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Sauter say of the Omega 220, "The lid props are made from solid maple for greater tonal brilliance."

Is this greater tonal brilliance fact or fiction? What wood do Steinway and others use for lid props? What effect could changing the prop have on the sound of a piano? ...

I think that's a clever way of saying the lid is NOT made of solid maple. Many people will read it as such though.

That's an odd conclusion to draw! What other way can "the lid props are made of solid maple" be interpreted? I think it means they are made of solid maple - call me crazy!

I mean that many people will read it as the LIDS are made of maple. My guess is they are not.

Anyone who knows what a lid prop is will read it correctly. Anyone who doesn't is probably not in the market for a 7-foot Sauter.

In point of fact, you misread my first response, reading 'lid prop' instead of 'lid'. It happens just that easily, and is classic marketing speak.

Edited for clarity.

I believe that a solid maple lid prop greatly aids in orchestral voicing. Is the "half-stick" also solid maple? If not, that can lead to band voicing.

What would say, a pine or composite lid prop lend to? Busker voicing? One man band voicing?

I didn't misread it, I just think you are cooking up a conspiracy theory where there really isn't one. They refer specifically to the prop, yes, but they aren't obligated to mention all the parts on a piano that aren't made of maple just because they mention one that is.

Again, anybody who is in the market for an instrument like this is not expecting a lid made of maple. This is not marketing trickery. They are just pointing out a notable feature - in this case, a maple prop.

Ando, why would a maple prop stick be at all notable? It's a logical wood choice.

Hi Marty, for whatever reason, they decided to mention it as being maple. I'm more just trying to say that I don't think Sauter were trying to trick anybody into thinking the whole lid was made of maple.

I'm still trying to fathom how a maple prop adds to the "tonal brilliance" of the piano over a stick made of, say, one of my old golf clubs (with Tru-Temper shafts for even greater tonal brilliance!).

Larry.

Tru-Temper lid props have proven to be excessively brilliant. There is a fine balance between brilliance and brightness which is affected by the pudding-like inharmonocity which is generated by ambient eggshell torsion vibrations.

It all leads back to how Bechsteins are voiced.

(Accept no substitutes.)

Steinway uses maple lid props. They do not have Mezzo ThermoNeal Stablization, though, so I would not trust them.

I have a variety of True Temper lid props in my garage, currently being repurposed as snow shovel handles. Perhaps with some juidicious use of binder twine the brightness could be mellowed.

The "tonal brilliance" caused by the solid maple lid prop is especially notable when the lid is not raised.

Bahaha. Post of the day!

Liquid maple (Grade A Light Amber) for a sweeter tone?

Also delicious on pancakes. Musical genius must be nourished!

Can one tap one's Sauter in the spring?

(I would never have thought that Scott Joplin composed his Rags on a Sauter.)