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Today we visited a dealer with a new August Förster, two used Steinways, a used Bechstein and a used Östlind & Almquist, an old Swedish brand.

I had my hopes set high for the August Förster as I know Larry Fine ranks them as a tier one piano but I was very disappointed. I would describe the tone as straight and with no inner life. Maybe I shouldn´t ask too much from a piano that costs only half of a new Steinway. I much prefered the Shigeru Kawai I tried at the Steinway dealer in the same price range.

I moved on to a Steinway from the 60s. The difference was evident. The Steinway had epic grandeur compared to the Förster. The impression was confirmed when I tried the second Steinway from the 20s.
I have always felt that Steinways have a nostalgic touch in the tone. Maybe it is that steely sweet tone. In fact I prefer older Steinways to new ones. It seems to me that the tone of older Steinways are sweeter and more nostalgic than new ones which I find electric and colder.

I then moved on to a 1920 Bechstein. I was full of anticipation as I hadn´t played a new or fully restored Bechstein before. Well, I was dissappointed again. The tone was cold and thin.

I didn´t expect much from the Östlind & Almquist but this one was a positive surprise. The dealer had voiced the hammers very soft. The strangest thing was that the tone was soft and sparkling at the same time. I don´t know how they achieved that. I think, however, that the tone was a bit too odd to be a serious contender.

The next stop is the Estonia factory in Tallin.
Should I set my hopes high?

Thanks for the update, Pianastical. I had the same reaction as you did to the Forsters...for such a high-ranked (and expensive!) piano, I thought the tone was surprisingly bland.

And should you set your hopes high for the Estonias? In a word, YES! The Estonia sound can be described in a number of ways, but the terms "bland," "straight," and "no inner life" will never be among them.

And that's so exciting that you get to go to the factory! Do they give tours? If you can, bring a digital camera and ask if you can take and post some pictures here. (They'll probably say no, I predict, but it's worth asking.)

Keep us posted...

Was that Foerster made in Germany or the Czech Republic? We may be talking about two different pianos.

Monica,

I will definitely bring a camera. We are not going for a tour but maybe they will give us one. It would be very nice if they did. The only thing I know is that they will have a selection of Estonias for us to try.

MarkS,
There are many german August Försters around in Sweden and I have no reason to believe that this one wouldn´t also be one. The dealer said he had been to the factory and that it is still managed by the same family that founded it. If I remember correctly the present manager is Ann-Katrin Förster