How do we raise the quality of our piano program? This is  a key question to many Collegiate teaching professionals across the country. One important answer is found in a unique and groundbreaking program developed by Florida State University in Tallahasee, Florida that should have implications for schools across the country: namely, to provide an accredited training opportunity for those who care for piano instrument parks at colleges and universities. And there is an even more exciting aspect: in an industry that is predominantly male, the driver behind this program is a woman, and mastertechnician: Anne Garee.

Mrs. Anne Garee grew up in a home where both arts and science were enmeshed. Her father was a physicist while her mother was a professional musician who had graduated from the famous Oberlin Music Conservatory. Anne followed the path of her mother and graduated in piano- however, she also intensified her studies and became a piano technician.  She was then offered a position with Florida State University. Being uniquely qualified to understand the needs of pianists and educators as well as relating the technical aspects of piano service she started to develop a formal degree granting program at FSU. Graduates of FSU Piano Technology program are superbly qualified to maintain and manage a large school’s piano park in all aspects.

 We, at Sauter, are deeply impressed with what Anne has accomplished. The embedded video provides furhter insight into the program.

Internet address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpBnlRMklPA

Just the other day I got a call from a piano aficionado who was looking at one of our instruments. What exactly are the differences between the Sauter Masterline 130 (M-Line) and the 130 Basic, he was asking. Next to him was Rich Gallassini, the co-owner of Cunningham Pianos and a dear friend.  I was trying to catch an airplane and gave a brief description of the main points and promised  more specifics. So Henry, here is the answer:

The Masterline is one of the of the finest uprights in the world. It was designed for customers who really want a sound that compares to a small grand but do not have the space for it in their home. It is also an instrument that is geared to customers who appreciate aesthetic details and seek in products they buy the superlative.  In order to satisfy both requirements, i.e. superior sound quality and tasteful appearance, we decided to go beyond the extraordinary.

 The M-Line utilizes wood from Northern Italy for its soundboard. The little valley of Val di Fiemme has become known over the centuries for the ideal properties of its spruce forests for the production of musical instruments and famous violin makers like Stradivarius and Guarneri sourced their materials there. Sauter uses wood from two areas from Central Europe and while we believe that both make for excellent material for highest quality performance pianos, historically wood from Val di Fiemme has been valued higher and professional pianists have often expressed their preference for instruments that utilize fiemmese timber. The M-Line has an iron cast frame that is polished and smooth like a grand piano. Upon opening the front panel beautiful bird’s eye maple veneer becomes visible. Every part in the instrument has been finished with utmost care and in order to help the owner ensure a proper environment the Masterline has a built in hygrometer. The action of the M-line is also visibly different: the hammers are usually made of light colored beech wood, however, the M-Line uses walnut wood which adds to the visual effect. The action of the M-Line is also slightly different in design and is a bit smoother in feel. While the details are proprietary, a professional pianist will be able to detect the subtle nuance in its feel. The cashmere felt that is employed in the M-Line adds both to its visual appeal and is a higher grade material not common in pianos. The M-Line has, of course, a Sostenuto pedal and a soft falling fallboard.

I know of no other manufactuer that builds an upright comparable to the Sauter M-Line or goes to  similar lengths to make it aesthetically appealing. While all these aspects are certainly very  impressive, truth be told, so is the price.

Enter the 130 Basic. When we decided to focus on the U.S. market, it became clear that both our production costs and the sliding U.S. dollar would make it almost prohibitive for serious pianists on a budget to afford the M-Line. Thus, the 130 Basic became an instrument that is a good alternative.

The 130 Basic employs the identical scale design as the M-Line and has the identical musical properties. While the M-Line reaches beyond the extraordinary the 130 Basic utilizes the finest materials that are used by German and Austrian piano manufacturers in their grand pianos. The wood for its soundboard is sourced from the mountains of Central Austria (around Salzburg and into Southern Bavaria). It has the highest quality grade Renner action and has two pedals. (Note: while there is difference in the design of the action, only sufficiently advanced pianists will be able to detect it). The case is simpler and it does not come with the soft-falling fallboard. Both the 130 Basic and the M-Line feature the renowned R2 Repetition.

The 130 Basic is distributed only in the U.S. and one other market. It is a wonderful instrument for a pianist who needs a professional tool of the highest quality or for an aficionado who enjoyes a beautiful sounding bass and a melodious and colorful treble.

 Henry- I hope this makes things a little clearer.