CAUT

John,

It was my understanding that large casters were too tall for a piano leg dimensioned for the smaller casters. If so, the keyboard and pedals would be too high.

Roger

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Hi All. In the Concert Hall at NIU we have both a NY D and Fazioli on the large brass casters. Over 22 years, the D broke a leg and the Fazioli 2, due to students moving the piano out onto a stage lift which then sagged. Who knew pianos can't jump an inch. 
The Steinway was first. At the time, it was on a dolly, but hit something with enough force and it translates very nicely to the leg.
We opted to change to Hamburg legend brass casters, but at the time Steinway had not yet changed to the new leg plate design, so fitting the new legs was not a real problem.
we did this partially because it was my understanding that the piano rocks less side to side when being played, so the pianist transfers power into bass and treble more effectively. This does seem to be the case, though we didn't really have a way to do an A/B test, since the old leg was already broken.

The CH stage is oak flooring laid over cement.

After the Fazioli suffered two breakages, I bought a used Grand Piano Transporter with help from Kathy Smith. No damage since. I did discover, belatedly, that the original design of the device was rated for a 9' piano and 1000 pounds. The Fazioli 278 is 9'2", and over 1200 pounds, so I had a local retired metal worker make a new piece connecting  the front and back pieces, changed the wheels to an inch taller (the Fazioli sits higher off the floor) and beefed up the unit with heavy bolts instead of the cotter pins it comes with. Also, you have to coach the student workers to Not leave the release valves open on the jacks or you'll have to learn how to replace the oil in the jacks. Still, it works, and no more broken legs. 

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Hi All. In the Concert Hall at NIU we have both a NY D and Fazioli on the large brass casters. Over 22 years, the D broke a leg and the Fazioli 2, due to students moving the piano out onto a stage lift which then sagged. Who knew pianos can't jump an inch. 
The Steinway was first. At the time, it was on a dolly, but hit something with enough force and it translates very nicely to the leg.
We opted to change to Hamburg legend brass casters, but at the time Steinway had not yet changed to the new leg plate design, so fitting the new legs was not a real problem.
we did this partially because it was my understanding that the piano rocks less side to side when being played, so the pianist transfers power into bass and treble more effectively. This does seem to be the case, though we didn't really have a way to do an A/B test, since the old leg was already broken.

The CH stage is oak flooring laid over cement.

After the Fazioli suffered two breakages, I bought a used Grand Piano Transporter with help from Kathy Smith. No damage since. I did discover, belatedly, that the original design of the device was rated for a 9' piano and 1000 pounds. The Fazioli 278 is 9'2", and over 1200 pounds, so I had a local retired metal worker make a new piece connecting  the front and back pieces, changed the wheels to an inch taller (the Fazioli sits higher off the floor) and beefed up the unit with heavy bolts instead of the cotter pins it comes with. Also, you have to coach the student workers to Not leave the release valves open on the jacks or you'll have to learn how to replace the oil in the jacks. Still, it works, and no more broken legs. 

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

I posted this a couple of years ago, but maybe worth repeating.

I think the large brass casters are worth considering.  Visually, they are a huge improvement over a spider dolly, and in our halls with hardwood floors, the tone is improved.  This is really not that big of a deal with the correct tools: a decent table saw, a sharp crosscut blade, a relatively powerful hand drill, and the appropriate sizes of forstner bits.  We have done this on 4 pianos with no issues. This is assuming the piano stays on a wood stage/backstage and has no elevated thresholds to cross.  We have used both the Hamburg and Schaff casters on our main stage for 30 years, with no issues.  Pianos are moved by faculty and students.  Our biggest concern is the legs becoming loose in the lock blocks over time, with the extra vibration of individual legs during moving, so we check the wedges the beginning of each semester.

Our procedure:

Use a board between the top of the leg and the fence, with holes drilled for dowels or locking plate.  This will allow the wide top of the leg to act as a stable guide during the cut as it slides along the fence.

Place a thin layer of felt between the leg top and the table to avoid scratching during the cut.  Cut a second board with felt on the top side that is the appropriate size to lay in the miter slot in the table saw so the leg is raised to the point of the bottom being square with the blade.  This piece of wood needs to be long enough to allow the full cut.

After determining the amount of wood to cut off the bottom of the leg (usually around 1.5 inches), set the fence from the blade at the appropriate distance.

