Do ivory piano keys sound different?

No difference in tone due to the keys, but if you’re in the U.S and playing a piano with ivory keys, it’s pretty old, at least 40–50 years. That could make a difference either way, depending on the quality and maintenance of the piano.

When did they stop making piano keys out of ivory?

Many American piano manufacturers discontinued using ivory in the early 1970s, however, some international manufacturers in parts of Europe and Asia continued using ivory throughout the 1980s, until ivory trade was finally banned in an effort led by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in …

Do ivory piano keys turn yellow?

Whether your piano features ivory or plastic keys, over time they can become yellow and/or faded. Many players accept this as simply part of owning a piano. However, you don’t have to “deal with” unsightly keys.

Do Steinway pianos have ivory keys?

Steinway of Steinway & Sons about piano keys no longer being made of ivory. Plastic coverings for keys are used now. Mr. Steinway, who is the 6th member of his family to head the firm since its founding in 1853, said ivory has always been a pain in the neck.

Are my piano keys Ebony?

The ivory and ebony on piano keys are only coverings. The ivory is about 1/32″ thick, some thinner than that. The bulk of the key is made from basswood or another light weight wood so a stack of ivory from a whole keyboard is about 7/8″x 2″ and a couple of inches high.

Can you clean yellowed ivory piano keys?

You can also use white toothpaste to clean ivory keys. Be sure to use normal, plain white toothpaste only. Another way to help with whitening ivory keys that have yellowed would be to consider moving them to a place with indirect sunlight because that can actually help to bleach your keys making them look whiter again.

How do I know if my piano keys are ebony?

The “sharps” on a piano are usually made by gluing a plastic or wooden keytop to the wooden key lever, so only the top would be ebony, if its not some other dyed wood. Ebony is not always black either, so may have been dyed too.

Do Heintzman pianos have ivory keys?

At Paul Hahn & Co, we focus on Heintzman pianos that are from the 1900s-1950s. Many of them have their original ivory keys. We are able to customize the restoration of each piano to your liking.