Wonderful video mate Very thorough

I don't regard 1hz as a pitch raise - but 430 to 440 certainly is! 439 or 438 to 440 is a perfectly normal tuning. Perhaps I'd take it from there to 440.5 highest. You're very brave to publish a video tuning unisons as one always gets some clever-dick pointing out something they'd do differently and there's nothing worse than a client standing over you. I get horribly self conscious doing a video whilst tuning. Thanks for the tip about 1.5mm voicing. I usually use a different method as can't take needles with me when I travel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJDIameih66lnNE is a video I did about tuning which might be of interest and kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5XZhWmjdqqMoMU was a test tuning aiming for purest unisons on a Steinway B.

I'd love to see something focused on tuning of the top octaves. I have so much trouble doing a good job there...

Has this been beautifully done with black french polish. Shellac is also preferable on an old piano and certainly helps too with tonal quality.

You must mean 1880, not 1980. I have a Model O from 1923 and it has three pedals. Steinway has an online tool where you enter the serial number. It will tell you when the piano left their factory.

The piano's bottom A and B flat have the false string problem. I have seen this problem on the lowest few notes on several Steinways down the years.

Out of interest how long does it take to train as a tuner? Also is there such a thing as just a tuner or are they also proficient in all the technical renovations etc that you, your family and technicians do? Thanks Marcus

I love to hear tuners at work. I admire your keen ear and instincts. As a pianist, but not a tuner, would like to have more information and skills in what's happening inside the instrument, a big reason i enjoy your channel and superb expertise. Thank you ✨🏆🎹

Congratulations on your pianos and your explanations, always accurate. I also use that app for tuning control, but from G6 measurements they are not consistent, probably not a complete compatibility with my smartphone.

I think your app is "PianoTuner" not "PanoTuner" ( @ 1:06 )

It has the soundboard diafframmatic like Steinway? Thanks to those who could answer me.

Too many "experts" have already screwed this piano up. And that piano isn't a "real" B anyway; it has different scaling. Only after 1884 has the scaling been redesigned by Theodore Steinway and Henry Ziegler and are actually model Bs with 211cm. This one is 208cm and it simply is not a B. Add to that the "rebuild" by non-experts, this piano's value is approaching Zero. Unless you find a buyer who is dazzled by the (horrendously botched) Steinway logo on the fallboard.

I really like Broadwood piano. To me, it captures my taste. Ofc, in concert Steinway is the best (IMHO). But Broadwood sounds very friendly and homie.

Seiler is above all the all others.

The Boston is an instrument which can be highly rated by concert artists. Here's one kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6uWoGOuacl-gKs I tuned many years ago in concert and my work has improved then.

I had one of these and now have a Shigeru Kawai SK7. Absolutely no comparison. The SK is leaps and bounds superior.

I tried new Bostons some 30 years ago when buying my first grand. I liked them a lot and thought them very good value for money, but not quite in the same league as top-tier pianos. Tried my first Shigeru Kawai recently and was blown away by the sensitivity of the touch. Didn't have time to assess tone quality properly but the little I heard was pleasingly warm and full.

Shigeru is the pride of the whole factory, bearing the founder’s name, and Boston is a contract job with different tonal and performance intentions for a country on a different continent and so I don’t see it making sense, nor do I see a need, to put them on equal footing. I think Steinway is wholly responsible for quality control and tonal intention as it is their product, but with Kawai they chose a manufacturer who is likely to meet their expectations for Boston as Steinway’s second brand. With a lot of the second brands, like Bechstein’s Hoffman etc, I have concluded that the tone is different not due to much lower manufacturing cost, but rather intentionally aimed toward a whole cultural milieu or way of thinking, but also to preserve the prestige of the top brand. The name Boston suggests they are giving a less internationalized American tone, maybe making sense for customers inclined toward certain sentimentalities or regional associations. I think maybe they could make the Steinway tone at the same price point but those same customers might think it’s harsh. I don’t mean to affect what price you might get for it and I don’t think I could, given that the Steinway family of products has a cult following (like really a cult . . . )

