over the long haul. If I could afford both, I would gladly purchase both. However, like I've said before, I am fortunate that I can't make a bad decision. Thank you all for your comments and encouragement.

I agree with pianoloverus completely. They are both excellent and have different attributes. Depending on your personality, whether you are a more introverted, thoughtful person who appreciates subtleties, perhaps you will like the Bos for a lasting relationship, but if you play and prefer show- stopping pieces mostly, then the B may be more suited for that "in your face" sound.

My experience of these two pianos is very different. Both are beautiful, but the Steinway has lots more color and a wonderful ability to shape the sound. It's in your face when YOU as the player decide you want that but as subtle and shaded as you can play when you want that too. I really like Bosies too but I find myself more aware of the piano between me and the music when I'm playing one, instead of that seamless relationship to the music with the S&S.

Sophia

p.s. I think you've also got more head room on the S&S to push it before it sounds choked or strained

Sophia,
I don't mean to sound as though the SS has no subtleties, and I don't know whether Radaddict resides in Europe, in which case, be it Europe or USA, he may be testing a Hamburg Steinway, then I am totally wrong about the sound- for the Hamburg B is a different instrument again.
It is nice to hear you described these features of the S&S and I am relieved. The S&S dealer is a bit far from my area, I may go there to try them one of these days. I have the chance to take my lesson on a stage on a concert grand this summer, and I can't hear a thing, the sound was projected outward on the concert hall, but I can hear the master classmates playing very clearly and the piano sounded really grand!

Maybe for the exception of the Imperial I find Bösendorfers not to answer in depth of tone compared to Steinway or some other brands. It was especially obvious to me when I played a Steingraeber side by side with a Bösendorfer.

I agree with Sophia.

I could not have said it better. I think most of this can be attributed to the Sitka spruce soundboard in the US S&S vs. the european spruce in the Bosie. In my experience and to my ear (YMMV), European spruce is brighter and a tad brittle whereas Sitka spruce is warmer and more complex. The tone color across the entire keyboard of the S&S remains consistent. The tone color in the Bosie (at least those that I've played) changes from bass to mid to upper end. This is not bad. In fact this is part of what I like about Bosies. This difference in tone color gives a player a huge palette of sound to work with. However, the complexity of tone in the S&S also gives the player a huge palette of sound, but in a different way.

It's quite difficult to translate sound and tone into words. It's like the difference between a painting by DaVinci and a painting by Renoir. Looking from a distance both paintings accurately portray the subject matter. However, up close the DaVince is precise and specific while the Renoir looks difuse and complex with an amazing interplay of color. They are both brilliant in their execution and it is a matter of taste which one the observer prefers.

As a composer, the music I would write on a Bosie would be different from what I would write on a Steinway. My quandary is in which one inspires me more. While this dialog is really helpful for me to clearly define my thoughts for each piano, ultimately, I will have to decide which one I prefer.

BTW, I'm throwing another piano into the mix; a C. Bechstein B212 (it may be a B211. Either way it's somewhere in the vicinity of 7'). Bechsteins aren't really my cup of tea, but, since I'm expecting the tone color to be closer to the Bosie than the S&S, I'm hoping it will help crystalize my thoughts and clearly define my preference. Wish me luck.

Yes, good luck as you look at the C. Bechstein too! I know what you mean about the difficulty of trying to translate all this into words (friends who are not pianists give me strange looks sometimes as I try to explain some of these experiences to them).

You might want to keep in mind that the Steinway will likely get brighter and show more focus and brilliance as it is played in while still keeping its colorful personality. You may find it ideal at that point.

As you said before-- you can't go wrong either way. Both are fabulous instruments.


Sophia

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Steinway has a concert version of the B. It's identical to the "normal" B except it has a gloss finish and the S&S logo on the side.
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Hi Rad,
I thought, and I may be wrong, the shiney or gloss Steinways are from Germany? They would have the Renner action and other differences.

I don't know the complete story, but the Steinway dealer told me that the shiny B with the side logo was provided by Steinway as a concert piano and, while it could be sold, it was used as a rental and the serialization was different. I don't think it was a Hamburg Steinway but I suppose it's possible. I'll see what I can find out.

radaddict,
You're right-- I've seen these as well. I heard a concert played on a NY B with a gloss finish and side logo-- a really wonderful piano. I was told the same thing as you.

