Why come to A.C. Pianocraft, Inc.?
Why is it good to have a factory on premises?
Why does A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. only buy vintage Steinway pianos?
Why does A.C. Pianocraft, Inc specialize only in Steinway and Mason & Hamlin sales?
Do A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. pianos come with a warranty?
What type of parts does A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. use when restoring pianos?
Who works on the pianos at A.C. Pianocraft, Inc.?
Is shipping included in the price?
What is the refinishing process?
What is regulation and voicing?

Why come to A.C. Pianocraft, Inc.?
A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. is the oldest and most established family-owned Steinway establishment in New York City. It was founded in 1966 by Ted Kostakis and associates who utilized systems and methods acquired during decades-long experience as final inspectors at the Steinway & Sons factory in New York City. They taught other technicians their proven skills and old school techniques, and created a team of first-rate craftsmen. Ted insisted on meticulous craftsmanship and an arduous inspection before any piano was considered ready to sell.

All these years later, the attitude of A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. has not changed. Alexander Kostakis, Ted's son, now runs the establishment. From the time Alex was seven he learned every detail of the trade from his father. Instilled in him were old-world values and the importance of being extremely detailed oriented. Taking these lessons to heart, Alex works on every piano at A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. and no piano is released to a customer without his final and thorough inspection. Alex accepts only the finest vintage pianos to restore for sale to customers; no pianos with termite, fire damage or cracked plates are ever bought for restoration.

A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. is the only piano store in Manhattan with the factory on premises. This makes it very easy to educate consumers about the restoration process and allows us to make enhancements to our pianos every easily, without shipping the piano off to another location and risk damage.

A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. also makes sure that the customers get the best product possible. Before a piano ever reaches a customer, its action is regulated three or four times. The piano is then played for hours and re-tuned several times to stabilize it maximally. This helps stabilize the piano once delivered to a new home.
At A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. you get personal attention from every member of staff. Whether it is Alex giving you a personal tour of the factory on our premises or another employee helping guide your piano selection, we are extremely serious and diligent to help customers make the decision right for them.

A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. is distinguished as being a dealer who only sells fine grand pianos, which allows us to be extremely knowledgeable in every aspect of the instrument. Our pricing is very realistic; we do not show outrageous price-tags and then bargain down by thousands of dollars. We know the value of our pianos and price them accordingly.

As many of our repeat customers will tell you, A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. has impeccable character. From Alex personally going to customer homes to service his pianos to never pushing a sale, A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. is one of the most reputable stores for Steinways and Mason & Hamlins vintage pianos.

A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. is fully insured. We are member of the Piano Technician's Guild, the American Musical Instrument Society, and the Better Business Bureau.
Top

Why is it good to have a factory on premises?
Having a factory on our premises has been one of our most distinguishing features at A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. We feel that educating the consumer is paramount when buying a restored piano. Having a factory on our premises allows us to give tours to educate customers to the restoration process. Customers can see the different stages of the process by simply going into our basement!

Having the factory on our premises also allows us to make enhancements of the piano very easily without shipping it to another location risking damage. Also, having a factory allows us to regulate the pianos three to four times before they ever reach our selling floor.

We love to give tours! Please contact us if you would like to see the factory!
Top

Why does A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. only buy vintage Steinway pianos?
The time period from, roughly, 1890-1945 is referred to as Steinway's Golden Era. These pianos are thought to be the best pianos ever produced from Steinway, including present day. Why? The main reason for this is that materials available to manufacturers then cannot be purchased today.

The bodies of fine vintage grand pianos were made from wood that was fully matured before it was harvested. Once harvested, the wood was allowed to dry for very long periods of time before the piano body was constructed. The combination of the mature wood and long drying times create a beautiful rich and textured sound. Unfortunately, all of this fabulous matured wood has been harvested years ago and the new bodies of today's pianos are made with newer woods. That, and the fact that the wood is additionally not given as much drying time, creates a sound that some will argue is not near the quality of the older pianos.

Vintage era harps also differ between those of today. They are made from different alloys and many artists believe, as do we, that the harps of yesteryear have a certain "pizzazz" that is lacking from today's instruments.
Top

Why does A.C. Pianocraft, Inc specialize only in Steinway and Mason & Hamlin sales?
Both brands of instruments are outstanding instruments and the best ever made. If properly maintained, they will last more than a lifetime and will sound just as beautiful in 50 years from now as the day they were purchased from our store.

These pianos also have no ceiling for sound quality. The sound can be continually texturized and enhanced to meet a customer's wants and even afterwards will continue to blossom as it is played throughout the years.
Top

Do A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. pianos come with a warranty?
A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. offers a limited five-year warranty that covers all work needed on your piano. Work that is excludes includes normal wear and tear or damage due to hostile conditions in which the piano was kept (e.g. keeping the piano next to a fireplace or heater).

We are extremely honorable in fulfilling the warranty and will not make a customer jump through hoops to get their piano back up and running.
Top

What type of parts does A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. use when restoring pianos?
At A.C. Pianocraft, Inc., we match authenticity of specification when restoring our Steinways, Mason Hamlins and other fine grand pianos. That means that we will restore a piano so it is as it existed at date-of-birth.

Throughout the years, Steinway had different specifications for it's pianos so that a model B from, say, 1910 has different parts than from a model B from 1930. It is important to scrupulously match these different specifications to get the most authentic and beautiful sound from the piano. Of course, all parts we use on the Steinway are genuine Steinway action parts. Our Mason & Hamlin pianos are restored with Renner action parts.
Top

Who works on the pianos at A.C. Pianocraft, Inc.?
The owner of A.C. Pianocraft, Inc., Alex Kostakis, works on every part of every piano with his team of personally trained technicians. Before a piano is considered done, he performs the final inspection, where he meticulously scrutinizes all aspects of the piano. If he feels something is not up to par, the piano will not be allowed to ship out to the customer and will be worked on again.

All of our technicians have been personally trained by Alex and Ted and bring with them all of the proven old-school methodologies in their work.
Top

Is shipping included in the price?
Shipping is not included in the price. A.C. Pianocraft, Inc. does not employ a shipping company. We will gladly give you names of movers we recommend and are happy to facilitate the arrangements for you.

We like to use independent piano movers who are fully insured and capable of moving pianos in every moving medium, e.g. elevators, stairs, hoists, etc.
Top

What is the refinishing process?
Refinishing a piano is comprised of the following steps:

Top

What is regulation and voicing?
The term regulation refers to the mechanical process of making sure that all the notes on the piano play evenly and properly throughout the keyboard. Regulation is essential to your piano playing properly. It involves making sure that each part of the action is performing perfectly, that the touch and responsiveness is uniform throughout the instrument. Several aspects of the keyboard can be altered when regulating a piano, among them the weight of each key and the shallowness and depth of the notes when depressed.

Voicing a piano changes the tonal quality of the piano and can tailor the sound to the customers taste. When a piano is voiced, the technician works with the strings and the hammers of the piano.
Top