Heintzman & Co.

Heintzman & Co. Ltd. was a piano manufacturing and retailing business that was based in Toronto from 1866~1978. The company was founded by Theodore August Heintzman who apprenticed in piano building about 1831. In 1978~86 the business was relocated to Hanover, Ontario under the amended name Heintzman Ltd.

The story that he worked in the same factory as Henry E. Steinway is not confirmed, but it is true that the two Germans who were to establish the most famous piano firms in Canada and the USA respectively both arrived in North America in the same year.

By 1890, the firm was one of Toronto's largest manufacturing concerns, employing more than 200 craftsmen and producing 1000 pianos per year. In 1888, a Heintzman piano was played at the Royal Albert Hall before Queen Victoria. The Queen was heard to remark, "I didn't realize that such beautiful instruments could be made in the colonies." Grand pianos were introduced about 1886. Two years later one was demonstrated before Queen Victoria at Albert Hall in London, again winning the monarch's praise and thus helping to pave the way for an export trade.

World Class Features

Renner began production of piano mechanism in 1882. For the most part totally hand-crafted, but by 1911 more and more machines found their way into the production process.

Five thousand seven hundred sections and small parts, springs and strips have to be put together for one single piano mechanism. German precision and the most modern machinery ensure the highest possible standard of precision and reliability of the individual sections. Because of their fine reputation Renner actions are used throughout the world by the finest piano manufacturers.

Renner Hammers

The Heintzman Renner Blue Hammer is crafted from the world's finest virgin felt. World renowned Renner Hammer and Heintzman Pianos partners in Quality.

The modern piano hammer, like the piano itself, is a nineteenth-century invention with the design essentially the same as it was one hundred years ago. Renner was supplying hammers to the world's foremost piano manufacturers then and still continues today.

Different styles of pianos require different types of hammers. Renner uses the world's finest felt that does not contain any chemicals, lacquers or other artificial hardeners or reinforcing agents. Underfelt that is used is a special grade of underfelt in an exclusive process that allows different pressure levels to be applied throughout the entire process of pressing both the top felt and the underfelt. The moldings are made from the same type of wood species used over a hundred years ago.

No staples are used. Superior glues and modern manufacturing techniques have eliminated the need for staples resulting in a superior tone and a more responsive action.

For 20 years, Les Pianos Andre Bolduc has offered incomparable piano expertise. The family-run business specializes in piano parts, manufactures and exports its products throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

The company's success can be attributed to its skilled workmanship, but raw materials also play a major role. In fact, the spruce and maple that we use for soundboards and pinblocks are very carefully selected. Each log is individually chosen for its purity. Logs that do not correspond to the selection criteria are dispatched to other less demanding sub-products such as residential moulding or, eventually, construction wood. No doubt that "Bolduc" Soundboard is one the best of Canadian manufactured products.