The one-piece continuous bent rim, " thick, is one of the most significant technicalinnovations in piano building. The rim provides the foundation for thebeauty, stability, and quality of each Steinway grand piano. The rim of the Steinway Model B is comprised of 16 layers of hard rock maple with both inner and outer rimbeing pressed together in a single operation which provides the structuralintegrity that enables a Steinway piano to endure for generations. This uniquerim construction has been an integral part of every Steinway grand pianosince it was developed and patented by Steinway & Sons in 1878.

The soundboard lies at the heart of a Steinway grand or upright piano,which is why great care is needed both in its design and in the selection of thewood. To meet the highest quality standards, only superior Sitka spruce witha regular grain and prescribed minimum number of annual growth rings isacceptable. The production of the Steinway Diaphragmatic Soundboard isbased on a 1936 patent to achieve optimum performance in dynamic range andmaximum sustain. Under this patent, the soundboard is gradually taperedfrom the center to the edge, permitting freedom of movement and creating asound of unparalleled richness, sonority, and sustain.
Created like the soundboard of violins to give a free and even response throughout the entire scale, the Steinway Model B soundboard is 9 mm thick in the center and tapers to 6 mm as it approaches the rim and outer case before being double crowned. The design permits complete freedom of movement while displacing a greater amount of air, creating a richer and more lasting tonal response. Close-grained, quarter-sawn Sitka spruce which has unusual stability and vibrance under stress and vibration is used exclusively for the soundboard.

The better the materials, the better the sound. Steinway & Sons constructsits soundboard bridges exclusively from vertically laminated hardwood with ahorizontal grain, capped with solid maple. Each bridge is notched by handfor precise, individual string-bearing. This design ensures optimal soundtransmission from the strings to the soundboard, resulting in a sustained,resonant tonecreating the inimitable Steinway Sound. In 1963, Steinwayintroduced the Hexagrip Pinblock, which is engineered to enable pianos tohold their tuning longer and with incredible precision.
The Hexagrip patented design features 7 laminations of quartered hardrock maple stock. Grain is symmetrically distributed at successive angles of 45┬║ and 90┬║, employing uniform grain direction around the circumference of the tuning pin to provide ultimate pin grippage. The exclusive design provides the tuning pin with smoother movement under torque, a more uniform retaining action, and a piano that holds its tuning longer.
Treble bridges are hard rock maple vertical laminations capped with solid hard rock maple; they are planed, graphite coated, drilled and notched by hand for precise individual string bearing, with a design defies splitting. Bass bridges are continuous with treble and maple doweled.

Up to 20 tons of string tension is being exerted within a piano at all times. It is the function ofthe cast iron plate to accommodate this extraordinary force and provide strength and stabilitythroughout the life of the piano. Steinway & Sons uses its own ΓÇ£bell-quality casting to supportthis string tension and reduce vibration, which in turn enhances the sound. This componentis so integral to the construction of a Steinway piano that Steinway & Sons owns and operates itsown foundry, which produces cast iron plates to its exacting specifications. The plate is sturdy gray iron; filled CNCΓÇômilled, and sealed; bronzed and lacquered.