Bechstein

The History of Bechstein

C. Bechstein is one of the great names of the piano, and its story runs alongside Steinway’s from the very start.

Founded in 1853

Carl Bechstein founded the firm in Berlin in 1853, the same year Steinway began in New York. Bechstein set out to build a piano strong enough for the demanding new music of his day, and within a generation the name was famous across Europe, favoured by leading concert pianists and supplied to royal courts.

The great years and the war

By the early twentieth century Bechstein was one of the most admired makers in the world. The Second World War changed everything, and the Berlin factory was destroyed. The firm rebuilt in the decades that followed and remains a German maker today, now C. Bechstein Pianoforte AG, with its hand-built grands and uprights made in Germany.

Why it matters to a buyer

Because the name is so old, you will find Bechsteins from every era on the used market, from prized pre-war German grands to modern instruments and the cheaper W. Hoffmann and Academy lines. Knowing which you are looking at, and the condition it is in, matters far more than the badge alone. Our models guide explains the ranges.

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