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hello, I am about to receive my very first Steinway B , I looked some youtube channel the keyboard looks like you have to attached together by yourself or technician when it is new open box, and when shipping company deliver the piano to set up 3 legs, does each leg has its own corner? or just put 3 legs on it?



advise is highly appreciated

It's customary for whomever delivers it to set it up for you,
but most people don't just receive it in a shipping crate.

Are you purchasing under unusual circumstances?

I bought it overseas from Germany, and I will have piano tuner come to tune the piano, but before when it deliver to my door, I do not know how to unbox and set up initially. thanks

You may want to have your piano tuner there when it's done. Yes, the legs bolt on, but that's not so much difficult as just the sheer magnitude of the weight. The pedal lyre is more complex to install than the legs, and you also need to be very careful of it when you set up the piano (some people will rest the weight of the piano on the lyre when tilting it over, and that's not a good idea).

Based on the cost of the piano, and shipping, I'd assume you'd want to be careful and have an experienced crew set it up. It's not really a do-it-yourself operation, especially the first time when you have no experience with it.


On a different note, I'm always intrigued when people ship a piano internationally! (most people don't want to take the risk, or assume it's too complicated or too expensive, etc). So, kudos to you for your courage and curiosity! If you're willing to share more details, that would be nice.

Setting up a grand piano is not a do-it-yourself project! It weighs 345 kilos (760 pounds)! It comes with legs and lyre unassembled, and it needs at least two (or three) strong people who know what they're doing to set it up.

If you are having the piano shipped directly to your home address and if you have not made arrangements in advance, you need to make those arrangements with a piano dealer or piano moving company to set up the piano for you.

Regards,

The more I think about this, the more I want to say: if there are people who tune pianos in your area, then there must also be people in the area who move them. You should hire professionals to set it up for you. You not only risk damaging the piano, but you also risk injuring yourself, or whoever ends up helping you.

You really want to get a technician trained specifically on Spirio to do the setup for you since it is a Spirio. My technician has been trained on Spirio and he says it is very different from other player systems. I'd contact the closest Steinway dealer to assist me in finding a good technician.

See my post in your other thread on the tech forum.

Tech Forum Post

yes, I bought the hamburg Steinway with spirio R, I will have piano moving company to pick up from airport to my house, so I am not alone to set it up. I bought spirit R simply because my 2 kids is taking piano lesson, I would like to keep them interest to the piano before they have good foundation and enjoy playing piano.

That sounds like a better plan.

I'm curious where you live. Is there no Steinway sales support?

If the OP lives in an extremely remote area or if they purchased outside the local Steinway dealer network, then I would not expect much local sales support from Steinway.

The piano movers you hire to handle the crate should be able to set it up on your home if they are piano movers and not just freight movers. If they are freight movers, have piano movers on hand and your technician to open up and inspect the piano.

Assume the piano will require some routine adjustments and tuning after it settles from its journey.

Support for the Spirio R will likely be phone support if no local dealer is involved.

While certainly not an instructional video, we made a video last year when uncrating a new Bösendorfer 214VC. This is virtually the same process (and size) as uncrating a Steinway B. We have a crew of trained professionals on hand, and one of our technicians open up the piano and unties the action as well.

Uncrating a New Bösendorfer 214VC

thanks, very nice of you.

from the video, you need take keyboard cover out, slide keyboard out to take out a wooden stick and cut something? is that prevent damage from transportation? so does the Steinway as well?

thanks

Just to be clear: you don't do anything; leave it for the experts!

Regards,

As interesting as the video is, it cuts out large sections of activity. You see one wooden stick. That's a relatively minor concern.

^^^ this ^^^

The video doesn't cut out anything except the removal of packing materials. I did fast forward where our tech opens and unties the action before playing.

The stick is there to keep action parts from moving freely in transit. For some pianos, a wedge is also installed between the top action rail and the pinblock, further preventing any potential movement of the keyframe & action.

If anything has shifted or if you do not pull the action correctly, it would be easy to snap off hammers.

With a Spirio...you will also have electronic wires to contend with. If you pull the action without addressing the electronic connections properly, I imagine you would have a significant problem on your hands. Please have professional help on hand.

Maybe I'm not looking at the same video. The one linked above doesn't show the legs being installed, which the OP asked about, nor the lyre or connecting the trap work, other than obliquely seeing one guy who seems to be giving it its finally tightening.

It does show a group of pro's who clearly know what they're doing, which is the important takeaway (IMO).

I guess I'm getting cog dis as I read this. The OP seems to have capitulated on doing it himself, but keeps asking questions about the mundane details that implies that he hasn't, and that alarms me (for his sake).

This isn't building pyramids by pushing heavy stones together, and even that required stone cutting skills at times. Setting up a piano requires brute force and nuanced skills. And screwing up either one could be tragic.

Danx16,

Are you in fact intending to do this yourself?

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

not at all, I am not doing it myself, I just want to know some details to make sure piano moving guy don't mess up. thanks those for details .

That's a relief! 😁

Peter Grey Piano Doctor