Sophia

S&S NY offers polished finishes on the traditional ebony cabinets as an extra cost option. IMO they are not very good. This has nothing to do with "concert" pianos.

All C&A "concert and artist" pianos (loan/rental for stage use) have the logo on the side for PR identification to the audience when the fallboard decal might not be seen. Some C&A pianos are gloss, most are satin. True C&A pianos are numbered differently, usually three digits. They are never sold until Steinway is ready to retire them from service.

Most Hamburg grands are in high polish polyester finishes that are completely superior to the NY attempts in laquer.

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,14877.50.html

You might find reply number 57 in the above thread of interest.

OK, I'm late to this thread but . . .

In 2000, I seriously considered a Steinway B and a Bosendorfer 214CS. I ended up with the 214CS.

I preferred the action on the 214CS; the sound was superb.

I was generally disappointed with the Steinways (I even went to NYC). I thought they were generally too rough and uneven.

I've been happy for eight years. Mine came with a decal on the side.

It sounds like you are wedded to either of these two pianos, but in case you're still open to other alternatives out there, I would highly recommend the Mason & Hamlin BB. I tried out the Steinway B and a Bosie (can't remember the size), and much preferred the M&H BB (not by a small margin, but by a very large margin). I got the BB 7 months ago and the tuning has been remarkably stable, even in a house with less than ideal humidity control, open windows on nice days like today, etc.; two tunings, but I'm not sure the last one was really even necessary. And I couldn't be happier with the tone and touch of the M&H; great across a broad range of repertoire. Or one other thought: I tried out a M&H CC that I also really loved (talk about thundering, forever bass, with a clear treble, and easy to pull down to a pp); not sure how the price of a M&H CC compares to your Steinway B or Bosie, but if they are even close, I would vote for the CC hands down, assuming you have the space; I generally found going up a size range among similar pianos made a tremendous difference in the sound quality.

FROM RADADDICT:

"I don't know the complete story, but the Steinway dealer told me that the shiny B with the side logo was provided by Steinway as a concert piano and, while it could be sold, it was used as a rental and the serialization was different. I don't think it was a Hamburg Steinway but I suppose it's possible. I'll see what I can find out"

If you have a chance to buy a C&A or concert & artist Steinway they are the creme de la creme of all Steinways. I have never played Steinways better than those in the C&A pool.

FROM CRAIGEN:

"Most Hamburg grands are in high polish polyester finishes that are completely superior to the NY attempts in laquer"

---then you have not seen the latest versions, which are now going to be permanent options in the Steinway line-up, not just talk anymore. In fact there are now three ebony finishes: satin, satin lustre, and high polish.

I think that Dram has a great suggestion--check out Masons! In all seriousness, if you have not been inspired by this time to buy one of the two pianos you are trying out, you might want to expand your search to include Mason.

In that all three of the available NY Steinway finishes are still lacquer,Craigen would probably still hold to his argument as for the superiority of polyester. It is interesting though.....most especially on the west coat don't know the term lustre finish. I never heard of it either until getting a Steinway that was restored in New York by Steinway restoration. It is a hand rubbed lacquer finish that has enough material whereas they machine buff to a lustre or a semigloss (on observation).Just in case one wanted to know.

As you are downsizing from a concert grand, and might perhaps miss the power, it may be worthwhile you trying the 7ft Steingraeber 205. In my experience this outperforms the 214 by some margin and I prefer it to the generality of Hamburg B's (I am unfamiliar with NY B's).

The pianos have a lot of musical range, power and ability, but the sound is nearer to a Steinway than a Bosie. Perhaps a cross between a Faz and a Steinway.

If you are composing, and if that is for public performance, then one might suppose that the performer will more often than not be performing your work on a Steinway. Possibly worth factoring in to your choice?

Kind regards

Adrian

Many thanks to all for the valuable information you have provided to help me decide which piano I wanted to replace my Baldwin SD10.

My new Steinway B was delivered yesterday. I was a bit concerned that I had made the right choice. However, once it was in my house and I could play it in familiar surroundings, it became quite evident that I had. Wonderful instrument with an amazing amount of depth and expression.