Lauberger & GlossModel 165

Lauberger & Gloss Model 165 — a Viennese grand, 165 cm long, black high gloss, shellac polish.

For the home where an upright would be too little and a large grand too much: 165 cm fits an ordinary living room. An instrument for ambitious pupils, for adults coming back to the piano, and for anyone who wants a grand action under the fingers.

Lauberger & Gloss was one of the great Viennese piano factories of the nineteenth century and belongs to the Viennese building tradition. At 165 cm the bass strings are longer than in any upright but shorter than in a salon or concert grand — the bass is fuller than you know it from an upright, without crowding the room. A grand action repeats faster than an upright action. Two pedals: the right holds the note, the left shifts the action and softens it. There is no sostenuto pedal.

Shellac is hand work and it is delicate: no water, no alcohol, nothing warm set down on it, only a soft dry cloth.

At 155 cm wide the grand takes about 3 m² with the stool. Not by the radiator, not in the sun. It weighs 285 kg and is moved by piano movers, on edge on the board with the legs off. For evenings with neighbours behind the wall: an acoustic grand can have a Silent System fitted, and you play with headphones on the same keys.