The Steinway Grand Piano Model L

"L" Does Not Mean "Large"

According to piano moving professionals, the Steinway Model L, along with Steinway Models S, M and O, is considered to be a "baby grand piano." That is, any grand piano below six feet long is considered to be a "baby." For the professional piano technician, "baby grand" is nothing more than a term of endearment (and sometimes a term of derision); all grand pianos are "grands" while "baby" has no purely technicial meaning. Because there is no technically veridical meaning to the term beyond designating length, some piano technicians will instead refer to the Steinway Model L as Steinway's "smallest concert grand."

Non-Steinway sales personell will sometimes tell their prospective buyers that a "true grand piano" has to be at least six feet long. Anything short of six feet, they say, will surely have sound and design limitations. But, this is not the case with Steinway. Steinway builds four models that are below six feet, including the Model L. And they do so because the company knows how to build smaller grand pianos in such a way that does not compromise quality of sound. It is true that a Steinway L will not be able to match the depth and volume of a Steinway B, C or D, but the design of each Steinway model has a particular intention.

Because the Steinway L produces the beautiful tone, volume, touch and control of a concert grand, many professional pianists choose this model for their "home" and/or practice piano.

New York Steinway Production Models
