Domestic Pianos
Mason & Hamlin Piano Co.
Since 1854, Mason & Hamlin has continued its century-old tradition of using the finest materials and time-honored methods to produce some of the world’s finest pianos. These American-made instruments grace the stages of concert halls and conservatories alike, and are renowned for their distinctive tone, bell-like treble, thunderous bass, and exceptional playability.
Charles A. Walter Pianos
The Walter Piano Company is the oldest family run American piano company in existence today. Their pianos are completely hand built with the utmost attention to detail.
Baldwin Pianos
Dwight Hamilton Baldwin was a piano, violin, and organ teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1862 he opened a branch of the Decker Brothers piano dealership in the area. They were authorized dealers of Steinway & Sons pianos. When a relative of Henry Steinway opened a piano store in Cincinnati, Steinways were no longer available for Mr. Baldwin to sell. So he embarked upon becoming a piano manufacturer. After hiring Lucien Wulsin in 1866, the two formed the D.H. Baldwin company in 1873. By the 1890’s The Baldwin Piano Company had become the largest piano dealer in the Midwestern United States.
Dwight Baldwin started building pianos in 1891 with the goal to produce “the best piano that could be built”, because most pianos of the day were of inferior quality. During World War 2, Baldwin constructed plywood aircraft wings instead of pianos. They designed a 21-ply maple wing, which they transformed into their famous pinblock design used in postwar piano models. Other companies, unaware of this advance because Baldwin hid it under glued-on felt, continued using 5 and 6-ply piano pinblocks for decades. The company continued to improve their pianos by acquiring the C. Bechstein company in 1963, to incorporate their construction techniques as well as their Renner action. In October 1986, Baldwin bought the Pratt-Read piano action company so that they could use one of the world’s best piano action designs in their pianos. The Pratt-Read piano action, originally manufactured in Ivoryton, CT, had already been incorporated in hundreds of different piano brands. Those pianos have a visible elephant head decal inside the piano. In 1988, Baldwin purchased the Wurlitzer Company, which also excelled in piano design. These patented designs were incorporated into Baldwin pianos. Baldwin ceased making pianos under the Wurlitzer brand name in 2009. In 2001, the Gibson Guitar Corporation purchased Baldwin’s assets and Wurlitzer’s German operations. Gibson continued to make jukeboxes in Germany under the Wurlitzer name until 2013.
The handmade Artist Grands, which were built at the Trumann Factory in Trumann, Arkansas, are among the finest anywhere, at any price. These pianos are famous for their touch, tone, and durability. Production of the Baldwin Artist Grand models ceased in 2009. Gibson maintained the Trumann Factory as a parts facility for older Baldwin USA pianos until 2018, when it was closed and sold.
Today, most Baldwin pianos are manufactured in China because the global piano market has changed dramatically. The Chinese domestic piano market is approximately 350,000 pianos annually, which accounts for 80% of the world’s new piano market. The USA only sells about 35,000 pianos per year. China simply is where the market is. In the 1970s, there were many US manufacturers because the US market was selling upwards of 200,000 pianos annually.
Howard Pianos
Howard pianos are not the same as Baldwin pianos, although there is a historical connection between the two brands.
- Brand Ownership: Howard was a sub-brand owned by Baldwin Piano Company for over 100 years. This means that while Howard pianos were associated with Baldwin, they were not identical to Baldwin’s main line of instruments.
- Manufacturing Differences:
- Baldwin pianos were primarily manufactured in the United States, with their main factory in Arkansas until 2008.
- Howard pianos, on the other hand, were manufactured by different companies at different times:
- Until about 1968, Baldwin built Howard spinets and console pianos in Cincinnati.
- After 1960, all Howard grands were built by Kawai.
- Later, Baldwin hired Samick to build Howard pianos.
- Quality and Positioning: Howard was positioned as an economy brand for Baldwin. This means that Howard pianos were generally of lower quality and price point compared to Baldwin’s main line of pianos.
- Design: While Howard was owned by Baldwin, the pianos themselves, especially the grands made after 1960, were closer in design to Kawai pianos than to Baldwins.
Steinway Pianos
Steinway pianos are mostly assembled by hand, distinguishing them from other brands, many of which have automated assembly-line production. Steinway uses a lower overall string tension than other piano brands because it provides a warmer tone, which is better suited to classical music than high-tensioned pianos. Other hallmarks of lower string tension are longer sustain, lighter attack, and a mellow sound. From the Steinway & Sons website: “In comparison to other pianos, Steinway has lower string tension. This reduced string tension, along with a tapered soundboard, creates longer sustain, and a more singing quality in the tone (as well as longer piano life). A low-tension string scale design gives a fuller tone by allowing more of the lower partials to sing. It also has more sustain, is more powerful, has more dynamic range, and provides warmer and mellower tones.”
Who Really Controls the Piano Industry?
From livingpianos.com
Walk into almost any piano store in America, and you might think you have an overwhelming number of choices. Hundreds of brands. Dozens of models. A world of options. But you do not have as much choice as you might think. Three brands control roughly 80 percent of every specialized piano showroom in the United States. And it goes deeper than that. Much deeper. Because even when you think you are stepping outside those three names—buying something European, something boutique, something truly independent—you may still be buying into the same web. Underneath all of it, over 75 percent of every acoustic piano built anywhere on Earth right now comes from a single country. Stay with me, because by the end of this article, you are going to look at the piano industry in a completely different way and be a smarter buyer because of it.
