BOSTON GRAND PIANOS (Designed by Steinway & Sons)
Boston GP-163 Performance Edition
At 5′ 4″ (163cm), this grand piano is small enough to fit in any home, but possesses the sound of a much larger grand, thanks to its wide-tail design.
The Boston piano features a duplex scale, adapted from the famous Steinway & Sons design, which adds a harmonic richness that simply can’t be duplicated by other instruments in a similar price range.
In comparison to other pianos, the Boston has less string tension. This reduced string tension allows for a larger, tapered soundboard, creating longer sustain, and more singing quality in the tone (as well as longer piano life). A wealth of other engineering enhancements, including optimal placement of ribs, braces, and bridges, also contribute to the Boston’s superior tone and greater stability.
The Boston grand piano offers a larger soundboard in comparison to other pianos of the same length, due to its innovative “wide tail” design. This wider construction of the case means that a 5’ 10” Boston grand has the same soundboard area as a typical 6’ 2” grand piano, creating the power, richness, and feel of playing a much larger piano.
Each Boston piano soundboard is crafted of Sitka spruce, long proven to be the most resonant material available. Boston soundboards are also precisely tapered, which allows them to vibrate more freely. In conjunction with a number of special technologies — unique patents of Steinway & Sons — the result is a powerful, sustained tone.
| Net Weight: | 322 kg (708 lb) |
| Height: | 102 cm (40”) |
| Length: | 163 cm (5’ 4”) |
| Width: | 151 cm (59 3/4”) |
| Pinblock | Octagrip™ pinblock made of 11 layers of hard rock maple – glued in different grain angles of 60 degrees – affording the tuning pins greater stability under tension and enabling the piano to stay in tune longer. |
| Scale | Overstrung: combination agraffe; with front and rear duplex. Lower tension scale for longer sustaining tone and longer life of the whole piano. 17,251 kg (38,032 lb) tension. |
| Soundboard | Close and straight-grain solid (not laminated) Sitka spruce. Minimum 3 annual growth rings per cm (minimum 8 per inch). Tapered from treble to bass, which allows a greater freedom of movement thereby creating a richer and more lasting tonal response. Tapered from 8 mm to 6 mm. Vibrating area: 1.15 m2 (1,776 in2) |
| Action | Solid maple (all wood, no plastic) for all moving parts. Steinway profile-shaped flanges, extruded aluminum action rails for increased stability and less frequent regulation. Steinway action geometry provides superior touch. |