Buy Bösendorfer
Used and new Bösendorfer uprights and grand pianos
Origin & History
Bösendorfer was founded in 1828 in Vienna and is one of the oldest grand piano makers in the world. After stints with Kimball International from 1966 and the BAWAG group from 2002, the brand has belonged to Yamaha since 2007/2008 but remains a separate Austrian company.
Positioning
Bösendorfer is an ultra-premium brand, world-renowned for the 97-key Imperial concert grand with its extended bass register.
Sound character
Bösendorfer is known for a particularly warm, singing tone with an unusually rich bass. On the Imperial 290, the nine extra bass keys add sympathetic resonance across the whole range.
What to check
Despite Yamaha’s ownership, production has stayed exclusively in Wiener Neustadt, at around 300 instruments a year. A supposedly Japanese-built Bösendorfer is a clear red flag. More in the piano buying guide.
Known series
Known models include the Grand Upright 120 and 130 uprights, the grand models 200, 214, 225 and 280, and the legendary Imperial 290 with 97 keys instead of the usual 88.
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