FAQs

Our symbol pays respect to the German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven.

Dealer agreements are handled through the divisions, not through Steinway Musical Instruments. If you would like to become a Piano dealer, please contact Steinway & Sons directly at:

If you would like to become a dealer of Band & Orchestral instruments, please contact Conn-Selmer directly (indicating the brands of interest) at:

Who can I contact about a business opportunity for Steinway Musical Instruments?

If you would like to become a vendor for Steinway Musical Instruments, please email a brief description of your company's services to ir@steinwaymusical.com. Your email will be forwarded to the appropriate person within the company. If there is interest in developing a relationship with your company, you will be contacted.

Please note that we do not do any advertising, promotions or marketing at the corporate headquarters. Our Piano division, Steinway & Sons, handles its own marketing needs and our Band & Orchestral division, Conn-Selmer, Inc. does the same. Please contact them directly for these types of inquiries.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K is available for download as a PDF by clicking Annual Report at the top of this page. It is also available in other formats through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and through the Investor Relations portion of this website.

You can request a printed Annual Report on Form 10-K through any of the following methods:

SMI stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol "LVB." Shares can be purchased or sold from any stock brokerage firm or financial institution that provides brokerage services.

SMI reports Q1 results in early May, Q2 results in early August, Q3 results in early November and Q4 results in early March. Please consult the Calendar of Events page in the Investor Relations section of this website for specific dates as they become available.

Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc.'s worldwide corporate headquarters is located in Waltham, MA. Our piano division, Steinway & Sons, is located in Long Island City, NY. Our band division, Conn-Selmer, Inc. is located in Elkhart, IN. We operate 11 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Europe. Please see Item 2 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for a list of our significant owned and leased facilities.

Steinway & Sons pianos differ from all others in design specifications, materials used and the assembly process. We offer two premium-priced product lines under the Steinway & Sons brand: grand pianos and upright pianos. Grand pianos historically have accounted for the majority of our production. We offer seven sizes of the grand piano ranging from the 5’1” baby grand to the largest 9’ concert grand. The smaller grands are sold to both individual and institutional customers, while the concert grands are sold primarily to institutions. Steinway & Sons grand pianos are premium pianos in terms of quality and price, with retail prices for ebony pianos generally ranging from $54,500 to $137,400 in the United States. Limited edition pianos and pianos with special veneers sell for retail prices of up to $210,000. Steinway & Sons also offers art case pianos designed by either Steinway master craftsmen or renowned artisans. These unique creations often feature exteriors of elaborate marquetry and intricate hand-painting. Many of these pianos are created to commemorate special events and anniversaries.

We introduced the Boston line in the early 1990s to allow us to compete in the mid-priced category. Retail prices for upright and grand pianos generally range from $7,300 to $50,400 in the United States. Subsequently, we added a full line of pianos under the Essex brand name to our mid-priced offering. Retail prices for Essex pianos range from $4,600 to $18,500 in the United States.

When purchasing a used piano, consider that the materials in even the best older pianos are subject to wear, humidity changes and inconsistent service or neglect. Better modern pianos are improvements over the older counterparts in materials and design. While the cost of a new piano is generally a fair prediction of quality, the price of a used piano is dependent upon an individual's assessment of condition. Oftentimes the outside appearance of a piano does not reflect the condition of the interior mechanisms.

When choosing a used piano, note the following definitions provided by the Piano Technicians Guild, Inc. to categorize the level of repairs on a piano: "A used piano that has been disassembled, inspected, repaired as necessary with replacement of all worn or deteriorated parts, reassembled, tested and approved to at least the tolerances of a new piano of like manufacture is said to have been rebuilt. A used piano that has been put back in good condition by cleaning, repairing and adjusting for maximum performance with replacement parts where specifically indicated is said to have been reconditioned." A rebuilt piano should be purchased because of its merits, rather than an attempt to economize.

I have an old Steinway that my parents left me. How old is it and what is it worth?

You can determine the approximate age of your piano by finding the serial number, typically located on the plate near the front of the piano, and referencing our list of serial numbers here http://www.steinway.com/technical/how_old.shtml. Steinway pianos have historically maintained their value exceptionally well. A used Steinway in excellent condition can be worth up to 80-85% of the value of a new piano. If you have a piano you'd like to have restored, you can contact the Steinway Restoration Center at (718) 204-3175 in the United States or +49/40/85 391-106 in Hamburg, Germany.

Conn-Selmer requires all warranty repair requests and inquiries to go back through the dealer that you purchased your instrument from. We do this because we do not have access to information such as whom a dealer sold something to or when they sold it, which dictates the warranty period. You will want to contact the dealer you bought your instrument from to discuss whether or not it still carries a factory warranty for repairs.

I would like to sell/buy a used instrument on an online auction. Can you tell me more about it?

Conn-Selmer is unable to address requests for information pertaining to online auctions of musical instruments. We deal in newly manufactured instruments only and unfortunately cannot assess value, identify or give specs on older models. You may wish to contact your local Conn-Selmer dealer for assistance. They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful when it comes to any Conn-Selmer instrument. Alternatively, you may wish to do an online search to locate additional information on your instrument.

Contact the Conn-Selmer Customer Service department by e-mail at custserv@conn-selmer.com. (Note: You will recieve a reply via e-mail within 48 hours.)

Alternately, you may contact them directly via telephone at 1-800-348-7567.

Use Conn-Selmer's dealer locator on the right side of this page to locate a store in your area.

Conn-Selmer, Inc. publishes manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the United States only. These prices serve as a guideline. Dealers and music stores across the U.S. determine their own selling prices. Distributors and dealers outside the U.S. also set their own prices. Please consider more than price when buying a musical instrument, taking into account other important factors such as service, maintenance and repair, and other support that music stores can provide during and after the purchase.

For your convenience, Conn-Selmer, Inc. has provided chronology charts based on serial numbers for dating instruments. Please visit the serial number page for more information.

In many cases, the serial number will tell you the age of your instrument. You can browse the serial number history of our various brands here.

No, unfortunately Conn-Selmer's factories are unable to accommodate requests for non-warranty service. We suggest contacting your local Conn-Selmer dealer to inquire about repairs and service that is not warranty related. They are very knowledgeable when it comes to these issues and can recommend a contact if they are unable to assist you. You may also wish to try locating a repair shop on this website:

National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT):
www.napbirt.org

Like any antique or collectible, the "value" or "worth" of your instrument rests in finding the right buyer. Conn-Selmer does not deal in used, collectible, or antique instruments, nor do we offer appraisals. Many dealers and music stores around the U.S. offer such evaluations. You may also wish to consider these external internet sources:

Orion Blue Book: www.orionbluebook.com
National Music Museum: www.usd.edu/smm
Conn Loyalist: www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/index.html
Sax Gourmet: www.saxgourmet.com

Does Conn-Selmer, Inc. buy or sell used, collectible, or antique instruments?

Conn-Selmer only deals in the manufacturing and distribution of new instruments and accessories. Please refer to the FAQ question regarding information buying or selling such instruments.