In the Selection Room at Steinway & Sons, the dealer speaks first, then the factory fixes the appointment; only after that do finished instruments meet the buyer's hands. Before a finger touches ivory or ebony, someone trained to listen for small shifts in voicing, regulation, and soundboard response has already narrowed the room. This is not a public showroom for a Tuesday afternoon walk-in. Access to inventory at that level moves through an authorized Steinway dealer, and the full bespoke commission process carries lead times and costs that the company does not gather into one public schedule. For most buyers, the route is plain, though not casual: speak with an authorized Steinway dealer and ask for a factory visit or a Selection Room appointment. That is where the work begins.
Steinway does not publish a standard price list for bespoke commissions or factory Selection Room visits on its public website. The figures below stay with the public record; where numbers are unconfirmed, the piece says so and sends buyers back to Steinway or an authorized dealer for current terms.
Why the Selection Room Requires an Appointment
Each concert grand takes roughly a year to build from raw lumber to regulation. Craftspeople bend rims, fit soundboards, and voice actions at separate stations, often spending years at one station before moving to the next. The company does not publish staff tenure figures, but the production pace sets the first constraint: the factory does not make instruments at a volume that allows casual browsing.
The Selection Room, where finished concert grands are held for artist selection and dealer allocation, follows a method unlike a retail floor. The room is officially closed to the public; access is by reservation only for symphony orchestras, performance venues, conservatories, and comparable institutions or buyers. The company does not publish a daily visitor cap or a drop time for Selection Room appointments. Confirm availability and scheduling directly with Steinway's Hamburg or New York factory, or through your authorized dealer.
The group that enters this process is narrow: professional pianists selecting instruments for touring or recording, conservatories and music schools replacing aging instruments, and private collectors who have often already owned one or more Steinways. First-time buyers without a dealer relationship or professional referral should expect the process to open more slowly, not because the company is unwelcoming, but because the dealer network is the designed entry point.
How to Begin a Commission
The practical route runs through the authorized dealer network. Steinway keeps a global list of authorized dealers on its website; the dealer locator at steinway.com is the correct first stop. A dealer with an established relationship to the Hamburg or New York factory can arrange a factory visit, facilitate a Selection Room appointment, and carry the commission paperwork on your behalf.
For buyers in the United States, the Steinway Selection Center of Houston, located at 401 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002, is one documented regional access point. It is open by appointment only; to book a private appointment, call (713) 520-1853.Its inventory consists of at least twelve concert grand pianos, including four each of the Model A, Model B, and Model D.
For a full factory visit and Selection Room access, the process requires a dealer introduction and a confirmed appointment. To inquire about the Selection Room experience, a Steinway representative can be contacted via the form on steinway.com/education/selection-room. Steinway does not publish a booking platform, a deposit amount for factory visits, or a standard lead time for visit scheduling.
What the Commission Costs and When the Bench Opens
Steinway does not publish a standard commission price list. Retail pricing for new Steinway grands varies by model, finish, and market. As documented reference points at one authorized dealer: the Model D Concert Grand is listed at $284,100.00;the Model B Classic Grand is listed at $180,100.00;the Model A at $155,300.00;the Model O at $150,100.00;the Model M at $137,000.00; and the Model S Baby Grand at $132,300.00. These are list prices through one dealer and are subject to change; verify current pricing with your authorized dealer before planning a budget.
Bespoke commissions, meaning instruments with custom case finishes, inlay work, or non-standard specifications, add costs above the base instrument price. Specific bespoke commission premiums are not published; your dealer is the only reliable source for a current figure.
The cost structure for a commission runs roughly as follows, based on publicly documented practice rather than a published schedule:
- Dealer consultation and instrument selection: No documented fee for the consultation itself. The Selection Room visit, if arranged, is typically facilitated at no separate charge, though travel to Hamburg or New York is the buyer's cost.
- Deposit at order confirmation: Steinway does not publish a standard deposit percentage. Dealers typically require a deposit at the time of order; confirm the amount with your dealer before signing.
- Balance at delivery: The remainder of the instrument price, plus any shipping, installation, and first-tuning costs, is due at or before delivery. Steinway does not publish standard shipping rates; these vary by destination and instrument size.
