My piano quest continues, and right now I'm considering Sauter uprights. Just want to see what's the opinion out here - I find surprisingly few things about these pianos which are actually on Tier 2! Larry Fine himself admitted that very few technicians he knew had worked on them.

When I was in Hong Kong, I remember seeing quite a few of these in Tom Lee. I go to their website and they are still selling them. In Northeastern US these pianos are extremely rare to see. Nobody I talked to around here even heard of them. So again, I'm just asking for more information about them. I recently tried one in New York City (only one I saw in my 5-piano-store tour) and I just couldn't believe how beautiful the tone was and the touch was wonderful. That was a Peter Maly "Pure Noble" upright.

Could you please tell me which Sauter you play/played; how long have you owned the piano; what you think overall? Thank you so much.

I don't own one, but it's not from lack of trying. I looked for the better part of a year but couldn't find one in a price range I could realistically consider. There are Sauter owners here in this forum. Most of them are in Europe or Asia. Maybe some will show up. Sauter seems to have a strong presence in Singapore, and obviously in Europe. I think the problem in the US is that the MSRP's and selling prices are a real obstacle. The differences in Sauter prices between Europe and the US are greater than currency problems and exchange rates would suggest. Because of that, Sauter verticals in the US are competing pricewise against some pretty impressive grand pianos.

From looking at and playing several examples, my impression was the the action of Sauter verticals was really tight and really precise. By that I mean there was an amazing sensitivity to touch that could manipulate the entire dynamic range with no pounding to achieve loudness and no stress to achieve a PPP whisper. That was true (in my experience) of the Master Class 130's, the regular 122's, and even a few shorter ones that I played. It was astounding to me how much power was packed into the short ones that I got to play.

In terms of tone, I did not notice the warmth that some have commented on in these forums. I was attracted to the neutrality of the tone and the strong emphasis of the fundamental. To me, the Sauters are pianos with which you can make any note stand out, even if it is an interior melody or an interior part of a chord. I didn't pick up much tonal color, but that might be a matter of prep and voicing, or my own limitations as a player.

In terms of dealers in Northeastern US, I recall that Rich Galassini of Cunningham's in Philadelphia had a couple of Sauter verticals a while back. I don't know if that was a trial balloon or if he has decided to carry the line.

I don't own one either, but the Sauter was on the top of the list of verticals as I narrowed my search.

The Sauter upright was one of the first new uprights I played as I began my quest. I heard a woodsy tone. Now that might not be the description that some pianists want to have me describe, but since the piano is made of so much wood, it was a high compliment. Others in comparison at that time sounded wirey, thin, unbalanced, shallow.

I then continued to play several top end uprights over the next year. Enjoyed the Steingraeber, Bluthner and Grotrian as well. And then another Sauter but this time the M series (master class) which is tauted to have a better repetition.

I found all of them high quality inside and out. Beautiful tone, great touch. A piano which would be proud to be owned and played.

They are worth the travel to experience playing one before purchasing something along that line. I did find them on the high end of cost, but so are those others that I listed.

The company is very willing to supply a piano in exactly the finish you would prefer as well (something that was important to me).

Rich at Cunningham had a Cura model this summer which I liked very much. I would suggest you at least give Rich a call if you are serious regarding Sauter.

Doesn't Norbert have one in his house?

You may have searched and read my Sauter story. If not, the related link follows:
HERE

Mine is the Masterclass 122, which we are truly delighted with. Here's a Photo

If you are unfamiliar with the sound, here are a few little ditty's from junior TweedPipe.
No.1

No.2

No.3

No.4

Yes Norbert does have one in his house, and he also sells them (or use to). I'm sure he'll respond.

Rich

I owned a Sauter upright for a period of 10 years. This is already quite some years ago. Recently I had the opportunity to try a new one (actually I tried three different models - think it was 114cm, 121cm and 131cm). Comparing with the old one this was a different world. All of them are very excellent instuments, the best uprights I ever tried. If I was to pick one for myself it would be the middle model. The largest one was simply too expensive.

Hiya,

Like Tweedpipe I own a Sauter Masterclass, though mine is the larger 130. Had mine around a year now and am loving it enormously.

Some details and pictures here in case you haven't already seen the thread.

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthrea....html#Post16080

The tone is lovely. Very open and clear with emphasis on the fundamental making it possible to highlight any given note or notes, even within tightly clustered polyphonic passages. The touch, (given an upright is never quite going to compare for repetition and control to a well regulated premier grand action) is extremely good. Repetition is absolutely fine for everything I'm capable of playing (just about to take grade 8 ABRSM --eeeek!), and the range from fff to ppp also excellent (though I think my technique struggles to get the best from it and like most 'home piano' owners I suspect we all play rather too quietly making a genuinely broad tonal range something we seldom experience!).

