 Considerable time and skill is invested in piano production long before the Petrof master craftsmen start to shape the wood. Unlike many manufacturers of key instruments, Petrof produces most of the raw products and instrument parts themselves, including resonance boards, keyboards, hammers, strings and metal parts.
Carefully selected wood is the essence of a grand or upright piano. It makes up to 80% of the instrument, with the cabinet and soundboard being critical components. Aside from affecting the tone, the quality of wood also has a significant influence on the beauty of the instrument, and therefore extraordinary attention is paid to its selection.
After a highly trained Petrof expert has selected the materials, all the wood needs to be treated before it can be used in a piano, as most of the weight in raw timber is its water content. If that moisture is not removed, the wood will be susceptible to cracking and other structural defects.
The process of drying the wood is referred to as ‘seasoning’. The timber is carefully stored, exposed to the elements and then heated in kilns. Ensuring the correct moisture content in the varied types of wood is a lengthy process, but with nearly 150 years of experience behind them, Petrof know that correct seasoning is the basis for a stable construction and ensures the piano will perform consistently.
Only after the wood has been properly treated, can it adapt to a range of climates. The choice of woods for the various functions is also important, with different grades of wood, and the way they are prepared and handled, being integral to the quality of a piano.
Petrof invest considerable time and effort in getting both the selection and seasoning process right. Since their master craftsmen make many of the pianos by hand, they insist on having the finest raw materials as a starting point.
Modern technology has meant production methods have evolved through the years, however, the personal touch at Petrof has never been compromised. The timeless style of the instruments, with a brilliantly clear and rich sound and wide, colourful range of musical voice is the result of the extreme attention to detail.
The only parts Petrof purchase are the cast iron framework and piano bodies. The frameworks, supplied by Pilnikov’s famous Foundry and Engineering Company, are built from modern design techniques and reliably resist the pull of the strings which are kept under tension for the duration of their long life by their connection with the skeleton. They are drilled at PC-operated drilling machines.
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