CD 503, CD 318 — behind these serial numbers lies an almost obsessive pursuit of condition.
Many great pianists are intensely attached to their instruments. Horowitz toured with his own Steinway CD 503; Glenn Gould searched for five years before settling on the specially regulated Steinway CD 318. For them, a piano's condition directly decides the performance.
For a performer, a piano is not a mere tool but an extension of musical expression. The feedback of the touch, the colour of the tone, the response of the pedals — every detail shapes the interpretation. A piano's state of regulation can make the same hands sound entirely different.
That is why many masters would rather pour effort into maintaining one familiar, finely regulated instrument than gamble on a stranger. The stories below show just how much 'condition' matters.
Vladimir Horowitz was fiercely loyal to his instrument. His beloved Steinway CD 503 was specially voiced, with a bright treble and an extremely responsive action (piano action) to match his dazzling technique.
He used this piano — kept at his New York townhouse — for recitals and recordings from 1974 to 1981 and again from 1985 to 1987, shipping it to concert halls on tour. CD 503 is now part of the Steinway collection in New York.
Canadian pianist Glenn Gould's devotion to his instrument was legendary. He spent five years, from New York to West Berlin, searching for the perfect piano, finally falling for the Steinway CD 318.
Its defining feature was a specially regulated, unusually light and shallow action — the modification Gould insisted on for clarity in rapid passages. For him, the smallest detail of the piano could make or break an entire recording. CD 318 is now displayed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada.
Some masters take it as far as building their own. Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman travels with his own action (and even a self-made keyboard), removing the host piano's entire action on arrival and slotting in his own — a habit inherited from his teacher, the legendary Arthur Rubinstein.
Conductor-pianist Daniel Barenboim went further: in 2013 he commissioned maker Chris Maene to build 'the perfect parallel-strung concert grand,' unveiled in 2015 in Schubert recitals in Vienna, Paris and London. The Barenboim-Maene piano blends the touch and stability of a modern piano with the transparent, distinctly coloured registers of historic instruments.
Not every legend comes from a perfect piano. Arriving at the Cologne opera house in 1975, jazz pianist Keith Jarrett found a mix-up — the Bösendorfer Imperial 290 he had requested was gone, replaced by a poor small Bösendorfer with a harsh treble, thin bass and a faulty pedal.
Jarrett nearly walked, then played anyway. The improvisation became one of the best-selling solo piano albums ever. Inspiring, yes — but the flip side is just as real: even a master had to fight a neglected piano that should never have been in that state.
Contemporary pianists work closely with top makers too: Lang Lang has been a Steinway Artist since 2002 and Yuja Wang since 2011, performing on stages worldwide.
Across all these stories, what the masters share is not owning the most expensive piano, but understanding one truth: a piano's value is only fully realised through ongoing regulation and care. That applies equally to anyone with a piano at home — you may not need CD 318, but your piano deserves to be treated just as well.
Many are Steinway Artists, such as Lang Lang (since 2002) and Yuja Wang (since 2011), using specially regulated instruments. But the point is not the brand itself — it is that the piano is professionally regulated to suit the player's habits.
Like Krystian Zimerman, who brings his own action to swap in, ensuring a familiar, consistent touch — a habit inherited from Rubinstein. The action's condition directly determines feel, which matters enormously to demanding players.
CD 318 was specially regulated with an unusually light, shallow action (piano action) — the modification Gould insisted on for clarity in fast passages. It is now displayed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
A piano's true value is only realised through ongoing regulation and care. Even a home piano gains noticeably in tone and feel from regular tuning, regulation and professional inspection.
Whatever brand your piano is, regular tuning and professional care are the keys to its tone and value.
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