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After a two-month search for a piano to replace our old Yamaha G2, we finally decided on the Sauter Delta, which was delivered yesterday.

After trying out Steinways, Bosendorfers, Kawaii, Shigeru Kawaii, Estonia, Charles Walter, and a variety of cheaper brands, the Sauter was the only instrument that I found truly impeccable:

-a perfect, extremely precise action that feels good on the fingers.

-a pristine tone; a lot of power but not overpowering, capable of very sensitive pianissimo playing

-a sense of perfect craftsmanship and quality in design

I was worried that the piano would sound very different at home vs. at the store. I think it will take a bit of time to know if there should be additional voicing work done or not, to slightly reduce or balance brightness or volume, and at what point this should be done (i.e. after a delay of a few months to "break it in"?) I'm curious what people's opinions are about this.

The runners up for the decision were the Estonia (2nd choice), and the Kawaii RX-5 (3rd choice). If I would have had a smaller budget I would have preferred a better quality upright instead of a low-budget grand, based on the samples I tried. I found the Charles Walter uprights to be very good. Yet, I suspect the quality of the low-priced grands out there right now are likely to improve quite a lot over the next 10 years.

Many thanks to Norbert for dealing honourably and fairly with us!

First of all, congratulations from one Delta owner to another. Like you, I was also seriously considering the Shigeru Kawai but decided on the Delta in the end due to the greater sense of tonal refinement

I was initially worried that my Delta would be overwhelming at home, the first time I encountered it at the factory in Spaichingen. I communicated my concerns to Ulrich Sauter.

As it turned out, when it arrived, everything was perfect, with absolutely no problem producing the most sensitive pianissimo playing. And Ulrich said there was no additional voicing involved

So my advice would be to wait for the piano to arrive home and be patient. In any case, the piano will change over time and at that point, you can decide if you like it the way it is, before making any decisions over voicing.

Congrats on your new piano.
Enjoy

There seemed to be a lull, but now there's been quite a few new pianos recently. Congrats to you.

duplicate

hmmm Sauter! yum yum

Bachfan:

Thank you very much - we are indeed very honoured that the Sauter was your final choice out of so many other fine brands.

My I also add that Bachfan was one of the most educated and interesting individuals I had the pleasure to ever meet in this business.

Amazing what someone with highly trained fingers can do in life besides playing music.....

Or is it the other way around?

Congratulations, now enjoy - *for life* I hope!

Norbert

Bachfan,

Excellent choice!! Enjoy your new Sauter!! How about a few pics??

Good to know that others share my enthusiasm for the Sauter Delta! Mine was delivered in April - my family and I enjoy it so much (need to negotiate "playing time slots"...)

Bachfan, congrats on your new piano, and enjoy it!

Welcome onboard KeyDecision!!

Where abouts are you in Germany - "South" -
I guess..?

Norbert

Congratulations! - I keep hearing good things about the Delta. Many happy owners.

KeyDecision: thank you for your pm - appreciated!

Ha,not everybody is quite as outspoken here as certain others
[thanks God ... ] perhaps that's why I married a shy girl...shy no more....

But also she loved my own Sauter - ah...reasons women marry...

Norbert

Bachfan39,

Congratulations on your new piano!

Did you get a chance to try out any new Grötrian grand piano in Norbert's store? Just curious how you might compare/contrast a new Sauter grand piano with a new Grötrian grand piano.

Axtremus & others,
thanks for the congratulations!
We're enjoying our Sauter more every day, and I'm curious to see how it evolves as it gets used to our home, and to being played daily.

A first impression is that playing the Sauter is already improving my technique, because slight irregularities in my technique can be very clearly heard, due to the precision and clear tone of the piano.

I would have loved to try a Grotrian, but Norbert says that he gets them in only once every month or two, and that they're sold instantly. So unfortunately I didn't get to compare.

My favourite Grotrian, at a local church, is a wonderful piano; I would say by comparison that it has a slightly lighter, "buttery" touch that I really like--and a mellower tone (though that may be a product of the acoustics of the church in combination with that piano being over 10 years old).

Bachfan39,

Congrats on your new piano! May you produce lots of wonderful music on your new Delta.

I am wondering, do you find the sustaining pedal good to control? I played on two Sauter Deltas today and found the sustaining pedal very "shallow". They bottom out very quickly and as a result difficult to control quarter and half pedalling.

But then both pianos were fully wrapped in protective stuff (including the pedals) so I'm wondering if my experience is reflective of the Deltas in general or whether it's the protective stuff interfering with pedal action.

Would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

Jiade:

Thank you for your questions but I can tell you with absolute certainty that the movers who brought the piano did not set it up right.

Sauter's pedals are as exact as is the entire piano.

Norbert

Norbert:

Thanks for the information. I shall keep that in mind if I end up trying the Deltas again.

Jiade

The pedals do feel different than other pianos I've played. It feels shallower, perhaps a little heavier too. I think it is a matter of getting used to it. In any case the control is excellent, in fact I suspect the shallowness reflects a more precise or refined economy of control. Reminds me of the accelerator or clutch on a BMW.

I do agree about the heaviness of the pedals. In fact, I would argue it is precisely that heaviness that allows for greater control. One can feel the half pedal mark quite distinctly on the Sauter, compared to other makes. It simply is a matter of getting used to it.

Dear Bachfan:
-long time long see: hope you're still enjoying your Sauter grand!

If interested, just sold Langley United a brand new Delta: they totally love it!
Ian Parker is giving concert on Sat night, in case you're interested to attend,
glad to send you more info,
many thanks and kind regards,
Norbert, Heritage Pianos
604-951-8642