"Invention for 900 Hands," Parts 7 and 8
Since last spring, the New York Times has been following the "birth" of No. K0862, a concert grand piano being built at Steinway's Astoria plant. In the two most recent installments, the piano played its first notes (the theme from the Simpsons, of course) and started receiving an extensive tweaking of its "personality."

The Steinway & Sons piano company, one of the world's most famous names in instruments, has been celebrating its 150th anniversary year. To help with the festivities, James Barron of the Times has been following along as instrument K0862 -- which began as an 18-strip sandwich of maple strips being wrestled and bent into shape -- makes the 9 month journey toward life as a 9 foot long concert grand.

Previous articles have visited K0862 as Steinway's skilled builders crafted and assembled its frame, soundboard, keys, pedals. (The Times site has assembled the articles into an extensive feature, complete with numerous pictures and audio slide shows. Recommended!)

The instrument is now near complete. January and February installments featured the experts who tune and adjust the instrument -- its strings, hammers, pedals, and finish -- using techniques that they have learned through years of experience, and a largely oral tradition of tricks handed down over the decades. Although machines are used to pound on the keys and pedals, over and over, to break it in evenly and consistently, the human touch is required to coax the most out of each instrument's individual character.

Browse the New York Times website on the story of K0862

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