Pianos Toronto: Used Pianos Sale, Pianos for Sale
February 22, 2012, 15:57
Pramberger
The Pramberger family's history of piano craftsmanship dates back to the late 1700s in the Black Forest of Germany. Johann Joseph Pramberger, born in 1779, began making pianos in Vienna, Austria, the Music Center of the World. It was an era in history where every aspect of creating a piano was an art of learned skill and personal craftsmanship. In today's modern instruments, the same core values still hold true; though the design and manufacturing technology have evolved, the inherited knowledge, experience and skilled touch of a Master Craftsman's hands are still paramount in the creation of a fine musical instrument.
History
Joseph Pramberger's father, Anton, began his apprenticeship at an early age handcrafting fine works of art, becoming a Master Artisan in the tradition of Old World European craftsmen. Anton recalls his grandfather handing down the family secrets of fine woodworking and instructing young Anton to "meticulously observe only the best work of others, and absorb every possible detail and nuance of their craft."
The Pramberger family decided to leave war-torn Europe for the United States at the urging of Anton's uncles and cousins, who had been working at Steinway & Sons® since 1913. Anton had been promised work at the Steinway piano factory in Astoria, New York. There, he put his formidable skills to work, dedicating 25 years as a pattern maker, designing and creating the complex equipment required to build fine pianos.
When Anton came to America in 1950, he brought his son, Joseph Pramberger, who would become the modern-day link in the Pramberger lineage of piano makers. Beginning in 1958, Joseph honed his craft in the halls of Steinway & Sons®, where he ultimately spent 29 years perfecting his skills, first as a Design and Project Engineer, then as Vice President of Manufacturing and Chairman of the International Technical Exchange Group. Through his hands-on involvement in every aspect of piano making, he was able to gain detailed knowledge in all phases of fine piano construction and manufacturing. Joseph further expanded his skills as a mechanical engineer (New York University B.E.M.E. 1966), by studying, refining and documenting established piano making operations. He traveled the world visiting and consulting key suppliers and major piano manufacturers in Europe, Japan and Korea.
In 1987, after 29 years at Steinway, Joseph, in the tradion of the Prambergers before him, formed his own company, Pramberger Piano Ltd., where he and father Anton worked together specializing in the restoration and rebuilding of world class pianos.
Craftmanship
Design: The philosophy of the maker must only focus on performance without any concern for costs. With this commitment in place the maker must strive to achieve perfection in design, using all of the technology developed over the last 300 years of piano making. When Joseph Pramberger began this engineering process his family's accumulated knowledge and his experience at one of the world's premium piano makers was the foundation of the design concept. Joseph believed that building a fine piano was a process of design evolution. A piano design would never be finished. He believed you must be patient and persevere in refining the piano's performance. Joseph's work and design philosophy is being carried on by a small group of excellent piano engineers who were part of the Pramberger design team from the very beginning of the process.
Materials: After the design is completed the materials must be selected. It has been known for at least the last 200 years that hardwoods are best for the grand piano's rim. Maple, oak and beech are selected by the makers who will not compromise to save cost. The JP Pramberger uses an all maple rim for strength, durability and tonal excellence. The bottom beams on grand pianos and the back post on verticals are made of the tone wood, spruce. The iron plate is made from a centuries-old process of sand casting. Sand casting is tonally superior to the mass-produced vacuum casting or V-pro process. The tuning pins are made from an extremely strong steel alloy. German rod steel versus Asian coiled steel make the tuning pins easier to set and significantly more stable. The hammers are the most important aspect of a piano's tonal system. Members of the JP Pramberger design team have worked with the L. Renner Co. in Germany to develop the Renner Blue Label AAA hammers specified in the JP Pramberger piano. They have also worked with Renner to produce the Pramberger/Renner Premium Performance action. German Roslau strings and the original asymmetrical Canadian White Spruce soundboard complete the major commitment to finest materials.
Craftsmanship: The men and women who build this fine piano learned their craft from excellent piano makers from the United States and Europe. The maker of JP Pramberger and J. Pramberger pianos has produced millions of fine pianos over the last fifty years. All of the JP Prambergers are completed in the United States where experts in tonality and action regulation spend many hours making sure the JP Pramberger piano is ready for the most demanding of artist and venue.
Diamond Brand Tuning Pins and Roslau Music Wire
German made Diamond Brand tuning pins and Roslau music wire are both recognized worldwide as the finest available. Straight rod steel drawn through meticulous processes provide renowned tuning stability and pure tonal quality.
Premium Blue Hammer: Prior to the 1940s, fine piano hammers had many qualities that have been difficult for modern hammer makers to duplicate. Timbre, power and sustain were unique to instruments of the era. The Renner "Premium Blue" is a recreation of those hammers. They have been specifically designed to perform with a classically beautiful voice throughout years of playing.
Renner-Pramberger Action: The Renner-Pramberger Action was designed to give a lifetime of reliable performance. Its premium balanced touch is able to express every nuance of an artist's touch. Louis Renner was founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1882. They specialize in supplying piano action components to leading piano makers and piano technicians in over 80 countries.
Bolduc Soundboards: Andre Bolduc soundboards are known throughout the world for their reliability, and unsurpassed quality. Each winter-cut, North American white spruce log is meticulously examined by the Bolducs at their home in Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec. White spruce has long been a favorite soundboard wood due to its ability to generate powerful tone throughout a wide dynamic range.
Taken from Official site