Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Info on pre 1990s Weinbach? (Petrof)

Hello all,

I have a Weinbach grand from ~1983, I've been told it's very similar to a Petrof IV from the same period. I don't have too much info on this, but I can say I quite like the sound. It's incredibly clear in the high register, especially when considering its price. I have to change my playing to get such clarity from a Yamaha of the same size.

It struck me as strange that the badge on the interior says "Förster" on it, when it obviously isn't an August Förster, and I have had it confirmed that it was built at the Petrof factory. It is also visually identical to a Petrof IV from the same period.


It's hard to find info on these instruments, so if anyone has any whatsoever, even anecdotal, I'm very curious about what you know!

I had one of these uprights at my high school. Typical communist era piano, not as bad as Calisia or Legnica, but nothing to rave about. I would call them very good for cheap instrument.

I believe at one time Petrof made August Forster pianos.These
are not the high quality August Forster pianos of today which are made in Germany.However if you like the tone and touch of the piano it may be worth checking out.As maucycy said these are communist era made pianos.

I bought my Weinbach (5' 10") new in 1971 and had the action rebuilt in 2005. It still has a beautiful sound, can still take the work and I wouldn't part with it. As with a Petrof, its action is on the heavy side but I like that. As I maintain my technique on a Virgil Practice Clavier a heavy touch doesn't matter.

Turns out our pianos may be quite similar, mine is also 5'10".

I'm hoping to have my action checked out soon, some hammers are misaligned, and 2 keys are now sticking. I've used it quite heavily over the last year, so it makes sense. Haven't had it looked at in about 10 years, but I've found, through research, that the "Detoa" action is quite a pain to work with.

Did your tech have any glaring issues?

Thanks

I can share my experiences with these instruments. I knew the Petrof and Weinbach in the early 1990's. They both still used the Detoa action at the time and were inconsistent in touch and tone. They left something to be desired, but with some diligent care by the right technician they could be very nice instruments.

Good luck,