Anew Sauter Delta grand

[hermerik]

Hello All!

Here is my latest and final grand piano after a loooong time of searching and pondering;
A new Sauter Delta!

The former grand was also a Sauter, same model(!) but with too heavy action. I thought one could change the action fairly easy, but did not want to drill in more lead or anything like that. Therefore I decided, after a looong time of discussing with people, technicians and on forums like this one (thanks to all people who wanted to help and gave me advice on this!!), to change it and buy a new one with lighter action. I tried many other grands, but Sauter caught me over and over -- so I stayed with that.

Just recently the new one finally arrived  
The dealer (Achim Franz Klaviere in Hamburg) took the ´´old'' one back to Hamburg, so if you are looking for a Sauter Delta from 2010 in excellent condition it will probably be on sale soon at
www.franz-klaviere.de

All the best,
Hermerik

[briansaddleback]

Nice !! Congrats on your trade in /purchase!
I wish I can get a grand acoustic, will see what my future beholds.
But enjoy your piano, I am sure you will be making many fond memories.

[whistlestop]

I don't blame you - they're lovely aren't they?

Last year I bought my first (and probably last) grand; a satin walnut Sauter Alpha 160 - that's as big as the room would hold.

Enjoy your new treasure.

[hermerik]

Yes they are lovely!
Sorry for late reply. I am playing too much, not so much on internet anymore :-)

[wzkit]

Very nice! I too bought a Sauter Delta back in Dec 2005, selected at the Sauter factory in Spaichingen. The sound has matured beautifully, still rich and warm.

I can totally understand why you're not on the internet too much these days!

[hermerik]

Hello all and hello Wzkit!

I have seen some thread about your Sauter I think. Nice to hear from another Sauter delta owner!
What made you choose this brand? For me Bechstein and Steingraeber were the only competitors. Bechstein a strong competitor since I grew up with a Bechstein (from the 1930s). I think it was Bechstein A (185cm as well I think). Extremely light action, too light. I suffered from that since my pianoteacher had a considerably heavier grand. Well every other grand was heavier. When I considered buying a Bechstein I found they were very good, but perhaps not as good as I expected. Sauter is different; somehow richer, perhaps warmer. Matter of taste I guess. But the prices for Bechstein scared me, although I could probably afford a used one.
I cannot describe it but I fell in love with the Sauters pretty much right away, bc of the rich warm sound. Of course Sauter do not have the same reputation as the very top-tier brands I found them in the same level of quality, it was like discovering a gem. Although I had a long and expensive journey, (heavy action, somehow harsh treble also I noted when the former one stood in my living room), the new one is much better. Really freaking good. 

Hermerik

[wzkit]

Having bought my Sauter sight unseen, it really required me to take a leap of faith to pay the 50% deposit, then fly to Spaichingen to select my instrument. However I took comfort from the fact that the 160 Alpha that was in the dealer's showroom had most of the tonal characteristics I was looking for.  The richness and warmth of the Sauter tone was quite unequalled amongst virtually all pianos I came across.
   Having said that, the Delta turned out to be quite different from the Alpha, with a much more pronounced treble and bass. Like you, i found the action slightly too heavy as well. Over the years, I've had the Sauter customized to my specific tastes, including replacing the hammers with a softer (but larger) set, so as to achieve an even mellower tone. The action has also been adjusted to a shallower key depth. Thus, even though the touch remains heavy, the shallower key depth allows for faster repetition.
    Needless to say, the price provided a very good value for money as well!

[hermerik]

Very interesting. The first delta I had was actually somewhat harsh in the treble but i did not notice until it stood in my living room. After that I tried many grands, including a couple of deltas in germany. Two of them (including one I had first at home ) was to harsh in the treble but very brittle/delicate when playing softly. The other were soft  in the treble. All of them had an overall warm tonal structure, sometimes I associate to a bell-like tone. Since mine was too heavy (had injuries also from before and did not dare to continue like that) I had a long search what to do, tried about 50 grands in total (Bechstein, Steinway, Steingraeber, Grotrian, August Förster etc) and I returned to Sauter.
It seems Sauter is a quite unknown gem that can compete with the very best pianos.

[wzkit]

You description about the treble being delicate when played softly somewhat matches the description of my Delta. I would describe the treble tone as being pure and bell like, perhaps even "thin" to some ears (unlike the richness and overtones of a good Steinway for example), but with the benefit of exceptional clarity and sustain - to the point that every single flaw in my playing is magnified.  The bass is exceptional in its depth. And yes, it is a very warm tone, despite the clarity!

If there is one complaint about the tonal profile, it is that the mid range is significantly weaker than the treble or the bass. Given the amount of music that focuses on the middle register, this makes the Sauter somewhat of a "niche" piano.

My recording of the Delta with the original factory hammers should give you a good idea of what I mean

https://soundcloud.com/kit-wei-zheng/consolation-no-3-sauter-delta-2006

https://soundcloud.com/kit-wei-zheng/alexander-scriabin-prelude-in

https://soundcloud.com/kit-wei-zheng/ginastera-danza-de-la-moza

[hermerik]

Hey that is a triple of very nice recordings!

The argentinian dances was something new to me -- I may even start practicing on that. Better to put the kids to sleep with that piece (and the other also) than practicing Beethoven sonatas, or Brahms Raphsody no.1 (which I started on recently) :-)
I could recognize the tonal character of my own Delta; and yes the wonderful bell-like tone, especially in the upper mid or lower treble. Deep bass and delicate treble; very nice!

I was thinking of making a recording also. Talked with somebody about equipment; but I have none(!) I guess it is useless to use mobile phones for this kind of stuff. Any recommendations of recording equipment (not too expensive -- economy is still recovering.. ;-)). But the acoustics in my room is quite horrible -- the room and piano seem to create some kind of unpleasant resonance around the little d/d-sharp in upper bass (where the brass strings end and the "normal" strings start).

What happened when you changed the hammers? Do you have any recordings from that? Interesting to hear your impressions about the tonal characters. I think I agree with you. I played many Steinways also; of course the better ones were are also very good, but as you said they carry a richer, stronger treble (and probably midrange also) which may be good if you want to play loud in a concert hall; but not necessarily if played softly; delicate -- as in your recordings for example. Matter of taste I guess. How did your piano develop over the years? Nice to hear from you.

Best wishes
Hermerik

[wzkit]

Apologies for the very late reply!
After much procrastinating, I posted three recordings of my Sauter with heavier and softer hammers. The recording equipment is clearly not of the same quality as the earlier recordings, but hopefully it still gives you an idea of the sound and how it has developed. You would probably find the sound fatter and warmer, but at the expense of less clarity.

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=64637.msg684841;topicseen#new
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=64638.0
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=64639.0