A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein Grand Piano
A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case and square, tapered legs. The very first electric grand piano!
Piano Specification
Ref No
2107
Make
Neo-Bechstein
Serial Number
138994
Age
1932
Wood
Mahogany
Finish
Polished
Size [cm]
length: 146 width: 145
Condition
Restored and fully operational
Price
£100,000 GBP
If you require buying advice, we recommend making an appointment before coming down to the showroom. This ensures we can offer you the best customer care available.
27.10.04
"Our thanks must go to you and your company for all your help with our event and for helping it achieve the results we were looking for. The piano looked and sounded excellent on the night".
A Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case. The first electric grand piano.
At the early part of the 20th century, the invention and consequent sales of the radio and record player had popularised the passive enjoyment of music. By the 1930's, sales for acoustic grand pianos had dropped by almost 93%. The Neo-Bechstein was initially developed in an attempt to combat falling piano sales. In 1929, Bechstein alongside the Nobel Prize Holder Professor Nernst, Siemens and Telefunken pioneered the construction of a home entertainment system incorporating the first electric grand piano, radio, record player and amplifier. The Neo-Bechstein was born. This instrument allowed the pianist to play alone or accompany the built-in tube radio (Telefunken 121w or Siemens BW22) or the record player (Telefunken Arcofar T1000).
The first electromagnetic pick-up
The Neo-Bechstein incorporates many pioneering inventions and features the first electromagnetic pick-up. Developed by Prof. Nernst, every five notes share one pick-up. The standard hammer action of an acoustic piano was too powerful and so had to be altered. Professor Nernst and his assistant Mr Driescher developed "micro-hammers", a smaller version of the usual hammer. This smaller vibration was picked-up and sent to the loudspeaker. The first electric piano was born.
Neo-Bechstein Sales
Research and development of the Neo-Bechstein had cost Bechstein 500.000 Reichsmark. In 1931, this instrument hit the market at the low price of 2.800 Reichsmark. In comparison, the smallest acoustic Bechstein grand was 3.500 Reichsmark. A handful of Neo-Bechsteins were sold worldwide, ten to the New York Radio Hall, a few to Great Britain, even some to Japan, then sales dropped like a stone. Come the latter part of 1932, only 6 Neo-Bechsteins were sold and in 1933 the last Neo-Bechstein left the factory. The new electric piano was "dead". In total, Bechstein made about 150 Neo-Bechsteins. To prevent the company from going out of business, it received financial aid from the government. Bechstein sold the patent for this piano to another piano company called Petrof, who built another ten Neo-Petrof before they also realised that this piano was unsellable.
Specialist Handling
The problem with this new piano was its new, unknown sound, and specialist handling. Volume was increased by pressing the left pedal, however it also altered the tone of the piano. At lowest volume it is reminiscent of a spinet. With more volume an electric piano. However at full pelt it sounds like a rock guitar. You could say the Neo-Bechstein appeared 30 years before its time. Its unique tone would have been more at home in the 1950's or 1960's.
In 1932, this piano ( serial number:138994 ) was delivered as one of six Neo-Bechsteins to a Bechstein Dealer in the City of Breslau. The Box and record player bears the serial number of another Neo-Bechstein. It is likely they were delivered to Breslau at the same time. The piano and the box were then sold by a second hand piano dealer, Max Porth, in Berlin before the WWII. This Neo-Bechstein and the box were recovered in a radio and television shop in east Berlin in 2013 under a huge amount of cardboard boxes.
One of Three
Today, only 22 Neo-Bechstein pianos are known to exist worldwide and of those, only three are fully functional. One is in the Technical Museum of Vienna, another in the Musical Museum in Prague and this is the third. This Neo-Bechstein has been fully restored, it is 83 years old and still is complete with record player and loudspeaker.
Piano Photos Click to enlarge images below
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein piano lyre
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein piano lidstay
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein record player and loudspeaker
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein restored instrument. This Neo-Bechstein is fully functional.
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein serial number
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein manufacturers logo on fall
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein square, tapered leg
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein record player detail
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
The Neo-Bechstein record player sits at the top of the loudspeaker and has closeable doors
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
The Neo-Bechstein radio sits within the piano cabinet
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
The Neo-Bechstein radio sits within the piano cabinet
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein action detail
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein the first electric piano. Every five notes share one pick-up
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Neo-Bechstein valve detail
Ref No 2129: A 1932, Neo-Bechstein electric grand piano with a mahogany case
Every five notes share one pick-up
A more flexible way to pay - Interest Free Finance available when purchasing this piano
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The pianos on this website are on display in our Leeds showroom, ready to play. If you are interested in trying any of our pianos, click here for directions how to find us. If you require buying advice, we recommend making an appointment before coming down to the showroom. This ensures we can offer you the best customer care available.