Tape around the area of the cut with masking tape to minimize chipping of the finish.  Pull the tape off in a downward motion, toward the cut.  Slightly rounding the edges after the cut and touching up with the correct lacquer or polyurethane restores a nice factory look.

Cut two ½ inch plywood or other scrap wood the size of the new leg bottom.  Drill holes in the center of these with the two forstner bits – one for the stem and one for the plate.  These will act as your bit guides while the bit cuts into the leg, a must if there are previous holes in the legs from other casters, and for your second, plate hole.  Clamp the two boards together and drill screw holes through both in the corners so you can screw them to the bottom of the leg – this allows you to place both pieces in the same relative position when drilling.  Drill out the stem hole first, followed by the plate hole.  The plate hole should be recessed enough to hide the plate, but still allow for caster rotation. Occasionally the forstner bit is not an exact match with the caster stem and plate. A few minutes with a Dremel tool or paper shimming are easy fixes.

Screw them on and reattach the legs. The whole process takes about 4 hours.

Hi All. In the Concert Hall at NIU we have both a NY D and Fazioli on the large brass casters. Over 22 years, the D broke a leg and the Fazioli 2, due to students moving the piano out onto a stage lift which then sagged. Who knew pianos can't jump an inch. 
The Steinway was first. At the time, it was on a dolly, but hit something with enough force and it translates very nicely to the leg.
We opted to change to Hamburg legend brass casters, but at the time Steinway had not yet changed to the new leg plate design, so fitting the new legs was not a real problem.
we did this partially because it was my understanding that the piano rocks less side to side when being played, so the pianist transfers power into bass and treble more effectively. This does seem to be the case, though we didn't really have a way to do an A/B test, since the old leg was already broken.

The CH stage is oak flooring laid over cement.

After the Fazioli suffered two breakages, I bought a used Grand Piano Transporter with help from Kathy Smith. No damage since. I did discover, belatedly, that the original design of the device was rated for a 9' piano and 1000 pounds. The Fazioli 278 is 9'2", and over 1200 pounds, so I had a local retired metal worker make a new piece connecting  the front and back pieces, changed the wheels to an inch taller (the Fazioli sits higher off the floor) and beefed up the unit with heavy bolts instead of the cotter pins it comes with. Also, you have to coach the student workers to Not leave the release valves open on the jacks or you'll have to learn how to replace the oil in the jacks. Still, it works, and no more broken legs. 

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

I posted this a couple of years ago, but maybe worth repeating.

I think the large brass casters are worth considering.  Visually, they are a huge improvement over a spider dolly, and in our halls with hardwood floors, the tone is improved.  This is really not that big of a deal with the correct tools: a decent table saw, a sharp crosscut blade, a relatively powerful hand drill, and the appropriate sizes of forstner bits.  We have done this on 4 pianos with no issues. This is assuming the piano stays on a wood stage/backstage and has no elevated thresholds to cross.  We have used both the Hamburg and Schaff casters on our main stage for 30 years, with no issues.  Pianos are moved by faculty and students.  Our biggest concern is the legs becoming loose in the lock blocks over time, with the extra vibration of individual legs during moving, so we check the wedges the beginning of each semester.

Our procedure:

Use a board between the top of the leg and the fence, with holes drilled for dowels or locking plate.  This will allow the wide top of the leg to act as a stable guide during the cut as it slides along the fence.

Place a thin layer of felt between the leg top and the table to avoid scratching during the cut.  Cut a second board with felt on the top side that is the appropriate size to lay in the miter slot in the table saw so the leg is raised to the point of the bottom being square with the blade.  This piece of wood needs to be long enough to allow the full cut.

After determining the amount of wood to cut off the bottom of the leg (usually around 1.5 inches), set the fence from the blade at the appropriate distance.

Tape around the area of the cut with masking tape to minimize chipping of the finish.  Pull the tape off in a downward motion, toward the cut.  Slightly rounding the edges after the cut and touching up with the correct lacquer or polyurethane restores a nice factory look.

Cut two ½ inch plywood or other scrap wood the size of the new leg bottom.  Drill holes in the center of these with the two forstner bits – one for the stem and one for the plate.  These will act as your bit guides while the bit cuts into the leg, a must if there are previous holes in the legs from other casters, and for your second, plate hole.  Clamp the two boards together and drill screw holes through both in the corners so you can screw them to the bottom of the leg – this allows you to place both pieces in the same relative position when drilling.  Drill out the stem hole first, followed by the plate hole.  The plate hole should be recessed enough to hide the plate, but still allow for caster rotation. Occasionally the forstner bit is not an exact match with the caster stem and plate. A few minutes with a Dremel tool or paper shimming are easy fixes.

