LumberyardStations of the Steinway

Go behind the scenes of Steinway’s lumberyard — the treasure chamber where every grand piano begins. Before a single note can be played, craftsmen select premium woods including spruce, maple, mahogany, pine, and beech, paying close attention to weight, grain, and the direction of growth.

The selected timber is left to dry for two years in the open lumberyard before spending a further three weeks in a controlled drying chamber, where continuous air circulation removes almost all remaining moisture. This extended process relieves the wood of its tension, leaving it strong, stable, and primed for optimal vibrational behaviour and excellent resonance.

The lumberyard is the first of ten stations in the Steinway manufactory in Hamburg — a foundational step that sets the acoustic character of the finished instrument long before any craftsmanship begins.