Boston Pianos

Created in response to the growing mid-level piano market in the 1990s, the Boston pianos give you everything that you would expect to receive with a Steinway - except for the very high price tag. Boston was designed to offer a more affordable mid-line piano but, as a result of six years commitment in production, there is no compromise in quality.

Steinway envisioned the Boston line as a high-quality alternative to Yamaha pianos, particularly for universities and institutions heavily invested in Yamahas. However, their historic New York factory, with its limited space and age, wasn't suited for mass production. Enter Kawai, a renowned Japanese piano manufacturer. To meet their needs, Steinway partnered with Kawai to create the Boston line and Boston pianos are still built in Kawai's Japanese facilities to this day.

Boston pianos capture the essence of the Steinway sound through several key design elements:

• A large Sitka spruce soundboard: this innovative design delivers a fuller, richer tone compared to traditional soundboards.
• Solid copper-wound bass strings: they ensure pure, resonant bass notes.
• Wide-tail design: this classic design element contributes to a bigger, more projected sound.
• Low-tension scaling: allows for a longer sustaining tone and more expressive playing experience.
• A hard rock maple inner rim: this minimises sound absorption which enhances the tonal clarity.

These features, inspired by Steinway & Sons heritage, work together to ensure the famed “Steinway Sound’ is not lost in a Boston piano.

While most Boston pianos cost between 10 and 50% more than comparable Yamahas (except for the two largest Boston grand pianos), their Steinway-inspired design at a lower price point has made them very popular. Today, many customers choose a new Boston over a used Steinway, seeking the Steinway legacy at a more accessible price point.

Essex Pianos

The Essex line was created as ‘a tribute to the idea that beautiful piano styles and finishes should be possible in every price range’. They aimed to create a budget-friendly piano that retained the elegant design and performance enhancements found across all Steinway instruments. This was a significant challenge but the Essex successfully reached this goal, offering a quality previously unseen in its price range.

These pianos are made at the largest piano manufacturing plant in the world, the Pearl River factory in China. Despite their budget-friendly price point, Essex pianos offer several features that elevate them above other instruments in their price range.

They boast a wider tail design than most competitors which allows for a larger soundboard, resulting in richer tones. The Essex grand pianos utilise the Steinway-designed radial bracing system; this is a complex but effective method that creates a much sturdier foundation for the piano. These features, along with high-quality woods and materials, contribute to the rich tone and consistent quality that is the hallmark of Steinway & Sons pianos.

Since 2006, the Essex line has undergone significant improvements. Today, these pianos are a great choice for both beginner students and returning players looking for an instrument that will see them through many years of music.

Owning a Steinway piano is like having a piece of fine art in your home; they are powerful, full of passion and cannot be matched. The Steinway Essex and Boston lines are an accessible introduction into a world-renowned brand.

Rimmers Music is one of just a few Steinway & Sons piano dealers in the UK. We proudly stock Essex and Boston pianos in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and wood finishes - see an overview here of the Steinway & Sons models we currently house in our Bolton showroom. Browse our range and see for yourself just how truly beautiful the pianos from the Steinway family are.