Story & Clark is a solidly-built piano at the mid- and entry- levels of the industry that comes with a midi interface, called PNOscan. The interface allows you to record piano performances in midi format, and also allows the piano to be interfaced directly to a personal computer via a USB port, which opens the piano to the growing world of piano learning software.
While PNOscan and similar competitive products can be retrofit onto any piano, it is a standard feature on all Story & Clark pianos, which makes it unique at the mid- or entry- levels of the market.
A Storied History
Story & Clark itself has a unique niche in the piano industry. It was started in 1884 by Hampton L.Story, Edward H. Story (his son), and Melville Clark, who left in 1901 to form his own firm, QRS Music Systems, which pioneered the player piano system. Story & Clark was an early adopter of Clark's player system, and manufactured pianos for 100 years in a factory in Grand Haven, MI, until it closed in 1984, and the piano name was sold to private investors. In 1993, it was purchased by QRS, bringing the company full circle.QRS itself thrived in the player piano business until the 1930s when the combination of the Great Depression and radio ended demand for new player piano systems. QRS, however, remained in business as a provider of rolls for the huge base of existing player piano systems, which received a shot in the arm in the 1950s when various artisans began restoring old player piano systems.
In the 1980s, QRS started investing in the development of a digital player piano system, and in 1989 introduced the Pianomation system that is now one of the most respected player piano systems on the market. In addition to its digital Pianomation, QRS is the only company in the world still producing rolls for the original mechanical player piano system developed by Melville Clark, which are still being restored by a small cadre of artisans worldwide.
Coming Full Circle
Today, Story & Clark is one of the most innovative piano brands in the industry. QRS revived the brand by moving production to Indonesia with final quality control done at its facilities in Seneca, PA. Few piano manufacturers at the low end of the market take this step, which makes a significant difference in the quality of their pianos, and was one of the key factors that sold us on Story & Clark.Story & Clark pianos are available in the Heritage and Signature series. The Heritage is an entry level series with a full line of upright, baby grand, and grand pianos. The uprights are 44" and 48" high in a variety of cabinet styles, while the baby grand and grand pianos range from 4'9" to 6'8" long.
The Signature series has a 48" upright model and grand pianos that range from 5'4" to 7' long. The Signature is a mid-level series that features Roslau strings, maple and mahogany rims, and Bolduc-tapered solid spruce soundboards . The grands have seven different cabinet styles, which allows them to better fit into your style of furniture.
We believe that Story & Clark pianos are a great example of how the quality of entry- and mid-level pianos continues to advance at an almost torrid pace. They are absolutely outstanding at their price level, especially since they have PNOscan built-in as a standard feature. But don't take our word for it. Come on in to see what we mean. For the price, we think you'll be as amazed as we are. For more information, visit Story & Clark's website.
Piano Dealer for the Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena areas.