They are splendid pianos. I tried a number including a Ragazza 122, Maly Rondo and smaller 114cm upright and they are all superb and sound bigger than they are. As others have said, prices in the UK and Europe are more competitive than in the USA - I doubt you'd get a lot of change out of $35k, if any, for the Masterclass 130 there, whereas here it is enormously more affordable.

If you are considering a high-end upright then you can do little better, if at all, than a Sauter. Having played Steingraebers, a Bosendorfer 130, Bechsteins (ranging from Academy series to a Concert 8), and a Bluthner model B, I settled on the Sauter as it was every bit as good as any of those and a damn sight better than some yet was incredibly reasonably priced in comparison. I'm a fan

Turandot sums it up pretty well.

During my visit to the Frankfurt Music Messe (Frankfurt Musik Messe) I had the opportunity to play a well prepped upright Rondo (Maly Design). Tonal color was (to my standards) very good. But then again, I'm but an amateur...

Anyway: whichever model you choose, I bet you won't be disappointed.

Wim

Oh my God. Now I SERIOUSLY canNOT wait!!!

Thank you so much for all the replies.

To Tweedpipe - I actually did many different types of searches on this forum, but the search function is somewhat flawed - it just gives you every post that mentions the Sauter, even if that is not the main topic. I wish these topics could be tagged...but anyway - your piano quest is very similar to mine, and I think I will put up my story when I'm done with my quest. Like you, I feel like I can wait for the right one, but I can't wait either...

The M-122/130 is beautiful but pretty much out of my price range at this point. From what I gathered here, I guess every Sauter upright would probably be quite consistent in its sounds and touch, thanks to amazing quality control.

The feeling of my first encounter with a Sauter was like falling in love. (Ennio Morricone's "Playing Love" comes to mind...) The tone... for lack of a more sophisticated term, is sweet... I cannot think of another time when I felt that way when I play a new piano, even on a Steinway B. I kept thinking about that piano for a whole week: when I ate, when I slept... it was like, again, having a huge crush on someone. Ha-ha.

I agree that the Euro/US Dollar rate isn't helping sales for Sauter. It's a shame.

I thought I wanted a Yamaha YUS 5 but upon trying it - I am SO GLAD I tried it - I did not like it at all. Glad I did not spend my money on it. I will update my progress as I go. I will be visiting a dealer in a couple weeks. Again, CAN'T WAIT and THANK YOU all for telling me about your experience!!!!

Dear Pipa

I followed TweedPipe's and Genaa's search for an upright.... and also I too looked at the Sauter MasterClass...
In Europe, I believe there are two specifications for the hammers: either 'classical' or 'modern'. I preferred the tone of the Sauter Rondo compared to the MasterClass... and I suspect that the Rondo has the modern specification. In my opinion - this is a brighter tone than the classical - and may well not be available in the US.

In the end - I turned away from the Sauter mainly due to the price - and bought a Bechstein Academy instead. I am a firm believer that the prep offered by the retail store makes a tremendous difference in the touch and tone of the piano.

Even though I am more than happy with this Bechstein Academy - if I had to buy an upright again ... I would certainly audition the Sauter - again and again

Be sure to share your search with us.

I have the Sauter MasterLine 122. I purchased it in May 2009 after I did a lot of research on the various performance level pianos. After reading Tweedpipe's saga of his search for a grand and how he zeroed in on the Sauter verticals, and how he described the pianos after he auditioned them, I knew I had to make sure I got a chance to play the Sauter verticals and see and hear for myself. In order to do this I had to travel out of state to a dealer who had a good selection of verticals. (The dealer closest to me had only the grands in stock.) Having to travel to audition pianos was a given since I live in a small town out west if I wanted to audition the pianos on my wish-list.

When I audtioned the Masterline 122 (48 inch) I had all afternoon to play it and I played all of the music I had been studying over the past few years in order to get a feel for what the piano could deliver across a variety of musical styles and composers. I went back the next day and played some more. What I found in the 122 Masterline was that there is plenty of power with a broad dynamic range. It played big for its size. I had excellent control and could play extremely quiet pianissimos. There was an overall clarity/purity of sound but at the same time a level of richness. The action felt (to me, anyway) firm but responsive. The base was/is powerful but controllable. The upper range sounds sparkling, some would say "bell-like". I could balance the melody against the harmony with ease. Excellent sustain. There was a sense of balance across the keyboard.

