Real Wood
Construction
Bösendorfer is the only piano maker to construct the piano case of real wood;
Bösendorfer uses solid soundboard-quality Bavarian spruce. All other piano makers use
stressed plywood, using the so-called "rim press" method.
The Extended Keyboard
The four largest models of Bösendorfer pianos have added notes in the bass. The Models
225 and 275 have four added notes while the Model 290 has nine added notes. These notes
contribute to the richness of the pianos' sound, even when they are not being played. The
additional low strings produce sympathetic vibrations (harmonics) in the overtone pattern
according to the laws of physics.
The four main advantage of the extended keyboard are:
- The presence of the strings brings extra resonance to the entire piano.
- The soundboard is wider than on an 88-note piano.
- More tenor and bass notes have bridge placement closer to the soundboard.
- Permits the intended performance of music literature written for these notes.
The extended range keyboard was originally added as an experiment when Ferruccio Busoni asked Ludwig Bösendorfer to make a special piano with a low "C" to simulate a 32-foot organ pipe. Busoni went on to create his famous piano-transcription of the Bach organ repertoire, frequently using the low Bösendorfer notes. The added depth and richness of the sound throughout the the entire piano motivated Bösendorfer to adopt the new design.
All
Spruce Construction
In addition to the soundboard and the case, most other parts of a Bösendorfer are also
made of spruce including:
- the keybed
- all trusswork
- the ribs
- the fallboard
- the keys
Bösendorfer pianos also have wood-tension relief cuts in various parts of the piano.
The extensive use of spruce also makes the Bösendorfer piano lighter and more resonant than other pianos. Fully 85% of the Bösendorfer piano is spruce, more than any other piano.
Soundboard
Spruce Tongue-and-Grooved
The planks of solid Bavarian spruce which comprise the Bösendorfer soundboard are fitted
together in a tongue-and-groove configuration. This assures the greatest possible
interfacing of each section of spruce. It also provides additional strength and resistance
to damage changes in environmental conditions
Tuning
Pin Holes
Bösendorfer drills the holes for the tuning pin in the open widow pin panel design. Each
is marked for exact locations and allows greater tuning stability.
Bridge Pins
Bridge pins are made of steel and nickel plated. The nickel plating reduces friction and
eliminates corrosion and oxidation
Naturally
Dried Wood
Bösendorfer is the only piano which uses naturally dried wood instead of kiln-dried wood.
Kiln drying damages some of the pores of the wood and decreases its acoustic properties.
Special
Plate Finishing
The Bösendorfer craftsmen take more care in the finishing of the plate than any other
piano manufacturer. A Bösendorfer plate is aged in air for a period of several months to
enable undesirable tension to be relieved.
At least 40 hours are spent in the treating and sanding of the surface of the plate. Six coats of finish are applied. The color of the plate is a trademark of Bösendorfer and its visual appearance in the reflection of the lid is a matter of great pride to the craftsmen.
Tapered
Key Touch Weight
The weights of touch of Bösendorfer keys are tapered from 48 grams in the treble to 55
grams in the bass. This is the preference of the majority of concert artists. Of course,
these weight may be adjusted to the preference of each owner.
T-Nut
Pin-Block Mounts
Bösendorfer grand pianos utilize a special method for fastening the pinblock to the cast
iron plate. The Bösendorfer "T-nut" is a metal-to-metal fastener consisting of
a machine screw and a specialized nut which is countersunk into the bottom of the
pinblock. Other manufacturers use ordinary wood screws. The advantages of the Bösendorfer
system are strength, stability and longevity.
Independent
Capo D'Astro Bar
Bösendorfer is the only piano in the world which uses an independent cap d'astro bar,
rather than one which is cast into the plate. This allows more acoustic separation from
the plate, and thus less absorption of resonance. This technique also facilitates ease of
reconstruction when the piano is rebuilt in 50 to 75 years. With this system, a craftsman
rebuilding a Bösendorfer may more precisely reshape the termination points for the treble
strings.
Individual
Stringing
Bösendorfer uses individual stringing on the entire piano. This permits better tuning
stability. Hand-made string loops guarantees fewer tonal impurities.
Bass
Strings Hand-Wound
All Bösendorfer bass strings are hand-wound with two layers of solid copper
windings. This allows greater evenness of windings and better quality control over
materials. It also creates even tension throughout the length of the strings with no
twisting. Each bass string receives two clockwise turns so that the string's tension will
be fully believed during tuning.
Special
Agraffes
Bösendorfer agraffes are solid brass with a stainless steel pin inserted. This
permits easier tuning and greater tuning stability. It also permits a longer life span of
a perfectly shaped termination point.
Low Mass
Bass Bridge
Bösendorfer bass bridges have a unique design with holes similar to those on a
violin bridge. This design reduces the mass and makes the bridge more sensitive with
greater speed of vibrational transmission.
Hand Notched Bridges
Great care is devoted to the treble and bass bridge construction. Not only are
the bridges hand-notched, but they have laminated caps to prevent splitting and cracking.
The bridge pins are positioned so that the strings are completely free exactly at the
point where they pass the pins.
All Brass
Components
All the features on the piano which look like brass actually are brass. There is
no plated brass on the piano. The casters, pedals and even the nameplates on the fallboard
and on the sides of the pianos are solid brass.
Air
Freighting
Air freighting of the Bösendorfer pianos into the United States minimizes travel
wear and possible damage.
Renner
Action to Bösendorfer Specifications
Some features of the Bösendorfer custom design are:
- Gravity actuated return damper under-levers for smooth transition, no springs
- Easily adjustable spoons in under-levers
- Action parts made of hombeam, a very dense material preferred over maple
- New Herz design has faster repetition
- Full sostenuto, easily serviced
Highest
Quality Materials
Only the finest and most costly woods are used -- spruce, maple and beech.
Soundboard
Materials
Only the finest quarter-sawn Bavarian spruce is used. This wood is aged for three
years.
Pin block Materials
Made of quarter/sawn hard-rock maple and delignit beech for the ground plate.
Polyester
finish
The finish on the Bösendorfer pianos is a special polyester which is very durable while
very beautiful. It is also very expensive. It is the only type of finish which may be
returned to its original beauty for many decades without re-finishing -- simply by
buffing. Bösendorfer was the originator of this type of finish about 21 years ago. Today,
most high-quality piano manufacturers have adopted it world-wide.
Keybed
Reinforcements for Glide Bolts
There are several small beech disks inserted into the keybed on each Bösendorfer grand
piano. These protect the spruce keybed from wear caused by the glide bolts on the action
frame.
Highest
Quality Hammer Felt
Bösendorfer has the choice of the highest grades of felt produced by the Renner Company
in Stuttgart, Germany. After the best felt is set aside for Bösendorfer, the Bösendorfer
specialists have the option to accept or reject each set. The Bösendorfer inspectors have
been known to reject as much as 50% of the felt before any of it is made into hammers.
Both rejected felt and rejected hammers are sent back to Renner.
10-Year Warranty
Bösendorfer is the only world class piano to offer a full 10-year warranty on parts and
labor. The warrant offered by the other companies (Hamburg Steinway and Bechstein) is only
5 years.
By permission from Bösendorfer Pianos
Copyright © 2006 The Piano Co.