Steinway & Sons Model K-52
Satin: Ebony
Satin Lustre: Mahogany, Walnut
Instrument
Rim
Back Frame Solid birch mortised foot-piece. Solid birch soundboard lining. Grand-type maple laminated closing rim; unequaled vertical strength and stability.
Braces
POSTS: 5 FULL-LENGTH tapered solid spruce with a volume of 3,600 cu. in. (58993cm3); assures that backframe will remain straight and consistent and stable tuning. Strategically positioned with bottom ends tenoned into birch foot-piece for positive vertical alignment. Spruce fill-blocks between posts at top of backframe capped with solid birch backing board for positive horizontal alignment.
Pinblock
Hexagrip patented design; 7 laminations of quartered hardrock maple stock. Grain symmetrically distributed at successive angles of 45º, 90º, 135º and 180º employing grain direction uniformly around the circumference of the tuning pin to provide the ultimate in pin grippage. Pinblock also fully fitted to plate flange and doweled to case structure. As a result of this exclusive design, the tuning pin has smoother movement under torque, a more uniform retaining action for solid setting, and a piano which will hold its tuning longer.
Soundboard
Created like the soundboard of violins to give a free and even response throughout the entire scale, it is so constructed as to be 8 mm thick in the center and tapered to 6 mm as it approaches the rim and outer case before being DOUBLE CROWNED. This design permits complete freedom of movement, while acting as a homogenous unit to displace a greater amount of air, thereby creating a richer and more lasting tonal response. Close-grained, quarter-sawn Sitka spruce, a wood having unusual stability and vibrance under stress and vibration, is used exclusively for the soundboard.
Ribs
Made from durable, resinous sugar pine to assure strong and constant support of string down-bearing on the soundboard. Rib ends are hand-fitted into their mounting surfaces virtually locking in the important soundboard crown.
Bridges
Treble: Hard rock maple vertical laminations capped with solid hard rock maple; planed to prescribed height, graphite coated, drilled, and notched by hand for precise individual string bearing. Design defies splitting. Bass: Rock maple base cantilevered at angle for maximum resistance to string pressure. Maple doweled, glued, and screwed to soundboard.
Scale
Overstrung; twenty-six note bass/tenor break. Treble duplex. Tension: 37,500 lbs. (16,875 kg)
Plate
Sturdy gray iron; filled, CNC-milled, and sealed; bronzed and lacquered.
Tuning Pins
Premium steel with rust-resistant, nickeled heads.
Strings
TREBLE: Ten whole and one-half sizes from high-tensile Swedish steel. BASS: Swedish steel core wire wound with pure copper. Longest, pressure bar/bridge: 46 3/8″ (118 cm)
Hammers
12.5-pound (5.66 kg) premium wool top felt over premium wool under felt; treated to resist insects and moisture. Compression-wired to retain permanent shape. Hard birch moldings. Shanks from select resilient maple.
Dampers
Vertical-cut premium wool for effective dampening. Maple heads for endurance.
Action
White, quarter-sawn maple parts are bushed with specially treated wool action cloth for freedom from friction. Parts are anchored in hard maple rails. Dependable, Direct-Blow design permits ALL parts of the action to lie above the brass capstan screws. Specially designed to respond 14% faster fortissimo and 6% faster pianissimo by using an exclusive combination of half-round balance rail bearings and strategically placed key leads.
Keys
Bavarian spruce, individually weighed-off for even touch. Chip-proof, stain-resistant coverings for naturals; slip-proof, delicately abraded ebonized sharps. Tough, durable Linden wood buttons reinforce keys over balance rail permitting maximum tonal power with every strike. Longest: 16 1/8″ (40.9 cm)
Keybed
Made from planks of stable, quarter-sawn spruce. Horizontal planks are freely mortised together, while their ends are permanently mortised into vertical planks made of birch, presenting a vented system for humidity escapement while allowing for necessary expansion and contraction. Hand-milled to be flat and true correlating with keyframe for snug fit. Strong, rugged construction provides a solid mount for keyframe and action allowing for precise and prolonged action regulation. Thickness: 2″ (5.08 cm)
Pedals
Heavy, solid brass. Soft, sustaining, and full sostenuto.
Dimensions
Height | 52″ (132 cm) |
Length | |
Width | 60 3/4″ (154 cm) |
Depth | 26 3/8″ (67 cm) |
Net Weight | 600 pounds (273 kg) |
Encasement
Furniture | Ebonized or Crown Jewel Collection veneer. |
Panel Stock | Quarter-sawn poplar corewood crossbanded and face veneered. |
Solids | Ebonized birch or Maple, Mahogany, Walnut |
Legs | Ebonized mahogany, genuine specie. |
Finish | Heavy full-bodied black or clear lacquer; completely hand-rubbed. |
Hardware | Solid brass; polished and lacquered. |