Lead times for a standard new instrument through a dealer are typically measured in weeks to a few months, depending on model and finish availability. A fully bespoke commission, involving custom casework or special finishes, takes longer, though the company does not publish a standard figure. Reported lead times for complex commissions have ranged from several months to over a year, but these are unconfirmed; verify with your dealer at the time of order.
How to Improve Your Odds of a Factory Visit
The Selection Room is not a tourist attraction, and the factory visit is not a product experience built for casual interest. The buyers who gain access most reliably tend to share three things: an established dealer relationship, a clear brief (model, finish, intended use), and readiness to make a decision within a reasonable timeframe after the visit.
If you approach this without an existing dealer relationship, spend time first at a flagship showroom or regional selection center, playing instruments across the model range. That gives you a brief to bring to the factory conversation and tells the dealer you are a serious buyer rather than a curious visitor.
Professional pianists and conservatory buyers often access the Selection Room through Steinway's artist program, which maintains relationships with concert artists and institutions separately from the retail dealer network. If you are a professional musician, ask your dealer whether the artist program is the right channel for your situation.
For buyers outside major markets, Steinway's international dealer network covers most regions. Some dealers in smaller markets have less direct access to the Hamburg Selection Room and may need to route requests through a regional distributor. Ask your dealer directly about their factory access before assuming a visit will be easy to arrange.
Inside the Factory: What the Selection Room Visit Is Actually Like
The Steinway & Sons Factory Selection Rooms are located at the Steinway Factory in Astoria, New York.The visit begins with a private tour of the factory grounds and manufacturing process before moving to the instruments themselves. Steinway no longer offers public tours of their factory; private tours must be arranged separately.
The Selection Room accommodates six concert grands, all in a row, for buyers to try.There is an adjoining boardroom next to the Selection Room where committee members can meet to compare notes. The visit turns on the buyer's response to specific instruments, not on a guided presentation. You are expected to sit down and play. The conversation with the factory representative or dealer centers on what you hear and feel, not on specifications alone. Buyers who arrive without the ability to play, or without a pianist accompanying them, are at a disadvantage; the selection process is fundamentally about the instrument's voice under the buyer's hands.
The instruments in the room are not interchangeable. Hammer voicing, action regulation, the particular character of the soundboard: these vary between instruments built on the same bench in the same month. The visit is where that variation becomes audible, and where the year of production and the craftsperson's touch at each station become something a buyer can hear.
Steinway Commission and Comparable Bespoke Piano Routes
| Maker | Access Route | Documented Price Range | Lead Time | Factory Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steinway & Sons (Hamburg / New York) | Authorized dealer; factory visit by appointment | Model D listed at $284,100.00; bespoke premiums unpublished | Weeks to months (standard); longer for bespoke (unconfirmed) | Yes, by dealer arrangement; reservation only |
| Bösendorfer (Vienna) | Authorized dealer; Vienna manufactory visits documented | N/A (verify with dealer) | N/A (verify with dealer) | Yes, by appointment |
| Fazioli (Sacile, Italy) | Direct or dealer; factory visits documented for serious buyers | N/A (verify with dealer) | N/A (verify with dealer) | Yes, by appointment |
| Yamaha CFX (Japan) | Authorized dealer; concert grand selection through dealer network | N/A (verify with dealer) | N/A (verify with dealer) | Limited; dealer-mediated |
Alternatives When the Steinway Route Is Too Long or Too Costly
Bösendorfer, Vienna. The Vienna manufactory, now owned by Yamaha but still producing instruments under the Bösendorfer name and method, offers factory visits and a bespoke commission process through its dealer network. The Imperial 97-key model is the house's most documented point of difference. For buyers drawn to the Viennese action tradition and a somewhat more accessible factory visit process, Bösendorfer is the closest parallel.
Fazioli, Sacile. The Fazioli manufactory in northeastern Italy produces a small number of instruments per year, with the F308 concert grand among the longest scaled instruments in current production. Factory visits for serious buyers are documented, and the scale of the operation, smaller than Hamburg or New York, makes the visit more direct. Lead times and pricing are not published; contact through the dealer network.
