Steinway - LBOed

[tofu]

Steinway Musical Instruments, which has been in business for 160 years, said Monday that it has agreed to be bought by Kohlberg for about $438 million.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/ ... 8-million/

This can't be good for quality. I would guess all the band instruments will be exclusively Chinese going forward.

[ralphbsz]

Are they currently making anything else that's really "great" ?

Some of their pianos are pretty good. The Hamburg full-size instruments (models A through D, the ones that traditionally had 3 pedals) are usually very good, and can occasionally be great. The New York instruments are usually OK, and with a great technician can be made to be great.

There are lots of fabulous grand pianos, many sound more interesting than a Steinway (everyone should spend a few hours playing a Boesendorfer Imperial in their life). Yamaha makes piano that are consistent (nearly always very good), their playing characteristics and sound are similar to a Steinway, and if I remember right, they make more grands in a day than Steinway makes in a year. But the Steinway is the industry standard, and their pianos are very well-built and indestructible, which is how they became the industry standard. Steinway's demise would not be the end of the world.

Full disclaimer: My piano at home is a Bechstein.