It is amazing in this day of internet fact-checking and the information age that there could be any gray area about piano manufacturing. The name of the piano is almost always on proud display right above the keys. Usually, it is a bronze or gold leaf identifying who made that instrument. For the main manufacturers that are still producing pianos, this is true. The leaders in pianos accurately identify the product they represent. There is, however, a truth about some piano makers that is only as thick as the decal label on them. These are often referred to as a stencil piano.
Understanding Stencil Pianos
Part of the explanation for this is based on the 300-year-long history of piano making. Since the first rudimentary instruments to the current state-of-the-art piano, many manufacturers have come and gone. The world economies, world wars, and corporate work ethics have taken a toll on hundreds of piano makers.
At the turn of the twentieth century, there were many companies producing varying qualities of musical instruments for the home. Some were exquisite works of mechanical art, and some were not much more than just furniture that made sound. Before electronic home entertainment, most homes included one of these music sources.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century, and we see two remnants of the industrial age. There are a few century-old pianos that have survived or have been restored to musical instrument quality. You can often identify these by a vintage price that is much higher than normal. It signifies the rarity of these pianos.
The other remnant is the stencil piano. The companies that have had some past significance have been sought out to license their names for production on a new piano. The reasons vary from a well-meaning marketing relationship to, at times, outright deception. The stencil piano is named to represent a build concept that may be either factual or not.
The Spectrum of Stencil Pianos
The best cases are piano makers that have researched a unique past build design and desire to reproduce it with computer-aided construction. The end result is a copy of what made that name-brand instrument a historically good piano.
The next best scenario is a company that uses a familiar name to represent a product that appeals to a certain market. The licensing of the name may have no bearing on the quality of the piano, but it looks more like a fine piano because of the stencil on the front.
The worst cases are cost-driven makers at the bottom of the quality chart who are misleading people. With the label of a defunct piano company of some esteem, they imply it has anything to do with their manufactured product. It does not. Some stencil names are just made up with no history at all.
Navigating the Legacy of Stencil Pianos
To sort all of this out, we recommend connecting with a reputable piano shop that will explain the differences. Not all stencil pianos are bad, but you deserve to know the difference between OEM [original equipment manufacturing] and fictional storytelling. Personal opinion has a way of dis-coloring the truth, even with the best intentions. There are resources online, but there is often more fiction than fact in the best forums.
Contact England Piano at (770)451-1725 if you want to learn more about stencil pianos.