Now that I have had my piano for 6 months I will say that it is as I have described above and even more. I am an adult piano student in my 4th year of classical music lessons (although the music I play ranges from Baroque to Contemporary). As I grow in technical skill I find that I am able to bring out an increasingly nuanced level of tone production.

When I play my Sauter there is a sense of substance beneath my fingers which I can't really put into words. It just feels really good to me. I have not been disappointed with the piano and I often find myself losing track of the time when I am practicing because I really get into exploring the range of expressive possibilities that I can get from this piano.

But you did put it into words, and pretty successfully.

This is an unusual thread....a consensus that Sauter verticals have special qualities and a consistency of opinions about what those specific qualities are. There is no dealer pumping, no sales hype, no contrarian view, nada, nichts, rien, na-ni-mo. Terry 5758 shouldn't read this thread or he'll be compelled to buy one.



Enni opportunity to pump Ennio is worth pursuing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxfF4EU8GY

Don't worry, I'm not hijacking this with another travelogue.
I toured Sauter a couple of years ago but my photos are not that good. Hopefully I'll get back to beautiful Spaichengen sometime soon.



A real live Ulrich Sauter at the helm.


Sorry, not many shots of upright production.





Sophisticated woodworking capability. Really beautiful pianos.

AND, Ulrich is a lot better looking in person!

I feel privileged to have all of you contribute so much to this conversation. To see the mixture of nationalities in this one page is astounding to me. The internet is a wonderful place.

I have to confess that I have not been sharing everything about my piano quest, because I want to hear what you all think. Everything I have read so far are very similar to what I think which makes me happy.

Hello Crispin - I tried a couple of C. Bechsteins. First a classic 118. The sound was beautiful but not breath-taking. Then I played the Konzert 8 which was the closest I felt I was playing on a grand when I was actually playing on an upright. It was more powerful, and beautiful tone. But for some reason, I just wasn't really taken by it. Price of the Konzert 8 was of course totally out of my range. I wouldn't mind a Bechstein on anyday. They are extremely well-made. With the Sauter, it's like, again, falling in love... you know how sometimes you just fall in love with someone that does not logically make your best partner, but you just can't help it? I know I want a Sauter...just don't know which one...

Hello, A Rebours - I love it that you are comparing your experience before and after you have owned the piano for 6 months. That is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you very much. And you are so good at putting feelings into words, an ability which I lack, as so far I have been saying stuff like "pretty sound" and "falling in love" .... kinda pathetic!! ;p

Hello Turandot - I thought about putting that link up (of Tim Roth) but so glad you did it for me! That is a great, great scene of the way music expresses feelings... By the way what's the make of the piano he was "playing" on?

and Eric! I literally drooled over the pictures you posted!!! Well not over Mr. Sauter of course... but the factory...!!!!! you see I have a thing for the process of how any beautiful thing is made... I actually studied in Bavaria for 7 months...almost 10 years ago! What a gorgeous land. I need to go there too. How long did you hang out there? How did you get to visit? Well anyway - thank you so much for posting the pics!

Lily,

The Sauter Center for the East Coast is Noble Art Pianos in Easton, PA. We have a large selection of Sauter pianos, and would love to show them to you. Easton is approximately 70 miles due west of New York City, and 60 miles north of Philadelphia.

Please check out our website at www.nobleartpianos.com, and then give us a call at 610.285.8188.

My husband,Peter Becker, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Elizabeth Campbell
Noble Art Pianos
226 Bushkill Street
Easton, PA 18042
610.285.8188
www.nobleartpianos.com

Dear Lily,

Noble Arts Pianos is the Sauter Center for the U.S. North East Region (www.nobleartpianos.com). Mr. Peter Becker is its proprietor and there you will be able to find a broad selection of both Sauter grand and upright pianos. You will also be able to see the Peter-Maly Design line at the Sauter Center. All instruments have been excellently cared for and prepared. We usually recommend that you reserve two to three hours to delve into the sound and the beauty of Sauter pianos at the Sauter Center. By the way, it is located in Easton in one of the most beautiful and elegant piano stores in the United States.

In regards to Sauter owners, you might get in touch with several on this forum. The music departments of two major universities recently purchased several instruments – among them also a good number of Sauter 130 Masterlines. They are very happy with their instruments and if you are interested we could see if a representative would share her experience with you.

Last but not least, you can find more information at www.sauter-pianos.de and www.sauterforum.com.

Paula Thompson

Sauter USA, Inc.
877 946 8078