Lecture on Hand-Crafted German Pianos April 26, 2008

Like Stradivarius and Guarneri violins, carefully cultivated, selected and prepared woods are the key to making great pianos. Ulrich Sauter, sixth generation of Black Forest piano makers will be in Berkeley Saturday, April 26, to lead a seminar for 80 Bay Area piano technicians and piano buffs about the history, mysteries, secrets and Sauter's two hundred years of experience as leading builders of hand-crafted pianos. The seminar will be held at R. Kassman Piano, 843 Gilman Street in Berkeley, and is co-sponsored by the three Bay Area chapters and the Sacramento chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild of America.

Mr. Sauter will present slides of hand building pianos at his workshop in Spaeichingen, Germany, and discuss the conditions that make for the world's finest soundboards. Conditions like types of wood that are best to use, woods grown in cooler climates at higher altitudes, closeness of the wood grain, to kiln dry or not to kiln dry, milling and shaping of the best soundboards, varnishes and other finish preparations and other related topics.

Free.

Official Website: http://www.rkassman.com