Hey all,

I would like to know what everyone thinks of the sound differences between two of the biggest models of Fazioli?

Thanks for your replies

Best to buy one of each, decide later.

Seems likely to be the bass strings, right? Btw is there any problem with getting bass strings for the 10 foot Faz? Anyone know? Just curious.

No. Why would there be?

I played them both in Frankfurt ... Both very interesting pianos.

It is an interesting question, I wonder how many places one can play both ...

Chicago! Dealer currently has a used 278 and new 308.

Because it's a foot longer than anything else, I was thinking. Guess not.

There are pianos that are a full three feet longer: http://rubensteinpianos.com/pages/r-371.html. NBD.

Whoa! Had no idea. Ever played one? Bass must be seismic.

I've played both at the Chicago showroom, and the 308 is quieter if you wish it to be. Of course, it is hard to tell in a showroom. They are intended to appear on concert stages for the most part, or homes with large living rooms or a Great Room with tall ceilings. Maybe Louis Lortie will select one of them for his upcoming concert (January) of Wagner-Liszt transcriptions. He likes playing Faziolis, and that 308 has an exceptionally responsive action.

Seriously...never played the 308 but have played quite a few different 278s. What can you say except outstanding pianos in every way. I also love the 228 model. I think that's a great size for home/studio use.

We've been able to try several 278s and one 308 over the years at Baldassin Pianos in Salt Lake City. There was one 278 that has left the strongest impression on both of us.

It's quite interesting that I see more people thinking the 278s stronger than 308. However, bigger instrument should produce a bigger and a stronger sound. Isn't it?

IS there anything special about the 278s?

30 extra centimeters should get you a lot more sound. Testing these pianos in a showroom makes it hard to judge how much more sound that is; you really need to hear the instruments in a large hall.

Also, consider that the keys on a 308 are longer than on a 278, and the physics are such that you can obtain better tonal control with a longer key and proper regulation. This was my experience with the 308; you could play softer than even the 278. The other exceptional thing on the 308 that I have never experienced on a piano before was that the bass keys felt light, not heavy. You could do very rapid cadenza work in the bass keys just as if they were in the upper two octaves. Trills were just as easy as well. It was a rather strange feeling but you get used to it quickly and begin to wonder what interesting music could be written for such a piano. Remember too that the Fazioli is famous for its cold, crisp, clinical sound. That means that for chords played in the bass section of the keyboard, it is easy to distinguish the notes cleanly. This is why its fun on a Fazioli to play Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and other composers who used chords in the bass notes, not just octaves.