The rim of a grand is responsible for maintaining the crown of the soundboard, which is integral to a piano’s projection, sustain and tone. Steinway grand pianos have maple inner and outer rims. Today’s Essex designs have been upgraded to MAPLE outer rims and BEECH inner rims, bringing them one step closer to Steinway perfection. The Essex rim has WIDE TAIL DESIGN, providing significantly more soundboard surface area for the length of the piano. For example, a 5′ 1″ Essex grand has the same soundboard area as a typical 5′ 4″ grand piano.