Essex is another secondary brand from Steinway and sons. Steinway designs the pianos just like with Boston pianos but they aren’t the same. Boston pianos are still relatively expensive. Essex changes that. Unlike Steinway and Boston pianos, Essex pianos are much more affordable.
Instead of having these pianos made by Kawai, Pearl River makes the piano. The Essex brand does not have the same human touch that Steinway and Sons pianos receive. Pearl River’s factory is located in China and we have also covered their company. Feel free to read that in order to get a better feel for their capabilities.
You can find Essex pianos in the form of both uprights and grand pianos. This is common with fine piano manufacturers. They only produce a small number of models under the Essex brand.
For the grand piano category you can find three different options for pianos: the EGP-173C (a classic grand), the EGP 155C (their smallest classical grand), and the EGP-155F (their smallest grand but a French provincial). With a limited choice, the Essex line of grand pianos is really for someone who either wants a specific piano or wants a great price.
On the other hand, Essex currently makes eleven upright pianos. These include a variety of different styles of pianos, not just a difference in size. Here are some of the styles that you can find:
- Classic Studio
- Empire Studio
- Institutional Studio
- Formal French
- English Country
- Queen Anne
- Contemporary
There are more options for classic studio pianos than any other but these are typically the most demanded styles of pianos so it makes sense. It is a bit unusual to see a sub-brand like Essex produce so many of one type of piano.
If you are interested in buying an Essex piano make sure that you take a look at our product writeups so that you get an idea of what each piano is like. We also have plenty of write-ups on other pianos if you are considering another brand. Making a piano purchase is no small task but we hope to make it just one step easier.
Essex Grand Pianos
Essex EGP-155C Classic Grand
The beautiful appearance of Steinway pianos is well known throughout the musical industry. While their Boston line is made for performances, the Essex line is designed to fit in any home or 
music school. These quality finished pianos incorporate all of the different enhancements and developments that Steinway has brought to the industry.
Steinway’s Essex EGP-155C is a classic grand piano but it is also the smallest of pianos in the Essex line. Most other companies are not able to offer the same quality of piano at the price range that the Essex line falls into. This is due to the time put into developing their building facilities.
The EGP-155C utilizes fine wood and materials in the design. From the Chinese Walnut in the rim to the Maple pinblock, each piece is specifically picked for its purpose.
According to Steinway, no other manufacturer offers a piano of the same quality at the same price point.
You can find the Essex EGP-155C in a variety of finishes. For high polish, you have the option of: ebony, Sapele mahogany, or white. Then satin finishes can be done in either ebony or Sapele mahogany.
Essex EGP-173C Classic Grand
Steinway is a major producer of beautiful pianos designed to put on masterful performances. There are several different lines of Steinway pianos but the Essex line brings their pianos back to 
the classical design.
The EGP-173C by Essex is a Classic Grand piano and its style has been around for over 110 years.
One of the great things about this classic grand is that it is designed to be more affordable than any similarly performing piano.
Affordable does not mean that you don’t get the same quality that Steinway is known for. Each and every piano is double checked before leaving the factory and seen to with the same care.
A unique feature of this piano line is the larger soundboard placed in the wider than normal tail of the piano. You get a much richer sound from this.
Essex EGP-173C pianos have a beautiful appearance that makes them appear much finer than their price would hint. You can buy the piano in two finishes, high polish ebony and satin ebony.
All of the hardware on the EGP-173C is brass. The rest of the parts are chosen from fine woods and other materials that are worthy of the Steinway name.
Essex Upright Pianos
Essex EUP-108C Classic Studio
The Essex EUP-108C piano belongs to the family of upright pianos by STEINWAY & Sons. This particular piano is designed in collaboration with renowned furniture designer William Faber.
It features elegant traditional styling and museum-quality finishes. It comes in different finishes, sizes, and models.
This piano has various casing styles to choose from, giving you the freedom to pick the one that perfectly matches your interior décor. There is nickel, mahogany, brass, satin black, contemporary, and classic designs.
The piano has a tapered rather than uniformly thick soundboard. This feature allows it to vibrate more freely, producing a deeper and richer volume.
The keyboard is designed using Steinway design geometry all-wood action which makes it highly responsive. You therefore enjoy full control and dynamic range when playing the piano.
To increase the durability of the piano, the Essex EUP-108C has massive staggered back posts which helps in supporting the massive tension of the upright piano.
Essex EUP-123E Classic Studio
The Essex EUP-123E Classic Studio incorporates several features that make it suited for use in homes. With a height of 123 cm, width of 151 cm, depth of 67cm and net weight of 255 kg, the 
Essex EUP-123E Classic Studio is suited for use even in homes where space is a challenge.
The Essex EUP-123E has several features that optimize its performance. The materials used to make the piano are specially engineered by the manufacturer to maximize durability and optimize performance.
The soundboard is solid and tampered to increase tonal volume and ensure free vibration. The entire body of the piano is made of wood to increase durability.
The design also features specially designed strings, back posts, bridges and plates to optimize sound quality.
The cabinet is made of solid polished wood polished with ebony, walnut polish or sapele mahogany. This introduces an elegant appearance for the Essex EUP 123 E.
The soundboard has a vibrating area of 1.26m2 encased in solid spruce wood casing. The wires are made of Roslau wire, the plate is made of cast iron while the tuning pins are made of carbon steel coated with nickel.
The keys are made of spruce while the soft, sustain and muffler pedals are made of brass. These features of the Essex EUP-123E Classic Studio are combined to increase the durability of the piano while optimizing sound quality and appearance.
Contents
