The Albert Weber is the top of the line brand from Young Chang, and is analogous to an upscale car brand like Acura, which is manufactured by Honda. Weber was the founder of the Weber Piano at the age of 24 in 1852. He was a child prodigy as a piano player and created a piano that was known for its high quality and “Weber tone.”
In the mid-1800s, the Weber piano competed neck-and-neck with the Steinway piano. Weber, however, was only one man, while Steinway was made by a well-organized family. Weber, furthermore, passed away in 1879. While his company continued, it did not have the staying power of Steinway, and was sold to another industry pioneer, Aoelian, in 1905. Aoelian made Weber pianos until it closed in 1985, and sold the Weber name to Young Chang in 1986.
Albert Weber -- One of the First "World" Pianos
Today, Albert Weber pianos can be called one of the first truly “world" pianos. They were designed by an international team headed by Joseph Pramberger, the former Vice President of Manufacturing for Steinway & Sons, who shocked the piano industry by joining Young Chang in 1995. Pramberger, who passed away in 2003, came from a family that dates its history in the piano industry back to the 1700s.They are manufactured in Korea using parts sourced from America, Europe and Asia, and have a solid soundboard made from AAA Sitka spruce from Alaska, Renner Blue hammers, Renner action in its grands, and Roslau strings amongst its components.
As Young Chang's top-of-the-line, they are manufactured in a separate production line and receive extra preparation and attention-to-detail. They are ranked by Larry Fine as an Upper Level Consumer-grade piano, and are hotly-competitive with many far-more-expensive European brands ranked by Fine as Good Quality Performance-grade pianos.
High Up the Price/Performance Curve
For its price, the Albert Weber piano ranks high up the price/performance curve, and, we believe, is a far better value than many pianos ranked as Good Quality Performance-Grade, such as Bohemia, Petrof, Schulze Pollman, and Vogel. In particular, there are two models that are super strong in the marketplace: the AW 48" upright and the AW 57, which is a 5'9" grand.
The Albert Weber 48" upright is a particularly strong competitor that competes at the top of the market for uprights. Its features includes a AAA Sitka spruce soundboard, Renner blue hammers, Roslau strings, and a grand-like music stand typically only available on 52" uprights that extends out from the face of the piano and provides two ports for sound to escape. The AW 48 is a cut above the Yamaha U-1 and compares well against Petrof, Schultze Pollman, and Yamaha's new YUS1 pianos, but at a significantly lower price.
But again, don’t take our word for it. Come on in and give it a try. You can compare it side by side with some of the best values on the market, including Estonia, Brodmann, Seiler, and our rebuilt Steinways.
For more information, visit Albert Weber's website.
Piano Dealer for the Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena areas.
