Flying with the Baby [22nd Jun 09]
Hey hey! Are you well? I [as you can imagine] am fairly chipper...
I spent a fine first hour last week Friday: unwrapping it; admiring the build quality; marvelling at its mass [it's a BIG baby!]; then the sound...
Yes, I am in love. The Saito VS220-DC is a fine work of art. It has solid construction; slightly more compact but heavier than the Beast. Wider keys at the bottom than the top, so it has a full-bodied voice in the low octave. But the nicest thing is that the it sounds not too dissimilar to the Beast, and can "scream" in the higher octaves [I know what I mean. Really].
If you were there you heard a rather rusty version of me [and an on-form Robert] do a despicably short set at the Flyover Show. Soweto has really got something good happening there; it was packed, and people were genuinely having a good time.
The new instrument nearly killed me to carry, but it was easier to put on a train AND in a taxi... but the case for the frame could do with wheels. But thanks to super audience members Brian and Sheila [hello!] I didn't put my shoulder out on the way home!
I've had a bit more time with the new arrival since, and getting used to some things that I've lost [just because of the physical differences: the VS220 does not yield as much as the old Premier] as well as the massive gain of a motor that doesn't electrocute me. But safe to say, I'm very much enjoying the learning process!