The Steinway Hexagrip® Pinblock: The Foundation For A Consistently Beautiful Sound

"By the time the piano has its third tuning, 70 to 80 percent of the firmness or torque remains in the pins. At the end of six months or a year, the firmness or torque no longer drops but remains at a very satisfactory level of up to 80 percent of the original torque.”

A piano can only play as well as its tune and an out of tune piano will produce a poor sound regardless of its build quality. There are several factors that contribute to a piano maintaining a consistent tune, but the most important is the construction of the wrest plank, also known as the pinblock. In 1963 Steinway revolutionized this component with the introduction of the Hexagrip Pinblock.

The Steinway Hexagrip Pinblock is made by laminating seven layers of hardrock maple in a staggered grain formation. Each subsequent layer of the lamination offsets the grain angle by 45 to 90 degrees. The result is an even distribution of grain direction throughout the pinblock. This ensures that at least one layer has its grain directly in line with the stress acting on the pin. Another advantage of this technique is that the pins are held in place tighter, yet are smoother to tighten, allowing the tuner to place the pin in the exact optimal location.

With the Steinway Hexagrip Pinblock, pianos are able to hold their tune longer and with considerable precision. That is the secret to how Steinways are able to maintain their world-renowned sound far beyond their last tuning.