Hello Everyone, Well I played another Estonia piano today and didn't think it was so hot next to a Mason Hamlin piano. I liked how the M H sounded. Mr. Del Fandrich talked about WNG Carbon Tube Shanks for pianos and now M H puts them in there new pianos. Why is it that Steinway and Sons are so set in there ways? You think that if there is something out there that would improve the piano that they would be all over it. I think Mason Hamlin and Del are moving in the right direction when it comes to improving the piano. Sincerely, Steve

You mention three brands. Estonia and Mason H are trying for different tonal profiles. Mason H will have a bit more initial 'bite' in the tone and be less glassy sounding.

Steinway is trying to hold onto the 19th and 20th centuries as long as possible. I don't blame them; they got a good thing going. But I agree with you that they seem to have ceded the innovation crown to others (a little sad, but ultimately vital as a matter of sharing the market and encouraging innovation).

My former teacher was a Steinway man. I think him and his wife own about 6 or 7 and one is a Model D. They had 6 kids so they will be used. I told him he was siting on a gold mine. Steinway stands out because they have such a large bank of pianos world wide to beable to supply the artist with a piano. Thanks for replying back. Take care, Steve

BigBird, I've been asking the same questions about Steinway. Steinway does seem to have become a marketing front for the Boston and Essex brands. Yet, they have been slowly adding improvements to their existing designs; for example, a few years back, they finally widened the bass section of the model "B". And we have to give them some credit for designing and introducing the Teflon action bushings. An innovation that may have been introduced and abandoned before it was fully developed.

I'm hopping they have some irons in the fire that they are not telling us about. But who knows. Keeping up with the ever changing supply materials might be overwhelming their R&D department.

Steinway, for a long time, has based its marketing around the premise that it has perfected the piano, so I wouldn't expect any radical changes to Steinway designs in the near future.