Steinway A, Louis Styled Case, c.1920s priced under $50K, nice little gem of a piano...
What a Blast! Even made it to Steinway Hall... Played on one FINE sweet NEW D Steinway Concert Grand and checked out some of the new "art case Crown Jewels" in the back rooms.... !
We visited four restoration shops/vintage dealers and Steinway Hall on a warm, slightly rainy, very gray, overcast December Saturday. These are noted as NYC Vintage Shop 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively -- the listing of 1, 2, 3, & 4 is no indication of personal preference or any type of "ranking" -- merely my method of keeping them straight for website purposes as this is the chronological order of my visit.
There is a pretty classy article in the December 1998 House and Garden Magazine by Katrine Ames called "Object Lesson - How to buy a piano" that really goes along very well with my trip to NYC.
Yes...Weedhopper....! Your suggested reading at the library....
Have fun! Remember,
NYC may be the capital of the Art Case Pianoforte....
but, these puppies
can also be found just about anywhere on Planet!
Trust Me on this
one!
The establishment is owned by Gabor and Sujatri Reisinger. Their portfolio includes several favorable magazine articles in the NY Times, House Beautiful, and the December 1998 issue of House & Garden.
NYC
Vintage Shop 2 -- Museum
of the American Piano
specializes in some new piano sales as well as restoration
of vintage, mainly using instruments which have good repairable soundboards.
Smaller showroom, but several vintage gems on the floor as well as more
moderately priced lesser known vintage brands. Kalman Detrich, owner, located
at 211 W. 58th Street, NYC, NY 10019 @ 212-246-4646.
Steinway
A, Louis Styled Case, c.1920s priced under $50K, nice little gem of a piano...
NYC Vintage Shop 3 -- Faust Harrison - Pianos specializes in rebuilding/restoration of mostly Steinway as well as some new piano products, including Mason & Hamlin. Excellent selection of restored later 19th Century & early 20th Century Steinways. Restorations generally include new soundboards, and there was an most interesting array of Louis grand cases, including a c.1883 rosewood 8' 11" Steinway D.
One of the most interesting critters was a c.1950 Mason & Hamlin Butterfly Grand. This shop has a price list which they give to potential customers with daily availability and pricing of their inventory of vintage & new Masons. Michael Harrison, proprietor, located at 205 W. 58th Street, NYC, NY 10019 @ 212-489-0666. My contact is Mr. David Grossi, an Iowa native Mid-Westerner.
Steinway 1890 A85 Note
Mason & Hamlin, 1950 Butterfly 1883 Steinway
D 8' 11" Rosewood Concert Grand
Restored, $36,000
4' 10" Grand, Restored, $35,000 Restored,
Plastic Keys, Restored $95,000
NYC
Vintage Shop 4 -- Beethoven
Pianos specializes in rebuilding/restoration of just about
everything and anything from Knabe and Steinway to doing some interesting
custom case work in the restoration, as well as some new European piano
sales. Restorations generally include new soundboards, and there was an
interesting array of choices including a recently restored D Steinway concert
grand. Carl Demler, owner, located at 232 W. 58th Street, NYC, NY 10019
@ 212-765-7300.
Main
showroom & gallery and various
Vintage Steinway
Knabe Concert Grand
restorations
Front Window Display
No
trip to NYC to play vintage pianofortes is complete
without
stopping by and meeting the nice folks at
Steinway
Hall and playing brand new Steinways!
Steinway Hall (Shop 5)-- well....these are mainly new Steinways where one can find the full size D concert grand as well as the modern art case "Crown Jewel Instruments" in exotic veneers, as well as the B's and smaller grand case sizes. In December there was a D concert grand in the main entrance hall that was as much fun to play as a new Fazioli concert grand or the 1963 Bösendorfer Imperial I played earlier in the day....I do love a great new Steinway D!
One
of the Crown Jewels
Ms. Betsy Hirsch, Sales Representative,
located at 109 W. 57th Street, NYC, NY 10019 @ 212-246-1100 (main line
for Steinway & Sons). P.S. -- If you go to NYC to buy fine
vintage, you should-better-ought-to stop by Steinway Hall and look at the
new pianofortes as well....It's your money!