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Two weeks ago I experienced something mind-blowing that I thought people on this board should be aware of.

I have just played the Ultimate Piano (â„¢)

Now before anyone jumps up and down on me for having been injected with a near fatal dose of marketing jingoism of the worst kind, let me assure you that this is not the case - I am a trained research scientist and able to make reasonably objective judgements about things, especially music. So let me repeat in totally non-emotional and objective language -

I have just played the Ultimate Piano (â„¢)

I visited the Stuart & Sons Piano factory in Newcastle to play their latest pianos - and let me tell you these are something to behold. These are the world's only currently manufactured 102-key grand pianos. The new Reference series Stuart & Sons Concert Grand Piano (2.9m) and Studio Grand Piano (2.2m) have pushed the frequency boundaries for the acoustic piano to the limits CCC (or C0) @ 16.3516Hz to f5 (or F8) @ 5587.6517Hz. These ultimate grand pianos are designed and handcrafted not only for a new and exciting experience in the interpretation of the 'standard' piano repertoire, but also, and uniquely, for the vertical dimension of sound which has been the bedrock of music composition since the Impressionists. The extended frequency range, the dynamic sensitivity and sustain opens the way to a whole new experience in piano performance craft not possible on any other piano. Stuart & Sons recognises that since the introduction of the Bosendorfer Imperial grand that C0 is the lowest key to be found on a piano. There is repertoire which embraces this lower frequency range but until now only Bosendorfer have met the keyboard challenge. Stuart says that the successful employment of special wire from Stephen Paulello in France has enabled the design of the 2.2m 102-key piano as modern high-tensile music wire can not be used successfully for low tension scales.

The first three ultimate grands are hot off the press with two instruments 'seasoning' in the performance room where they will undergo further adjustment and refinement as they settle and acclimatise to their environment. Even at this early stage the sound was quite extraordinary and certainly much better than any piano I have played to this point in time.

What do they look like? Like all of his pianos, beautifully finished and absolutely stunning in a satin finished East Indian rosewood. Veneers up to 500mm wide are quite magnificently matched across the lid.


The studio grand piano is the only 2.2m 102 note piano ever to have been built as a serious musical instrument.


A close up of the sub-contra octave bass strings is provided here


With the interior view, it can the clearly seen that the sub-contra octave bass strings really do take up all of the length of the piano.


The whole instrument is an imposing and incredible piece of work. This is a piano that up to now people have only dreamed of, and to have experienced it in reality is a life experience for me.

But even better than it looks, is the way it plays and sounds. I will try to post some sound samples soon, but some have already been provided at www.pianophilia.com

This piano puts to the sword the contention that innovation in the acoustic piano is moribund. It further redefines the possibilities of the acoustic piano for the 21st century and provides the final nail in the coffin of the incessant reproduction of proven form that has dominated the acoustic piano for the past century. When Nietzche said 'God is dead' many would say he was wrong. If I were to say that 'Steinway is dead', I don't think I would be.

Regards
Chris

I visited the Stuart website and listened to the piano samples they have there through a set of reasonably good Bose hifi speakers. This piano definitely sounds different and the sustain seems almost endless. I would love to get to Australia sometime to visit the factory, but that might never happen. Oh well, I'm happy you had a great experience with them.

Chris the pictures look amazing!
I amn from Melbourne so have thought about trying the Stuart.... some simple questions though
Roughly how much is a Stuart going to set me back $$$
Secondly, how long does it take to drive to Newcastle from the Sydney CBD (I do visit occasionally!)

Marcus

I always thought their music desk design looks rather disappointing...too big and not aesthetically appealing. I'm also not overly impressed by all the extra notes because at least in the treble there is virtually no music written that includes those notes. Even in the bass, there is such a tiny number of works that use the extra notes on the Stuart or Boesendorfer it doesn't mean much to me.

I am interested in how the tone is in the "normal" part of the piano. I am not saying that Stuart & Sons isn't a terrific or even incredible piano, just that for me the things the OP mentions are not what would make a piano great.

Wayne Stuart makes a great piano - period. I have admired him and this project.