Screw them on and reattach the legs. The whole process takes about 4 hours.

Hi All. In the Concert Hall at NIU we have both a NY D and Fazioli on the large brass casters. Over 22 years, the D broke a leg and the Fazioli 2, due to students moving the piano out onto a stage lift which then sagged. Who knew pianos can't jump an inch. 
The Steinway was first. At the time, it was on a dolly, but hit something with enough force and it translates very nicely to the leg.
We opted to change to Hamburg legend brass casters, but at the time Steinway had not yet changed to the new leg plate design, so fitting the new legs was not a real problem.
we did this partially because it was my understanding that the piano rocks less side to side when being played, so the pianist transfers power into bass and treble more effectively. This does seem to be the case, though we didn't really have a way to do an A/B test, since the old leg was already broken.

The CH stage is oak flooring laid over cement.

After the Fazioli suffered two breakages, I bought a used Grand Piano Transporter with help from Kathy Smith. No damage since. I did discover, belatedly, that the original design of the device was rated for a 9' piano and 1000 pounds. The Fazioli 278 is 9'2", and over 1200 pounds, so I had a local retired metal worker make a new piece connecting  the front and back pieces, changed the wheels to an inch taller (the Fazioli sits higher off the floor) and beefed up the unit with heavy bolts instead of the cotter pins it comes with. Also, you have to coach the student workers to Not leave the release valves open on the jacks or you'll have to learn how to replace the oil in the jacks. Still, it works, and no more broken legs. 

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

I posted this a couple of years ago, but maybe worth repeating.

I think the large brass casters are worth considering.  Visually, they are a huge improvement over a spider dolly, and in our halls with hardwood floors, the tone is improved.  This is really not that big of a deal with the correct tools: a decent table saw, a sharp crosscut blade, a relatively powerful hand drill, and the appropriate sizes of forstner bits.  We have done this on 4 pianos with no issues. This is assuming the piano stays on a wood stage/backstage and has no elevated thresholds to cross.  We have used both the Hamburg and Schaff casters on our main stage for 30 years, with no issues.  Pianos are moved by faculty and students.  Our biggest concern is the legs becoming loose in the lock blocks over time, with the extra vibration of individual legs during moving, so we check the wedges the beginning of each semester.

Our procedure:

Use a board between the top of the leg and the fence, with holes drilled for dowels or locking plate.  This will allow the wide top of the leg to act as a stable guide during the cut as it slides along the fence.

Place a thin layer of felt between the leg top and the table to avoid scratching during the cut.  Cut a second board with felt on the top side that is the appropriate size to lay in the miter slot in the table saw so the leg is raised to the point of the bottom being square with the blade.  This piece of wood needs to be long enough to allow the full cut.

After determining the amount of wood to cut off the bottom of the leg (usually around 1.5 inches), set the fence from the blade at the appropriate distance.

Tape around the area of the cut with masking tape to minimize chipping of the finish.  Pull the tape off in a downward motion, toward the cut.  Slightly rounding the edges after the cut and touching up with the correct lacquer or polyurethane restores a nice factory look.

Cut two ½ inch plywood or other scrap wood the size of the new leg bottom.  Drill holes in the center of these with the two forstner bits – one for the stem and one for the plate.  These will act as your bit guides while the bit cuts into the leg, a must if there are previous holes in the legs from other casters, and for your second, plate hole.  Clamp the two boards together and drill screw holes through both in the corners so you can screw them to the bottom of the leg – this allows you to place both pieces in the same relative position when drilling.  Drill out the stem hole first, followed by the plate hole.  The plate hole should be recessed enough to hide the plate, but still allow for caster rotation. Occasionally the forstner bit is not an exact match with the caster stem and plate. A few minutes with a Dremel tool or paper shimming are easy fixes.

Screw them on and reattach the legs. The whole process takes about 4 hours.

Hi All. In the Concert Hall at NIU we have both a NY D and Fazioli on the large brass casters. Over 22 years, the D broke a leg and the Fazioli 2, due to students moving the piano out onto a stage lift which then sagged. Who knew pianos can't jump an inch. 
The Steinway was first. At the time, it was on a dolly, but hit something with enough force and it translates very nicely to the leg.
We opted to change to Hamburg legend brass casters, but at the time Steinway had not yet changed to the new leg plate design, so fitting the new legs was not a real problem.
we did this partially because it was my understanding that the piano rocks less side to side when being played, so the pianist transfers power into bass and treble more effectively. This does seem to be the case, though we didn't really have a way to do an A/B test, since the old leg was already broken.