I'm a little late to the party a year later, but I just got this video now. However, that is one gorgeous Imperial model, both in visual appeal, and sound. There' no mistaking that bass from all other pianos. I was happy to see the WNG composite parts as part of the upgrade, but from what I can see from my own experience the job was half done. Kudos for reusing the original hammers, which no doubt required some effort to do, as the shank diameter of the WNG composite shanks are much smaller than the original Renner wood shanks that was likely used. But I didn't see the new WNG back checks installed. While it might be considered an "option" to change on some pianos, no expense should have been spared on a Bosendorfer Imperial. I would have installed them to further enhance accuracy of performance. I can't see if the new WNG aluminum capstans have been installed to replace the brass ones, but that is also a very important part swap to significantly reduce friction. Of lesser consequence, I also would change the let off buttons with the WNG parts as well, which I did not see here due to camera angles not showing further details. But the part that really shows the job was half done is the "specs" section of the video for down weight etc. which reveal a touch weight that is not only heavier than what it should be, but also too erratic to be considered "even" across the keyboard. If the David Stanwood "Precision Touch Design" (PTD) was not used, then a MAJOR portion of the work was left undone. For those unfamiliar with this work, it involves weighing every part (hammer strike weight, repetition weight, key ratio, front weight - the weight of the front end of the key from the fulcrum, and other such parameters) and plotting the results on graphs to see where various touch weight problems are. From the data recorded from the "original" condition, the final results are calculated so that the hammer strike weight is a perfectly smooth curve across the keyboard which then computes what the front weight of the keys should be. All weights are measured on a digital scale with 0.1 gram tolerances, and all parts are adjusted to match the calculated results. Ideally the Down Weight should be about 52 grams in the bass tapering to 48 grams in the top treble on grand pianos. Any lighter than this makes the piano "run away" under your fingers, but any heavier (55+ grams) makes the piano "fight back" under extremely heavy and fast playing, which only serves to produce fatigue and reduce stamina. A keyboard should be "invisible" between the music you hear in your head and what you hear when you play. In other words, the musical thoughts in your mind should be instantly heard when you play, and the keyboard simply relays that process effortlessly. Furthermore, the regulation on this Bosendorfer looks poorly done, as the hammer line is all over the place and not level. Again, in all fairness, I'd have to see it in person to evaluate it further, but what I see in the video has tell tale signs of less than perfect regulation. A special regulation bench jig that has been carefully set up based on the measured string heights inside the piano should be used for the most accurate regulation that would produce perfectly straight hammer lines at rest position etc. I know all this because I did the work on my own 1915 Steinway D back in 2020 when I converted the action from the previous wooden Renner action (which gave me untold grief with heavy Down Weight and inertia issues) to the WNG composite action with the Stanwood protocols of action balancing. It is now the smoothest and most responsive action possible, and makes all other actions feel like a Mac truck. The WNG parts reduce the usual friction points on all the action parts to nearly zero, and holds it indefinitely with the proprietary hard bushings that replaced the felt bushings typically found in all other actions. Besides the superior advantages that the composite parts have over wooden parts for structural stability in all the fluctuating humidity conditions throughout the seasons, these hard bushings guarantee the longest trouble-free lifespan of performance and nearly indefinite regulation stability. So while I applaud the use of WNG parts whole heartedly, the job appears half done to reap the full benefit of an action overhaul. I write this not as any form of criticism (as I know how much precision work this all entails), but to further educate what is available to enhance the performance even further, as many pianists and piano technicians are still unaware of the latest developments in action rebuilding. In fact, the Stanwood PTD protocols is in my estimation more important to the way a piano feels and performs than what actual parts are used, because it can be applied to both wood and composite actions. I've done both, as it is not always in the budget to convert the action to the WNG parts beforehand. The transformation of an action with the PTD is at times miraculous with wooden actions, and with the WNG parts included the results are incomparable.

Bösendorfer Grands sound best if voiced hard in the 2 striped octave.Sadly most of these instruments are voiced/needled TO DEATH. All those technicians having not a hearing to that!!!!!!

Lovely rich mellow tone as you would expect from Bluethner.

Do you ship worldwide?

It’s very good to have encouraged people like this. A good tuning can be extended so much by people touching up the third string and music is vibrations. If a pianist isn’t hearing strings in tune they’re disabled from making music. Thanks for the tip on doing uprights left handed.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3:16 God bless everyone here. Jesus loves you and died for you on the cross. He did this to wash away the burden of sins, and if you open your heart to Him, He can take away the burden of your sins and give you a peace incomparable to anything in this world. ✝✝🙏

I’ve just tuned one of these instruments in unequal temperament as subsidiary to the Steinway model B in the Magaron concert hall in Kalamata. It’s a very interesting and musical sound with a character, rich tone and good harmonic content

I love the older pianos-- treasures from a different age made perfect in your shop.✨🎹🏆

Another piano lucky enough to have passed through the doors of your business…lovely tenor and bass

Sounds amazing

Wonderful Marcus.