Certified Pre-Owned Steinway through an authorized dealer. Steinway's certified pre-owned program, documented on steinway.com, offers rebuilt and regulated instruments at prices below new retail, with a warranty. For buyers whose priority is the instrument rather than the commission experience, this is the quickest route. The Selection Room experience is not part of this process, but the instrument quality is documented and dealer-backed.
Steinway Selection Center of Houston. For buyers not yet ready to commit to a factory visit, the Houston Selection Center is open by appointment only at (713) 520-1853 and provides access to a broad inventory without requiring travel to New York or Hamburg.
Who Should Pursue This and When
The commission process is built for buyers who have a specific instrument in mind, a clear use case (home practice, recording, concert hall), and the patience to move through a multi-step process over weeks or months. It rewards buyers who can play, or who bring a pianist to the Selection Room, because the selection is fundamentally aural.
Buyers who need an instrument quickly, or who are still deciding between makers, should begin with the showroom route. The factory visit is not a discovery experience; it is a decision experience. Arrive with a brief.
Institutions, conservatories, and professional artists have the most direct access and the most support from the dealer and artist program networks. Private buyers without a professional context can access the same process, but should expect the dealer relationship to take longer to establish.
The Verdict: Is the Commission Worth the Process?
The Steinway commission process is not difficult to enter if you approach it through the right hands: an authorized dealer, a clear brief, and the willingness to travel to Hamburg or New York for the Selection Room visit. It is not fast, cheap, or self-service. The company does not publish a booking portal, a standard deposit, or a fixed lead time for bespoke work. Every specific in this process, from deposit percentage to delivery timeline, requires a direct conversation with your dealer.
The Selection Room visit repays the effort for buyers who are serious about the instrument. Sitting at one of six concert grands in a row, playing each against the others, is the only way to understand why the selection process exists. The instruments are not interchangeable. Hammer voicing, action regulation, the particular character of the soundboard: these vary between instruments built on the same bench in the same month. The visit is where that variation becomes audible.
For buyers who cannot yet commit to the factory visit, the Houston Selection Center or a flagship showroom is the right first step. For buyers who want the instrument without the process, the certified pre-owned program is the considered alternative. The commission route rewards only the buyer who wants both the instrument and the conversation about how it was made.
madeby follows the people behind the work, and the Steinway commission process is, at its core, a conversation with the craftspeople who have spent years at a single bench. That lineage, accumulated station by station across the production floor, is what the selection process is designed to surface, and it is why the access is worth earning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit the Steinway Factory Selection Room in Astoria without a dealer introduction?
No. The Selection Room is officially closed to the public; access is by reservation only for symphony orchestras, performance venues, conservatories, and comparable buyers. Factory tours are no longer offered publicly and must be arranged separately through a dealer or directly with the factory. Contact an authorized dealer or reach Steinway via the inquiry form at steinway.com/education/selection-room to confirm current availability before planning travel.
What does a new Steinway Model D Concert Grand cost at retail?
At one authorized dealer, the Model D Concert Grand is listed at $284,100.00. The Model B Classic Grand is listed at $180,100.00. These are list prices at a single dealer and are subject to change; verify current pricing with your authorized dealer. Bespoke commissions carry additional costs above the base instrument price that Steinway does not publish; your dealer is the only reliable source for a current bespoke figure.
How long does a Steinway commission take from first contact to delivery?
Steinway does not publish a standard lead time for bespoke commissions. Standard new instruments through dealer stock are typically available in weeks to a few months. Fully bespoke commissions involving custom finishes or non-standard specifications have been reported to take several months to over a year, but these figures are unconfirmed. Verify the expected timeline with your dealer at the time of order.
Does the Steinway Selection Center of Houston offer the same experience as the factory Selection Room?
The Houston Selection Center is a separate facility from the factory Selection Rooms in Astoria and Hamburg. It is open by appointment only and carries an inventory of at least twelve concert grand pianos, including four each of the Model A, Model B, and Model D. It does not replicate the factory visit experience, but it provides access to a broad range of instruments without requiring travel to New York or Germany. Call (713) 520-1853 to book a private appointment.
Is there a deposit required to begin a Steinway commission, and when is it due?
Steinway does not publish a standard deposit percentage or amount for commissions. Dealers typically require a deposit at the time of order confirmation; the amount varies by dealer and by the scope of the commission. Confirm the deposit structure with your authorized dealer before signing any order documentation.
