Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Steinway’s Black Diamond Piano

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This may be drifting OT a bit, but still relevant to the big piano picture, I suppose. The collective membership of PW, or the regular participants here, (per se) make up a vast diversity of socioeconomic groups and classes of individuals just like there are in the real world. Some members here have the financial means, and wouldn't think twice about paying $100K or more for a particular piano. And, that amount of money would be small pocket change to them. By-the-way, that is not a criticism of anyone or any group, it is just a fact.

On the other hand, some members here would struggle financially to pay $1000 for a used acoustic piano. On occasion, some members do post denigrating comments regarding a modest piano, but that is to be expected with any diverse group of individuals, I suppose. I hate to see it when that happens, because I think all member's feelings matter, whether it is regarding their piano or other.

However, Piano World is still a great place to spend time, learn about pianos, have fun and relieve stress. But there are indeed different social/financial classes or groups of members here.

Also, dogperson, you mentioned a spinet piano... my late mother-in-law (who passed away about 3 years ago) had an old Henry F Miller spinet piano that she left to my wife in her will. We never moved the piano out of my MIL's home until a few weeks ago as they are preparing to sell the house. Although my wife passed away last December, I just recently took possession of the spinet piano. This past week I've been tinkering with it, fixing it up, cleaning it up and tuning it, and I've been having a ball playing it. No, it's not a concert grand or a high-end upright, but I would imagine a lot of people of modest means who wanted a real piano would love to have it. I know my late wife would have been proud that I finally got it and have been playing it and enjoying it; I think of her everytime I play it. It's not a bad piano, and I've seen and heard worse, much worse...

Sorry for the long-winded post. Wish I could afford a new Steinway grand, even a Black Diamond model!

Rick

Well if people do add some humour about a very expensive
product that they would never be able to own, it is only human.
But when they defend NY Steinways pianos they were thinking
of the private owners of that piano.
The factory owners and even the important employees of Steinways
should be able to cope with that !

Since PW is an (almost) american forum, it isn't too difficult to understand that Hamburg vs NY Steinways subject is so sensible. Things may be different if we talk, for example, about Japanese vs Indonesian Yamahas here...

Because I recently bought an upright and looked at many
different uprights including Yamaha,Kawai and European
models I can only comment about Yamaha tall uprights.
The Japanese made pianos were FAR superior.If however
you could compare performance grand pianos in tier one
or two you are comparing really great pianos so there is to
me no great deal about being insensitive.In fact this applies
for any tier in the performance pianos.
This does not sound logical ,but for me it is, perhaps for who
I am ,and where my place is in this world
On the whole one just needs to be sensitive.

The very fortunate people that can easily spend $150,000 to $250,000 on a piano and not feel faint writing the check or counting out the stack of Benjamin’s are a smallish minority in the world and on Piano World Forums. For those of us of more modest and much more modest means, we take our small investment in pianos just as seriously as anyone else. We spent time and energy doing research on the best sounding and playing piano as we can afford. Please be gentle and kind.

That diamond motif on the leg is hideous, to my mind. Also why the heck would I want Lang Lang's (or any pianist's for that matter) signature on my piano? Not a fan.

edit: Really? "H ell" is filtered to "heck"?

Yeah I never really “got” the whole signature Steinway deal. But I was told by a VP of the company I worked for who bought a signed Steinway was that the pianist who signed it helped design that piano. So very best of the best. Of course he was just starting to play piano. Chit chatting with technical staff (me) who had been playing since I was 8.
But then again my vehicle’s aren’t signed, I don’t have valuable signed art, so even if I had the money I think I’d opt for some fabulous carved wood cabinetry versus a signature.

The target of this model is the rich Chinese market. In China, Lang Lang is like a god of piano. That’s why they put the signature in a bling-bling way on the fallboard.

Thank you. That makes sense to a mediocre piano enthusiast, middle income American.
The black ebony still does fit in with many different decors. I much prefer a fabulously carved burled walnut with bubinga wood accents case. The only thing I really don’t care for in the BD is the price. But that’s what makes it attractive to the rich market. The middle class can’t afford it.

Yep, and I'm sure they do go through that process, and that any concert pianist is going to have a sophisticated take on how they want the piano designed and set up, but whatever that's ultimately worth musically to an end user like me, both objectively and subjectively, over what is already one of the finest pianos on earth, is difficult to determine. Steinway certainly are adept at the old marketing game.

You know, as you mention them, I'm not a fan of personalised numberplates either. Like this piano they seem like tasteless ostentatious flaunting. Whereas a regular Steinway/Bösendorfer along with, to use an analogue, something like a Ferrari or an McLaren, can be and sometimes is a status symbol but equally can be appreciated by enthusiasts for being among the absolute best of what they are.



It's the age-old conundrum.




Yes, what trandinhnamanh says makes sense. Not everyone who can afford something like this would buy it, but obviously some would and I can see it doing well in that region.

I would not mind one of those regular Bösendorfer's or
Steinways grands ----- to play.

This kind of instruments were made for other purposes rather than for playing. Somes (that I know) were never been played

I understand but what a terrible terrible shame. A Hamburg Steinway & Son’s that won’t be played. 🥺
That’s like one of those Porsche 911 Turbo with only 5 actual miles since new. My heavens! Who wants to buy a collector Porsche and not be able to drive it! It’s just a crying shame. A Steinway is meant to be played for many years, not just as a decoration! A Porsche is meant to be driven. I’m starting to sound like those guys on Mecum. Ok. I’ll have a glass of wine and calm down.

If someone wants to buy a piano purely for decorative or aesthetic purposes that's perfectly OK, and I strongly feel they should not be criticized for it. According to a Steinway salesperson I met, a significant percent of Steinways are bought for that reason, and Steinway might have a difficult time without that kind of customer.

At least people are buying pianos. Important for dealers,
manufacturers and therefore for piano lovers.

Without people buying status symbols, the "high-end" piano companies might have gone bankrupt a long time ago.

I understand how you feel J&J ! I hope you had your glass
of wine. It seems like a criminal act to have a beautiful, expensive
grand piano just standing in lovely home,carefully dusted,tuned
once a year !!! Oh well !

People should be free to buy a piano for any reason they want without being criticized for it. Pianos are beautiful furniture so buying a piano only for its furniture aspect is completely reasonable.

Tuned once a year? Luckily piano! My Hamburg Steinway C, I bought it from a rich family who got it for 10 years without any tuning, just carefully dusted. Even the lid wasn't opened once...

I would take even signed ones, if they were free for me!