Yes! More! Encore!✨👏 Marcus, your playing is beautiful, An Afternoon Stroll indeed, always welcome and easy to listen to, and exemplifying the beauty of the piano. Looking forward to more videos like this one 🎹✨ Thank you 👏

I wish my 1891 6/3 Bluthner sounded this good.

Excellent sound, even better then some modern named pianos. With a bit of vintage colour

Lovely piano and perfectly recorded sound too. Your improvisation is very good Marcus, something I don't do enough of. Your piece Afternoon Stroll is also a charming walk through the circle of 5ths. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

Glad to know family acquired one the best upright pianos in the Philippines. The brilliance is still there but it needs tuning, replacing some strings and fixing some mechanisms. Where can we order parts for the Grotrian 125? Thank you.

Hi Marcus, Thanks for this video. I'm so glad our grandparents acquired this very fine piano in the Philippines. The piano just recently returned to our ancestral house. The brilliance is there but it needs tuning, replacing some strings and fixing some mechanisms so when go on vacation, I can spend hours playing. My dad used to DIY tuning and fixing it and I was his assistant.

Fantastic improvisation playing, Marcus, on a fantastic instrument. Thank you so very much for posting the video!

Excellent vid and piano playing, Marcus! (Your Bluthner sounds as nice as my 1932 that I bought a few years ago from the 85-year-old son of its original owner.)

I have the princesses edition of this piano. The action tilts forwards if you undo the four screws below the keybed, and then expose the brackets either end that hold it in place, undo 4 screws there and remove the top key, then it tilts forwards pivoting on those screws you pointed to, and you can access everything.

I think you know that those rubbers will not survive more than 20 minutes in a school environment! Cool idea, though. I think you can order the hinges from Yamaha.

Those butterfly screws can dent a wood floor if they fall out. good design I agree. (Suzuki grand pianos have the same pedals + half blow soft pedal). I've used "Zebrite grate polish" on rollers on old bangers - works pretty well!

Last week I tried out a baby grand from the Feurig company, circa 1920, restored, 135 cm. It was very unsatisfactory, like other grand pianos of this size. Even the legendary Art Deco by Gaveau, a real design icon, is no fun for demanding musicians. Blüthner baby grands with 150/156cm are in a completely different class.

At Roberts Pianos every piano that's for sale sounds awesome.

The best sounding Samick I've heard.

Have you ever seen "STEINWAY & SONS - MAKERS" on a Steinway fall board. "Makers" written under Steinway. I've been offered a 6' grand with this written on it. I think it is a model A from 1912. It's kind off a "barn find" (old house actually) in France. Thanks....

I wanna know what happened to it. Even in far worse condition, restoring these instruments will pay off in other ways if not in profit with more of them being thrown away then restored in a world where we're running out of resources and modern pianos aren't made anywhere near as well, especially when it comes to period instruments that are almost impossible to find that have almost no market value because they don't sound like a modern piano which ruins the kind of music I create so it was sop hard to find the piano I wanted.

I’ve heard of adding a small rib on the underside of the soundboard to increase stiffness, as there seems to be some debate about whether downbearing is necessary or just stiffness. Sometimes hard hammers seem to make a thin tone. Cabinet edges where it’s light make it look tired and worn and seems like just darkening/makeup on those areas could make it more presentable. Music rack is absolutely disconcerting, gonna be a pain to explain that to all your guests. Someone like Brigham Larson in the USA might create a copy desk of the appropriate Bechstein desk. But at a minimum cleaned up lead dust with some kind of liquid so as not to get in the air, some voicing, cabinet touch up and might be useful to someone.

According to the Bechstein serial numbers listing on your website this instrument would appear to be 1879. It needs a good tuning and voicing of the hammers can be done successfully in the course of a good tuning, as I did on another of your instruments. What worries me is the clear disparity of some of the unisons which might indicate loose pins and to be expected of an instrument of this age. As a visiting technician maintaining this instrument for someone at home, I'd use CA in the first instance before recommending greater information, but as a piano-house selling A1 instruments this would be unacceptable for you as a retail instrument. I wonder if it's had a new soundboard in the past as the Bechstein decal appears to be missing.

A shame you couldn’t assess/restore my Model V. 😬

Yes those side flaps are to place your candle stick on while the music rack is in use. The Bluthners had that slide out section each side of the music rack assembly so you could get your light source out far enough to light the music. I guess the side flaps on the Bechstein lid are just another way of doing that.

Always interesting...