The CH stage is oak flooring laid over cement.

After the Fazioli suffered two breakages, I bought a used Grand Piano Transporter with help from Kathy Smith. No damage since. I did discover, belatedly, that the original design of the device was rated for a 9' piano and 1000 pounds. The Fazioli 278 is 9'2", and over 1200 pounds, so I had a local retired metal worker make a new piece connecting  the front and back pieces, changed the wheels to an inch taller (the Fazioli sits higher off the floor) and beefed up the unit with heavy bolts instead of the cotter pins it comes with. Also, you have to coach the student workers to Not leave the release valves open on the jacks or you'll have to learn how to replace the oil in the jacks. Still, it works, and no more broken legs. 

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

I posted this a couple of years ago, but maybe worth repeating.

I think the large brass casters are worth considering.  Visually, they are a huge improvement over a spider dolly, and in our halls with hardwood floors, the tone is improved.  This is really not that big of a deal with the correct tools: a decent table saw, a sharp crosscut blade, a relatively powerful hand drill, and the appropriate sizes of forstner bits.  We have done this on 4 pianos with no issues. This is assuming the piano stays on a wood stage/backstage and has no elevated thresholds to cross.  We have used both the Hamburg and Schaff casters on our main stage for 30 years, with no issues.  Pianos are moved by faculty and students.  Our biggest concern is the legs becoming loose in the lock blocks over time, with the extra vibration of individual legs during moving, so we check the wedges the beginning of each semester.

Our procedure:

Use a board between the top of the leg and the fence, with holes drilled for dowels or locking plate.  This will allow the wide top of the leg to act as a stable guide during the cut as it slides along the fence.

Place a thin layer of felt between the leg top and the table to avoid scratching during the cut.  Cut a second board with felt on the top side that is the appropriate size to lay in the miter slot in the table saw so the leg is raised to the point of the bottom being square with the blade.  This piece of wood needs to be long enough to allow the full cut.

After determining the amount of wood to cut off the bottom of the leg (usually around 1.5 inches), set the fence from the blade at the appropriate distance.

Tape around the area of the cut with masking tape to minimize chipping of the finish.  Pull the tape off in a downward motion, toward the cut.  Slightly rounding the edges after the cut and touching up with the correct lacquer or polyurethane restores a nice factory look.

Cut two ½ inch plywood or other scrap wood the size of the new leg bottom.  Drill holes in the center of these with the two forstner bits – one for the stem and one for the plate.  These will act as your bit guides while the bit cuts into the leg, a must if there are previous holes in the legs from other casters, and for your second, plate hole.  Clamp the two boards together and drill screw holes through both in the corners so you can screw them to the bottom of the leg – this allows you to place both pieces in the same relative position when drilling.  Drill out the stem hole first, followed by the plate hole.  The plate hole should be recessed enough to hide the plate, but still allow for caster rotation. Occasionally the forstner bit is not an exact match with the caster stem and plate. A few minutes with a Dremel tool or paper shimming are easy fixes.

Screw them on and reattach the legs. The whole process takes about 4 hours.

Hi All. In the Concert Hall at NIU we have both a NY D and Fazioli on the large brass casters. Over 22 years, the D broke a leg and the Fazioli 2, due to students moving the piano out onto a stage lift which then sagged. Who knew pianos can't jump an inch. 
The Steinway was first. At the time, it was on a dolly, but hit something with enough force and it translates very nicely to the leg.
We opted to change to Hamburg legend brass casters, but at the time Steinway had not yet changed to the new leg plate design, so fitting the new legs was not a real problem.
we did this partially because it was my understanding that the piano rocks less side to side when being played, so the pianist transfers power into bass and treble more effectively. This does seem to be the case, though we didn't really have a way to do an A/B test, since the old leg was already broken.

The CH stage is oak flooring laid over cement.

After the Fazioli suffered two breakages, I bought a used Grand Piano Transporter with help from Kathy Smith. No damage since. I did discover, belatedly, that the original design of the device was rated for a 9' piano and 1000 pounds. The Fazioli 278 is 9'2", and over 1200 pounds, so I had a local retired metal worker make a new piece connecting  the front and back pieces, changed the wheels to an inch taller (the Fazioli sits higher off the floor) and beefed up the unit with heavy bolts instead of the cotter pins it comes with. Also, you have to coach the student workers to Not leave the release valves open on the jacks or you'll have to learn how to replace the oil in the jacks. Still, it works, and no more broken legs. 

