Does it Matter if my Steinway is Restored with Steinway Strings

On my last article, “Does it Matter if my Steinway is Restored with Hammers Felts from Steinway?” I discussed that one doesn’t have to use “genuine” Steinway parts to make a Steinway a great piano, but that one must use parts that are most suitable to the piano, to their audience, as well as to the taste, feel and desires of individual artists that will be using the piano.  In this article, I will discuss the issue of Strings from Steinway.

First let’s make note of the fact that the strings that Steinway uses are available everywhere.   They are not like the soundboard, but more like the action parts, where one can choose between “genuine” Steinway parts, or other brands.   We hear much less about strings because the reality is that the industry is quite standard, and it is the technician with skill that will know how to install the strings properly that will create the best sound over.  Also, the word “genuine” is in quotations because it is readily available as a replacement part and used in a variety of different piano brands.
So again, as in my last two articles, we are faced with the same questions—which string is the best?  According to musicians throughout the world, the preference is of personal taste and style, not of absolutes.