Baby Grand Piano
A smaller grand piano typically ranging from 4'11" to 5'6" in length. Baby grands are popular for home use because they offer the tonal richness and horizontal action of a grand piano while fitting into more modest living spaces.
Definitions of Piano Store terms as used by World Class Piano Gallery in Alpharetta, GA. 22 terms defined.
A smaller grand piano typically ranging from 4'11" to 5'6" in length. Baby grands are popular for home use because they offer the tonal richness and horizontal action of a grand piano while fitting into more modest living spaces.
A mid-tier piano line designed by Steinway & Sons and manufactured in Japan by Kawai. Boston pianos incorporate Steinway design principles like a wide-tail scale design and offer many performance qualities of a Steinway at a more accessible price point.
A used piano that has been inspected, refurbished, and warrantied by an authorized dealer to meet manufacturer or dealer quality standards. Buying certified pre-owned offers significant savings over new instruments while providing assurance of the piano's mechanical and structural integrity.
The largest grand piano size, generally 9 feet or longer, designed for professional concert halls and large venues. Concert grands produce the most powerful volume, longest sustain, and deepest bass response due to their extended string length and larger soundboard.
An electronic instrument that replicates the sound and feel of an acoustic piano using sampled or modeled tones and weighted keys. Digital pianos require no tuning, offer headphone practice, and often include multiple voices, recording features, and Bluetooth connectivity.
An entry-level piano line designed by Steinway & Sons and built in Indonesia. Essex pianos provide access to Steinway-engineered design and materials at the most affordable tier within the Steinway-designed family, making them popular for students and first-time buyers.
The mechanical assembly inside a grand piano that transfers finger motion from the keys to the hammers striking the strings. A grand action uses gravity for hammer return, allowing faster note repetition and more nuanced dynamic control than a vertical piano action.
An instrument that combines acoustic piano components, such as a real wooden action, with digital sound generation. Hybrid pianos like the Yamaha AvantGrand and Kawai Novus deliver an authentic playing feel while allowing silent practice through headphones.
Seating designed for pianists, available in fixed-height, adjustable, and artist styles with padded or wooden tops. Adjustable benches are recommended for proper posture and technique, allowing players of different heights to achieve correct arm and wrist alignment at the keyboard.
Specialized transportation services performed by trained piano movers using dollies, skid boards, and padded straps. Professional piano moving protects the instrument's finish, action, and internal components, and is especially critical for grand pianos, which must be partially disassembled for safe transport.
A climate management system, such as a Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver, installed inside a piano to maintain stable humidity around 42 percent. Consistent humidity prevents soundboard cracking, tuning instability, and action problems caused by wood expansion and contraction.
A comprehensive restoration process that may include replacing strings, pinblock, hammers, dampers, and refinishing the case. A properly rebuilt piano from a quality maker can be restored to like-new playing condition and often costs less than an equivalent new instrument.
The precise adjustment of hundreds of mechanical parts within a piano action to ensure consistent touch and responsiveness across all keys. Regulation is separate from tuning and is typically recommended every few years to maintain optimal playability.
The large wooden diaphragm, usually spruce, that amplifies the vibrations of the strings into audible tone. Soundboard quality, crown, and material significantly influence a piano's resonance, sustain, and overall tonal character, making it one of the most important structural components.
A dealer policy that allows customers to trade in an entry-level or intermediate piano toward the purchase of a higher-tier instrument, often receiving full original purchase credit. Trade-up programs make it easier for growing pianists to upgrade as their skills advance.
The process of adjusting hammer felt density and shape to modify a piano's tone from bright to mellow. Technicians use needles to soften hardened felt or apply lacquer to firm it up, tailoring the instrument's character to the player's preference.
An electronic retrofit or built-in mechanism that allows an acoustic piano to play itself using digitally controlled solenoids under the keys. Modern systems like Yamaha Disklavier, PianoDisc, and QRS PNOmation stream music via apps and can record live performances.
A feature that allows an acoustic piano to be played through headphones by stopping the hammers before they strike the strings and triggering digital samples instead. This technology enables late-night practice without disturbing others while preserving the authentic key action.
The smallest vertical piano, typically under 40 inches tall, featuring an indirect drop action that sits below the keys. Spinets were popular from the 1930s through 1980s but offer less tonal quality and mechanical responsiveness than console, studio, or upright pianos.
A premium American and German piano manufacturer founded in 1853, widely regarded as the standard for concert performance. Steinway pianos are handcrafted using proprietary techniques such as the patented rim bending process and are the choice of most professional concert pianists.
A vertical piano between 45 and 48 inches tall, commonly used in schools, teaching studios, and homes. Studio uprights offer longer strings and a larger soundboard than consoles or spinets, producing fuller tone and a more responsive action suitable for serious practice.
Piano keys engineered to replicate the resistance and rebound of an acoustic action, typically through graded hammer weights that feel heavier in the bass and lighter in the treble. Fully weighted, hammer-action keys are essential for developing proper finger technique.