Kathy, thanks much for that clarification of my vague memory! It may have been something like 20 years ago that I attended your leg class.

Also, I was thinking that the existing legs could be cut shorter to accomidate large casters. In fact I think I remember Kathy Smith talking about this in a convention class long ago. 

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Concerning the question of whether or not a caster allows the piano to project more sound compared to a spider dollie, lots of people say it does. I don't think there is any actual objective evidence, though. It would be a great experiment to do, but a complex one. 

Since the new legs with big casters would almost surely require a modified mounting system, you would need to be able to do a before picture, swap legs including mounting modification, then an after picture, with no intervening other changes to the piano. To give objective results, there would need to be well-planned miking of the piano that could be duplicated for the after picture. And probably a cooperating pianist who could play the same music.

If someone could set that up, it would be a useful contribution to the trade, and a project worthy of consideration for a Foundation research grant.

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Concerning the question of whether or not a caster allows the piano to project more sound compared to a spider dollie, lots of people say it does. I don't think there is any actual objective evidence, though. It would be a great experiment to do, but a complex one. 

Since the new legs with big casters would almost surely require a modified mounting system, you would need to be able to do a before picture, swap legs including mounting modification, then an after picture, with no intervening other changes to the piano. To give objective results, there would need to be well-planned miking of the piano that could be duplicated for the after picture. And probably a cooperating pianist who could play the same music.

If someone could set that up, it would be a useful contribution to the trade, and a project worthy of consideration for a Foundation research grant.

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Fred,

I think the difference in tone is largely dependent on the type of floor.  The stage floor at ASU is a wood floor, set on joists above concrete, so it acts somewhat as a soundboard.  I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make on a concrete floor, or a wood directly on concrete floor.

An experiment would not be that difficult to set up, assuming you used a floor that would cooperate, or, better yet, use a few different floors.  If you were to observe/record a piano with casters fitted first, you could then remove the casters and set the piano on a dolly with the appropriate size shims (of the same wood species and grain orientation of which the legs are constructed) to restore the proper height.  Could be a fun thing to do at a convention, assuming you could find the necessary floor types.  Convention centers might be tough. Perhaps at a local university or conservatory...

Concerning the question of whether or not a caster allows the piano to project more sound compared to a spider dollie, lots of people say it does. I don't think there is any actual objective evidence, though. It would be a great experiment to do, but a complex one. 

Since the new legs with big casters would almost surely require a modified mounting system, you would need to be able to do a before picture, swap legs including mounting modification, then an after picture, with no intervening other changes to the piano. To give objective results, there would need to be well-planned miking of the piano that could be duplicated for the after picture. And probably a cooperating pianist who could play the same music.

If someone could set that up, it would be a useful contribution to the trade, and a project worthy of consideration for a Foundation research grant.

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?

Fred,

I think the difference in tone is largely dependent on the type of floor.  The stage floor at ASU is a wood floor, set on joists above concrete, so it acts somewhat as a soundboard.  I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make on a concrete floor, or a wood directly on concrete floor.

An experiment would not be that difficult to set up, assuming you used a floor that would cooperate, or, better yet, use a few different floors.  If you were to observe/record a piano with casters fitted first, you could then remove the casters and set the piano on a dolly with the appropriate size shims (of the same wood species and grain orientation of which the legs are constructed) to restore the proper height.  Could be a fun thing to do at a convention, assuming you could find the necessary floor types.  Convention centers might be tough. Perhaps at a local university or conservatory...

Concerning the question of whether or not a caster allows the piano to project more sound compared to a spider dollie, lots of people say it does. I don't think there is any actual objective evidence, though. It would be a great experiment to do, but a complex one. 

Since the new legs with big casters would almost surely require a modified mounting system, you would need to be able to do a before picture, swap legs including mounting modification, then an after picture, with no intervening other changes to the piano. To give objective results, there would need to be well-planned miking of the piano that could be duplicated for the after picture. And probably a cooperating pianist who could play the same music.

If someone could set that up, it would be a useful contribution to the trade, and a project worthy of consideration for a Foundation research grant.

What about sound? Is there anything to the idea that a piano actualy sounds better with big brass casters connecting it solidly to a stage?