Amazing miniature Steinway- only 2 in the world. The 2nd is made by a Canadian. Certified by Steinway
How one man almost lost his mind building a tiny piano | National Post
Gentile began his involvement with Steinway in 1992, when he first saw the original White House piano during a visit Washington, D.C. As a former designer for prototypes and architectural models, he had experience rendering everyday objects small, and was lured to the creative and mechanical challenges of trying to reproduce the piano.
He was also driven by deep appreciation for the act of making music. “I noticed how few people think about what it takes to create the instrument that creates the music,” he says. “The incredibleness of going ‘ding’ on a piano is beyond comprehension.”
He called Steinway to discuss the idea, and spoke to a customer service representative. “He said to me, ‘I don’t want to insult you, but do you have any idea what goes into making a piano?’ ” Gentile recalls with a laugh.
Remarkably, he persevered and was able to make a successful pitch to the company, which granted him access to the resources he would need to complete the project, including the original patents and designs from 1902.
The work was painstaking, and compounded by the fact that to create a miniature piano with 12,000 parts, you first have to create miniature tools. These included a scale replica rim press that was designed by the Steinway family in the 1870s. It took a year and hundreds of measurements to find the right dimensions for the miniature iron plate, which was cast by the same foundry in Ohio that has been casting for the company since 1938.
How one man almost lost his mind building a tiny piano | National Post
Gentile began his involvement with Steinway in 1992, when he first saw the original White House piano during a visit Washington, D.C. As a former designer for prototypes and architectural models, he had experience rendering everyday objects small, and was lured to the creative and mechanical challenges of trying to reproduce the piano.
He was also driven by deep appreciation for the act of making music. “I noticed how few people think about what it takes to create the instrument that creates the music,” he says. “The incredibleness of going ‘ding’ on a piano is beyond comprehension.”
He called Steinway to discuss the idea, and spoke to a customer service representative. “He said to me, ‘I don’t want to insult you, but do you have any idea what goes into making a piano?’ ” Gentile recalls with a laugh.
Remarkably, he persevered and was able to make a successful pitch to the company, which granted him access to the resources he would need to complete the project, including the original patents and designs from 1902.
The work was painstaking, and compounded by the fact that to create a miniature piano with 12,000 parts, you first have to create miniature tools. These included a scale replica rim press that was designed by the Steinway family in the 1870s. It took a year and hundreds of measurements to find the right dimensions for the miniature iron plate, which was cast by the same foundry in Ohio that has been casting for the company since 1938.