The Illusion of Choice
Let us start with what most people see on the surface. Globally, somewhere between 50 and 70 major piano factories are operating right now. Because of what is called stencil manufacturing, where the same factory produces pianos sold under many different brand names, there are actually several hundred active piano brands in the world. About 400,000 acoustic pianos are produced every year. That sounds like real competition. But here is the number that reframes everything. Of those 400,000 pianos, over 300,000 of them, more than 75 percent, are manufactured in China. Not assembled from Chinese parts. Manufactured in China. The majority of those are sold under brand names you may never have heard of—instruments that appear as though they represent independent manufacturers with their own heritage and tradition. Many come from the same factories, sometimes the same production line. This is the stencil piano market. It is enormous and largely invisible to the average buyer.
The Rise of China and Pearl River
China’s dominance in piano manufacturing is not simply a story about low cost production. It is also a story about one company that did something remarkable. Pearl River Piano Group, headquartered in Guangzhou, is the largest piano manufacturer in the world. I remember seeing Pearl River upright pianos at the NAMM trade show in Anaheim in the late 1990s. I played a few notes on one of them and several keys stuck down. Walking to the back of the piano, I noticed backposts with tree bark still on them! Pearl River has come a long way. Today, they produce more acoustic pianos every year than all European and American piano makers combined. Over the past two decades, they have invested heavily in German engineering partnerships, Renner components, Roslau strings, and improved quality control systems. Pearl River is a manufacturing powerhouse and has established itself as a dominant force in the affordable segment of the market. When you combine Pearl River with Yamaha and Kawai, all operating on an industrial scale that no European maker can match, you begin to see how concentrated the global piano industry really is.
The Big Three in America
Now let us narrow the focus to the United States. There are roughly 800 to 1,000 specialized piano retailers remaining, and that number has declined significantly in recent years. Physical piano stores are a shrinking world. Of those stores, between 65 and 80 percent carry at least one of three brands: Yamaha, Kawai, and Steinway & Sons. These are considered anchor brands. Yamaha has hundreds of authorized dealers across the country. Kawai serves as a primary alternative in most markets. Steinway operates a smaller number of exclusive showrooms covering large territories. If you walk into a piano store in America, there is about an 80 percent chance you will see one of these three brands. Add Pearl River, which is firmly established in the affordable tier, and four manufacturers account for the vast majority of new acoustic pianos sold in the United States.
The Hidden Ownership Structure
Here is where things get especially interesting. Even when you think you are choosing something independent, you may still be connected to the same major players. Take Bösendorfer, the legendary Viennese piano maker founded in 1828. These instruments are still built in Vienna with their own distinctive character. However, the company has been owned by Yamaha since 2007. Steinway has extended its reach with sub-brands like Boston and Essex. These are designed by Steinway engineers but manufactured in Japan by Kawai and China by Pearl River to reach more affordable price points. Pearl River has moved in the opposite direction by expanding upward. In 2016, they acquired a controlling interest in Schimmel, a historic German piano maker. Schimmel now produces four distinct product lines built in three different countries. The Konzert and Classic series are made in Germany. The Wilhelm Schimmel line is produced in Poland. The Fridolin line is built in China at the Pearl River factory. The letter in the model name tells you where the piano was made. That single detail carries important information about materials, manufacturing, and price. But it only helps if you know to look for it.
The Renner Connection
Now we come to one of the most fascinating aspects of the industry. Even when you choose a high-end, independent piano, there are still connections behind the scenes. Renner, based in Germany, has been producing piano action components since 1882. They are widely regarded as the gold standard for actions and hammers. Many top-tier piano makers use Renner components, including Fazioli, Bösendorfer, and Bechstein. Even German-made Schimmel pianos use Renner actions. And here is the key point: Renner has been owned by Steinway since 2019. This means Steinway not only builds its own pianos but also produces critical components used by many of its competitors. This is not a criticism. Renner has earned its reputation through excellence. But it does show how interconnected the industry has become, even at the highest level.
The Independent Survivors
So is anything truly independent? Yes, but only a small number of companies. Fazioli remains a privately held Italian company producing around 140 to 155 pianos per year. Mason & Hamlin continues as an independent American brand, building some of its pianos in the United States. Steingraeber & Söhne, a family-owned German company, produces a very limited number of instruments annually. Stuart & Sons in Australia offers innovative designs and remains fully independent. These companies represent true craftsmanship and independence. However, in terms of overall market share, they are miniscule compared to the dominant manufacturers.
What This Means for You
What does all of this mean when you are shopping for a piano? First, consolidation does not necessarily mean compromise. Yamaha, Kawai, and Steinway achieved their positions by consistently producing high-quality instruments over many years. Second, the brand name on the fallboard does not tell the whole story. Understanding where a piano is made, who built it, and what components are used gives you a clearer picture. Third, be aware of stencil pianos. A brand you do not recognize may still be a perfectly decent instrument, but you should know where it comes from and how it was made. Finally, the used and rebuilt piano market exists largely outside these dynamics. A rebuilt vintage Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, or Bösendorfer can offer tremendous value and a completely different level of craftsmanship. At LivingPianos.com, the focus is always on the individual instrument and how well it serves the player.
What Every Buyer Should Know
The piano industry, like many mature industries, has consolidated around a small number of dominant players. A handful of brands control most showroom floors. A single company supplies key components to much of the high-end market. One country produces the majority of the world’s pianos. Understanding this does not diminish the beauty of the instrument. It gives you clarity and confidence. It allows you to evaluate a piano for what it truly is, not just the name on it. That is what being an informed buyer is all about.