Petrof: The Largest Manufacturer of Pianos in Europe

Petrof Website

Famous Artists Luciano Pavarotti Wilhelm Kempf Ray Charles Count Basie Duke Ellington

Petrof has been producing upright pianos and grand pianos with unmistakable sound and design since 1864. The company's production program includes a wide range of products from top master pianos for big concert halls to upright pianos for music schools and home interiors. Petrof's instrument production is based on traditional techniques done by hand with focus on the resulting tone color and top surface treatment. The modern elements of instrument design includes magnetically balanced action enabling correction of play weight and quick repetition in the whole key range. This means the instrument is able to adapt to the requirements and individual abilities of the player. Both the demanding concert player and the budding young artist can choose the piano best for them. All instruments from Petrof are made in the Hradec Králové plant in the Czech Republic. So they are of purely European origin, which gives them the right to use the European Excellence trademark.

Petrof has invented and patented a version of its new grand action that uses tiny opposing magnets on the wippens and wippen rail, called “Magnetic Accelerated Action” (MAA). These magnets significantly alter the dynamic properties of the action and allow reduced amounts of lead weights in keys as a side effect. Special neodymium magnets help to create only the initial movement of the action parts when the key begins to move from the rest position. When the key is fully depressed, the effect of the magnets disappears giving enough space to control the touch and dynamics by player. The result is agile action with faster repetition, less fatigue, and less physical work needed to reach higher dynamic levels. The action is adjusted in the factory for a standard touch weight and it can be serviced in exactly the same way as a standard action. Any additional adjustment is not recommended because it can change the proper dynamics properties of action. The MAA can be added to a piano by special order.

The Petrof company also bought the licence for the Dutch system of  “Magnetic Balanced Action” (MBA), which can be incorporated in Petrof grands. This system enables the technician to adjust key balance and change the key touch in the range of + 4 - 5 grams. The player can adjust the key touch very easily in seconds, according to a scale on the key slip, without any knowledge of this system. Using the adjusting elements, it's impossible to harm the mechanism. This is the greatest new invention for concert grands as each performer can quickly change the touch dynamics to suit themselves. Whether they want a heavy Steinway like action or a medium European like action, or a light Japanese action style, they can quickly have it.