Ideas of a new sound
1740-1770
The first signs of a hammer action appeared, giving a new sound. In Sweden it had always been the organ builders who had built strung keyboard instruments alongside pipe organs, and they began to experiment with combined action keyboard instruments. They combined the older aesthetic idea of using stops with the new hammer actions.

Gustavian burgeoning
1770-1810
The first regular hammer instrument manufacturers with a serial production were established with a concentration in Stockholm (Pehr Lindholm, Mattias Petter Kraft, Pehr Lundborg, Henric Johan Söderström, George Christoffer Rackwitz, Göran Garman, Lorentz Mollenberg, Johan Söderberg etc.). English instruments were mostly used as models.

Breakthrough
1810-1830
Swedish keyboard making opened up to Europe with journeymen traveling to St. Petersburg and Germany. In 1816, the prohibition against importing musical instruments was cancelled. Domestic manufacturing spread outside Stockholm through establishments in the countryside towns (Göteborg, Karlstad, Ystad, Söderhamn, Vadstena, Kalmar, Karlskrona etc.).

Stability and change
1830-1900
Firms with long-term enterprises were founded (A. Söderberg-A. Hoffman, Ekström, Malmsjö, Baumgardt, Nyström, Östlind & Almqvist, A.G. Rålin, Gustafson & Ljungqvist etc.). Continuous development of actions and models (27 patents taken out during the period 1835-1885). Parallel to this development there were many small workshops with a production of mainly square pianos.

The golden age
1900-1940
Swedish piano making reached its peak with high quality and sonorous instruments.

Decrease
1940-1960
World War II caused difficulties in getting materials from abroad, especially Germany, a reason for the introduction of plastic actions (Östlind & Almquist). Around 1950, high costs, low-price importation and a common use of television caused sales problems for the piano factories. The last new constructions were made by Georg Bolin c. 1957-1967.

The great piano death
1960-1985
Mass media and “synth culture” complete the elimination.