Here in the greater Boston area there certainly had been legends of Steinway coming down hard
("do you really want to lose your Steinway dealership, hmm?") because of the clone Steinert grands, but there are obviously alternate "histories" out there.
Wikipedia doesn't have a citation for Morris Steinert! A search on Amazon came up with a reprint of 1926's "Reminiscences of Morris Steinert". I thought I had seen a review of a relatively recent (past ten years?) book about Morris but didn't find it.
Do any elder NBSS grads remember what Bill Garlick (or Eddie Coughlin) had to say on this topic?
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Patrick Draine
Billerica MA
978-663-9690
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-22-2021 09:53
From: John Pope
Subject: Steinert Piano
I once had a conversation with Israel Stein at a PTG convention. He had had some connection with Steinert and was saying that Steinway was licensing its design to Steinert to produce "clones". He said that in that period there was more demand for Steinways than they could meet and this was a response.
The one Steinert I've seen looked very much like a Mason and Hamlin BB.
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John Pope
University of Kentucky School of Music
Lexington, KY
Original Message:
Sent: 09-20-2021 17:53
From: William Shull
Subject: Steinert Piano
Hi Walter,
I'm not sure Steinway opposed these builds. There was a good business relationship with William Steinway, and Steinway and Sons even built a few Steinways with the Steinertone action, a very unusual thing for Steinway to do.
Morris Steinert very successfully sold Steinway pianos. He is also known for his fine musical instrument collection, which he donated to Yale to create a foundation for the fine collection that exists today. Recently a descendant of Steinert made a substantial donation to Yale to support this collection and it was renamed for Morris Steinert.
Regards,
Bill
Bill Shull, RPT, M.Mus.
www.shullpiano.com
www.periodpiano.org
909 796-4226
Sent from my iPhone
Original Message:
Sent: 9/20/2021 1:59:00 PM
From: Jim Ialeggio
Subject: RE: Steinert Piano
Steinert's turn of the century concert grand can be an astounding piano. However, its quite frustrating for all who know this, because perceived value only applies to 2 or 3 brands. You simply can not sell them for what it takes to restore any piano to fine condition, let alone sell it for what an astounding concert piano should fetch. The bones are there. The customers are not. Fairly frustrating.
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Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
Original Message:
Sent: 09-20-2021 13:45
From: Martin Snow
Subject: Steinert Piano
Karl, I'm sure one of the Boston area techs will chime in , I can PM you a Boston local longtime tech. who has restored many of these Steinerts, I can't promise you he'll reply tho! Martin
www.snowpianos.com
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Martin Snow
South Burlington VT
617-543-1030
Original Message:
Sent: 09-20-2021 13:28
From: Walter Nirenberg
Subject: Steinert Piano
Steinert, the SteinWAY dealer in Boston made these excellent pianos, back in the day when New England was the center of production for high quality American pianos. They are very close copies of actual Steinways and I believe they were forced to discontinue them by Steinway for that reason. They sound amazing when in good shape and the WNG actions were excellent as well. We had a 7' Steinert in the basement of the New England Conservatory which was water damaged by overhead fire sprinklers. Our teacher, Frank Hansen, left it in a corner for a few months to dry out. After restringing, repairs and regulation, it played and sounded great, similar to a Steinway B. We don't see them much on the west coast but I understand they are all over New England.
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Walter Nirenberg
Rancho Santa Margari CA
949-683-7533
Original Message:
Sent: 09-20-2021 12:46
From: Karl Roeder
Subject: Steinert Piano
Does anyone out there know much about the Steinert grands made in the early 20th century? I just evaluated one from 1920 and it's a very close copy of a Steinway model O. Down to having identical trapwork and cheek block hardware. The rim is continuous bent maple with the bracing being slightly different to accommodate having a tone collector. It has a WNG action. Very curious to know more about these than I can find in the Pierce Atlas.
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Karl Roeder
Pompano Beach FL
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