Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Aluminum plating on Steinways?

I read an article in the May/June Clavier Companion regarding purchasing a used piano. The author cautions readers to avoid any instruments made after WW II that had aluminum plating. Did Steinway ever use that form of plating? I am considering purchasing a used Steinway and this is the first I've heard of aluminum plating.

I think you mean aluminum plates. They were used in some inexpensive small uprights, not Steinways.

Thanks, BDB, yes I meant aluminum plates.

A number of low cost instruments, I recall there were even some cheap small grands, had plates (or string frames) made of aluminum (ALCOA plate)instead of the iron. One of the selling points was that aluminum made the piano lighter. Of course the down side was that any piano with an aluminum plate was plagued with unresolvable stability issues due to the way aluminum plates move more than the iron.

Yes, one would be best served avoiding such an instrument.

Unless, of course, one wants a piano for the lounge area of a personal blimp.

What few pianos with aluminum harps that I serviced - old spinets and consoles - had a rather annoying resonance. Like playing the thing in a tin can. Yes, steer clear of these.

Thanks everyone. I was asking only about Steinways - and for me, I'm interested in a grand piano rebuild, so it's safe to say Steinway did not use aluminum.

Yes, it's safe to say. Even during WW-II, their GI pianos had cast iron frames.

I would lean away from a Steinway upright however.

Thanks SMHaley, I'm looking at grands.