What Is a Hamburg Steinway?
Steinway & Sons builds pianos at two factories — and Pro Piano has specialized in the Hamburg-built instrument since 1969.
Quick Answer
A Hamburg Steinway is a Steinway & Sons piano built at the company’s original factory in Hamburg, Germany, rather than its factory in New York. Both factories are owned by the same company and build to the same Steinway standard of craftsmanship, but differences in materials and construction give each a distinct character. Most of the U.S. market only knows the New York-built instrument — Pro Piano has specialized in importing the Hamburg-built piano since 1969.
Two Factories, One Company
Steinway & Sons opened its original factory in New York in 1854, then a second factory in Hamburg, Germany in 1880 to serve the European market. Both remain part of the same company today, building to the same Steinway standard — but because the two factories developed somewhat independently over more than a century, including through two world wars that disrupted communication between them, each settled into its own distinct approach to materials and construction.
How the Two Factories Differ
- Rim and soundboard wood: New York uses North American materials — hard rock maple for the rim, Alaskan Sitka spruce for the soundboard. Hamburg uses European materials — primarily beech for the rim, Bavarian spruce for the soundboard.
- Action parts: New York builds its own piano actions in-house. Hamburg uses actions from Renner, a respected German manufacturer specializing in piano action parts.
- Hammers: The two factories use different hammer felt and preparation methods — New York’s hammers are pressed softer, then hardened; Hamburg’s are pressed harder, then softened through needling. This is one of the most significant sources of tonal difference between the two.
- Finish: Hamburg pianos have traditionally used a high-gloss polyester finish, while New York instruments have traditionally used a satin lacquer finish, though the two have grown closer in recent years.
A Different Character, Not a Better One
These construction differences give each instrument a genuinely distinct voice. New York Steinways are often described as having a broader, richer tone built to project through a full orchestra in a large hall. Hamburg Steinways are often described as having a cleaner, more bell-like clarity associated with European concert tradition. Which is preferred comes down to the room, the repertoire, and the pianist’s own ear — professional opinion varies, and many concert artists have a strong preference for one over the other.
Why Pro Piano Specializes in the Hamburg Steinway
The vast majority of Steinways sold and rented in the United States are the New York-built instrument — it’s what most American dealers, rental companies, and concert venues carry. The Hamburg-built piano primarily serves the rest of the world. Pro Piano was one of the first companies to regularly import Hamburg Steinway pianos into the United States, and has specialized in them since the company’s founding in 1969 — giving clients access to an instrument most U.S. piano companies don’t carry at all.
Trusted Since 1969
Pro Piano has over 57 years of experience, serving major performing arts institutions including Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic, and MoMA.
An Independent Account From 1980
In a March 1980 New Yorker article, “Choosing a Piano,” writer Jane Boutwell followed concert pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy and his wife, fellow pianist Dody Ashkenazy, as they auditioned concert grands ahead of performances at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. After tentatively selecting an American Steinway at Steinway Hall, the Ashkenazys visited Pro Piano, where President and Co-Founder Ricard de La Rosa — described in the article as “a bearded young man” — presented two Hamburg Steinways. Ashkenazy was immediately taken with the instrument’s sound, and after a head-to-head comparison at Carnegie Hall itself, chose the Hamburg Steinway for the remainder of his performances and a recording session. The article noted that Hamburg Steinways weren’t sold in the United States at the time.
Read the full story of Ashkenazy’s piano selection.