About Us
PianoCraft specializes in the restoration, rebuilding, customization, care and sales of the great handmade pianos. PianoCraft's showroom has been called "the closest thing a serious pianist comes to heaven."
PianoCraft has a particular expertise with the rebuilding, customization, service and sales of vintage and modern Steinway and Mason & Hamlin grand pianos and is the destination to rebuild Steinway's flagship model D concert grands for many prestigious institutions including the Smithsonian!
PianoCraft is equally qualified with rebuilding, restoring and caring for instruments from fine American makers such as Knabe, Chickering and Baldwin as well as elite European makes such as Blüthner, Hamburg Steinway, Bechstein, Bosendorfer, Broadwood, and Pleyel.
Founded by Sam Powell RPT in 1968, PianoCraft began its life as a tuning and service business using a creative and personal approach. Working closely with each pianist, student, teacher, recording studio, institution, or concert hall, and explaining the possibilities of their instruments, each piano would be tailored to their specific needs and budget through expert tuning, voicing, regulation, and customization.
In 1979, Sam opened his rebuild shop, Gaithersburg PianoCrafts, which became a kind of hot house for developing his ideas regarding soundboard impedance, hammer voicing, soundboard voicing and action customization.
In 2001, Concert Pianist Shaun Tirrell, and pianist/composer Keith Kerman partnered with Sam Powell, bringing with them a unique and personal understanding of the exacting performance needs of concert pianists, recording engineers, concert halls, institutions, and teaching studios. Gaithersburg PianoCrafts became PianoCraft, and regardless of level or budget, piano students and enthusiasts of all ages would now have access to the same resources that concert pianists and recording artists have enjoyed! Keith and Shaun dramatically expanded the business to include new hand crafted pianos from Steingraeber, Estonia, Brodmann, and Perzina to go along with PianoCraft's well established rebuilding and service business. Ultra high performance rebuilt, custom and used Steinway and Mason & Hamlin grands of all sizes were now also being offered for sale.
40 years later the business itself has grown dramatically, but the founding core principles of finding and developing each instrument’s potential for the specific needs of each pianist continue to guide PianoCraft’s approach. PianoCraft never takes for granted that we are here to help and support your quest for the most satisfying musical experience with your current piano, or with your future PianoCraft piano.