Go Stuart & Sons.

I love bass. The deeper it can go - with clarity - the better. Hope that all other manufacturers take up this trend and let the development filter thorough to the mainstream market and give consumers a choice.

Sounds like a parallel development to the bass guitar world - 5 strings and 6 string bass complementing the original 4 string bass.

This is really fascinating! Thanks for the long and informative post and photos. I have to say that I share pianoloverus's lack of enthusiasm for the music desk, but I'm guessing the design has the utilitarian function of allowing more of the sound to come through to the pianist.

I'm sure the others here will correct me if I'm wrong, pianoloverus, but my understanding is that the main point of all those extra notes is NOT that they would actually be played (as you point out, sheet music rarely if ever goes outside the normal 88-key range); rather, having the strings in place there allows interesting sympathetic vibrations to occur, thus enhancing the sound of normal repertoire played on the piano.

cool.

- i would LOVE to play one. i often stray outside the confines of the written note. .. especially in the lower register... nothing like the boom of a strategically placed bass 'accent'. yow

Thank you for posting! The piano truly looks magnificent. Majestic comes to mind. I imagine that sitting on the piano bench would be like getting behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce. Something most of us could only dream of.
But, I can't help but wonder how it compares to the Wendl & Lung 218. Do you think it's worgth x times the price?

fingers

I would love to play one as well.This to me is all very exciting! They are gorgeous! Maybe a vacation to Australia may be warantied.




Terry

Thanks so much for the post CJM. This is fantastic.

Two thumbs up for Stuart. I also hope that some of their design ideas trickle through to other manufacturers. I really wish that we could afford a trip to Australia to try one. But then again, I am glad we can't, because we would want to buy one.

Oh and that piano in rosewood is gorgeous.

Dan

I'm not speaking as any expert here, but I'm quite sure the original reason for extra notes in the bass was to accomodate certain music that had been written by Busoni(and other composers after Boesendorfer enlarged the compass). It may have been said later that the extra notes help the notes in the regular 88 span sound better(or in the case of Boesendorfer allowed the piano to compete with the greater projection of a Steinway concert grand), but I don't know if there is truth to this statement. It seems reasonable to me.

I had heard through the rumor mill that he was doing this. He should ship one to my school in Canada so I can try it out

Absolutely beautiful!

One more reason to buy a lottery ticket ...

Paul

Whew! Your language is about as emotional and hyperbolic as it could be. I have highlighted some of the best phrases. It's a good thing that you're "a trained research scientist and able to make reasonably objective judgements [sic] about things, especially music." I know that I always have believed that trained research scientists have better ears and aesthetics about music than anyone else.

Also, enlighten us all about the "vertical dimension of sound which has been the bedrock of music composition since the Impressionists." How do you know that other pianos aren't good at producing this dimension, whatever it is?

Have you considered that people's tastes in music and piano tone vary, and what one person may particularly like, another may not be that impressed with?

Also, I wonder about the usefulness of the extra notes. Or are they more of a curiosity? You make their inclusion sound like an amazing feature, but frankly, I think they would likely be pretty useless.

You'll have to excuse my sarcasm, but IMO your post is SO over the top, and sounds SO much like ad copy written by someone who has had too much caffeine, that I can only take it with a grain of salt.

I'm no expert, but wouldn't the extra strings provide more sympathetic resonance (if that's what it's called)?

IE, even if you don't play those notes very often won't they be contributing something to the sound of the notes that are played?

And wouldn't the soundboard have to be bigger, and wouldn't that add to/change the sound?

And as far as "I" know, those extra notes serve to shift the bass strings that ARE used regularly to a position farther away from the edge of the sound board.

Have you ever seen a Stuart & Sons piano? They are simply the most gorgeous pianos in every respect and have ridiculously good tuning stability. In fact, the Steingraeber-Phoenix is the only other piano I've seen that is of this caliber. Most everything else is just a joke.

I've always thought that sympathetic resonance was kinda BS. Even if it wasn't, these extra notes would not have been added for this purpose because the sustain on these pianos (due to the bridge agraffes) is just insane.