There are two types of Steinway salesmen: those who specialize in
the larger model grand pianos, and those who specialize in the smaller
model grands.

It all came about because of the 1888 Steinway catalogue.  At the
end of this book is a full page describing all the different models
available, showing them in steel engravings, and giving the prices.
They start with the grands, and the first four lines read as follows:

  A) The Style 1 Grand, 6 Feet Long
  B) The Style 2 Grand, 7 Feet Long
  C) The Style 3 Grand, 7'5" Long
  D) The Style 4 Grand, 9 Feet Long

After this, they begin to describe the uprights:

  E) The Style 1 Upright, 48" Tall
  F) The Style 2 Upright  ... ...

Pretty obviously, a system like this is just looking for trouble:
If someone buys a "Style 2" then did they buy a grand or an upright?
By a twist of fate, the alphabetical ordering put in to help organize
this list became the names of the Steinway models for the next hundred
plus years.

The New York Steinway Plant stopped production of the Model C in the
early 1900's, although the Hamburg Plant still makes the Model C to
this day.  The Model A has also been discontinued.  The two biggest
models are the 7 foot B, and the 9 Foot D.

As people wanted smaller grands, Steinway introduced the Model M.
That letter might have stood for "miniature", but the demand for an
even smaller grand led to the Model S.  That letter informally stood
for "small" and M was upgraded to "medium"

And so, that is why there are two types of salesmen.  One type
specializes in S&M, and the other specializes in B&D!  ;)

Sorry about that.  Except for the joke, everything else is true.
Perhaps, to atone for my sins, I will scan this catalogue and submit
it to the MMD Picture Archive.  There are a few things that are quite
surprising.  Here are three examples:

1. Fretwork is the term used to describe a thin panel of wood that has
been decorated by cutting out dozens, or hundreds of small areas so as
to create a beautiful lace effect.  Old-fashioned music desks were
typically done this way.  Victorian upright pianos usually had some
fretwork in the front panels.

I don't want to think what it would cost nowadays to remake a broken
or missing fretwork panel.  If you look at the uprights in the Steinway
catalogue, they tell you the pianos "are available in Rosewood or Ebony.
Plain closed panels instead of fretwork panels are available at no extra
cost."   Huh?!

2. Back then the 9' Concert Grand D sold for the outrageous price of
$1800.00.  I mean outrageously cheap!  Would you care to guess what the
most expensive upright cost?  Better be sitting down for this one.
Spelled backwards it was 'derdnuh-neetfif'!  Go figure.

3. One of the steel engravings shows the "Steinway Manufactory".  It was
a square block in size, a collection of large buildings surrounding a
large, belching smokestack.  It looks like it might be in North Dakota.
In front of the plant, a train rode on the ground-level tracks.  The
street was Fourth Avenue.

A few years later this street was dug up and the trains made to ride
underground.  A classier name than Fourth Ave. was desired, so they
changed the name to Park Ave.  The two cross streets were 52nd and 53rd.

I do not believe there are too many belching smokestacks at Park Ave and
52nd St. anymore.  If Steinway had kept the land, they wouldn't have had
to make pianos.

Randolph Herr
New York City