The company’s reputation was firmly established by the time Carl Sauter III took charge in the 1960s. But he was dissatisfied with the notable differences in repetition speeds between the upright and grand actions, and he led the development of an improved action known as the R2, for the upright range. A new factory was opened in 1984, in which machines were installed to speed production, but the company insists that many parts are still made by hand in the traditional way.
Carl Sauter’s son, Ulrich, is now a prominent member of the firm, ensuring that the family tradition lives on into a new century, and 2001 has already seen the unveiling of a new Sauter concert grand after years of development.
Sauter developed the “2 Double Escapement Action” for upright pianos to even out the differences in touch between an upright piano action and that of a grand. The action includes an extra jack spring to aid repetition.
A grand piano was made by Sauter for the Paris Conservatory to help a pianist to perform music written for a prepared piano. It was decorated with inlaid lines on the dampers and colored lines on the soundboard to identify the keyboard layout on the strung back and also to indicate where to touch the strings to produce harmonics. This piano has now been integrated into the Sauter line.
Dates and serial numbers when the pianos were manufactured
| 1840 | 900 |
| 1860 | 1624 |
| 1870 | 2500 |
| 1880 | 3300 |
| 1890 | 4100 |
| 1900 | 5000 |
| 1910 | 6002 |
| 1948 | 11150 |
| 1960 | 22100 |
| 1970 | 46200 |
| 1980 | 73600 |
| 1990 | 97400 |
| 2000 | 108304 |
