[3] Carl Bechstein set out to manufacture a piano able to withstand the great demands imposed on the instrument by the virtuosi of the time, such as Franz Liszt.

[3] By 1870, with the endorsements by Franz Liszt and Hans von Bülow, Bechstein pianos became a staple at many concert halls, as well as in private mansions.

By that time three piano makers became established as the industry leaders across the world: Bechstein, Blüthner and Steinway & Sons.

[10][11] At that time, Bechstein was the official piano maker for the Tsars of Russia, the royal families of Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Austria and Denmark, and other royalty and aristocracy.

The list is part of the original Bechstein trademark logo, it can be seen under the strings in the center of a piano's soundboard.

[6] Hagen W. Lippe-Weißenfeld: Das Klavier als Mittel politischer Distinktion im Zusammenhang mit der Entwicklung des Klavierbaus in London und Berlin an den Beispielen Broadwood und Bechstein.