Bluthner

Bluthner Pianos

Bluthner pianos are one of the leading quality European piano manufactuers. We always have a good selection of traditional, reconditioned Bluthner uprights and grands in stock, and we frequently have a number of nearly new and modern models available.

Bluthner are well known for their three main characteristics; the Aliquot stringing system, and the Bluthner patent grand piano action, and the Bluthner upright overstrung damping mechanism.

In our opinion the Aliquot system was a novel idea. It is the use of extra, un-struck strings in the piano for the purpose of enriching the tone. Aliquot systems use an additional (hence fourth) string in each note of the top three piano octaves. This string is slightly higher than the other three strings so that it is not struck by the hammer. Whenever the hammer strikes the three conventional strings, the aliquot string vibrates sympathetically.

More about Bluthner Pianos

Most of Bluthners earlier grands were built with the well-known and unique “Blüthner patent” action. Demand continued to grow for Blüthner’s grands and by 1900 he became the second largest manufacturer in Europe, building uprights as well. His over damper actions were regarded as being the finest of all time.

Blüthner produced 4 types of upright, the straight-strung, overdamper; the overstrung, overdamper; the straight-strung underdamper & the overstrung overdamper.
There would not appear to be any cut-off date when the overdamper gave way to the underdamper, but in general terms the underdamper action was introduced after the turn of the century, and the overdamper action was gradually phased out until WW1, after which only overstrung, underdamper uprights were made.