I inherited a New York Steinway S, built in 1939, from my mother. This piano has always been part of my life and I am having it renovated (new strings, dampers, hammers, flanges, and shanks all from Steinway NY, plus complete regulation). The tuner pronounced the frame and sounding board in good condition.

Does anyone know whether this might be one of the last Steinways to have the frame cast by Steinway, and to have the soundboard made from Adirondack spruce? I know that the model S doesn't get much respect, but this one can really sing especially from C5 to C7.

Maybe I can help. I own a 1942 Steinway B (312537) that has been in the family for that many years. To the best of my knowlege, that was the last year Steinway cast their own plates; air pollution within the New York City limits, I believe, was the problem. The piano has the original Sitka spruce soundboard and, despite a few minor cracks, still sounds great.

Thanks--that gives me good reason to think that the frame was Steinway-made. Whatever they made the soundboard from (Adirondack or Sitka spruce), it certainly seems that the S models from that era were built to last.
The serial number on mine is 296637.

This is my piano at the beginning of renovations, with dampers and strings removed--showing the soundboard and the frame.