STEINWAY & SONS, Steinway Hall, 107-109 E. 14th Street, New York Subway Expnu Stations al the Dear Fortress Steinway. So begins the Steinway Grand Piano. The basic frame, shown here, is so solid, so strong, so well made that even at this early stage of construction-before a note is played-the Steinway takes leave of lesser quality instruments. Examine the curved rim. While other pianomakers build it in sections, we build it the hard way. Inner and outer rims are rock maple, laminated in one operation into a rigid arch strong enough to withstand 20 tons of pressure from the strings. Now take a closer look. The inner rim mount of the Steinway grand is beveled at an 88.5° angle so that the soundboard, when glued in, is forced to arch just enough to increase vibrancy and responsiveness. Also observe that there are no metal connectors in a Steinway frame. We know they distort the sound and loosen with time. Instead, the cross braces are joined to the rim with blind wooden dowels, cross-locked for maximum strength. This homogeneous construction makes the Steinway grand a veritable fortress. It will take us one full year to complete this piano. But it will last for generations. For literature about the Steinway, write to John H. Steinway, Dept. 33,109 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019. Click here to return to the text.