Pianos Under Water

[DaveAAAP@AOL.COM]

  I agree with Ed about Yamaha quality.  Just an interesting tidbit 
though.....
I used to be a tech where Ed works and the humidity where the pianos are 
stored and worked on there is always much drier than a normal dwelling.  It 
continuously measured between 30 - 35% R. H. 

Dave Streit
AAA Piano Service
Beaverton, OR



Ed Wrote:

I have dealt with two pianos that have been "under water".  Now I am a self 
proclaimed Yamaha fan and will tell you up front that I work for a Yamaha 
dealer.  (if i don't disclose this some get upset)

I would junk the pianos for the sake of the customer but would love to tell 
you of two pianos that we have in our rental fleet.

One Yamaha was under water or floating for 5 days before we got to it.  They 
had insurance and we replaced the piano.  We then bought the piano from the 
insurance company.  The piano was a GH1 in Polished Ebony.  The pinblock was 
not replaced: we restrung the piano and used one size up on the pins.  Going 
two seemed too much.  The hammers shanks and flanges were replaced.  The 
keytops needed replacing.  The amazing thing is that after the wips dried out 
we kept them ... thinking that we would replace in the future if we needed 
to.  I would have thought that the pinblock would have been shot.  I begged 
the owner to let us replace the block but he said if we are getting good 
torque readings and it looks good, leave it.  It was his money.  So we left 
it.  It has been 7 years now since the flood and it is the most stable rental 
we have.  We use it for weddings and outdoor concerts in the park.  Any time 
we think the piano will be in adverse conditions and we want the extra income 
that is the piano that is sent.  It is in remarkable condition.  By the way 
we never replaced the repetitions.  They have been fine except for a few jack 
tenders that have been reglued.

Two years later a pipe burst over a C3 customers piano.  6'1" Yamaha and the 
ivorite keytops curled up like you would not believe.  It was funny to look 
at.  We bought that one from the insurance company too.  We did all of the 
same as above and now have two floater pianos in our rental fleet and if you 
think that Yamaha is just another piano company come look for yourself.  I am 
a true believer... every other brand of ALL the major companies that were a 
part of the flood needed everything.  They were junked.  We honestly thought 
that the Yamahas looked good but would not be rebuildable.  To our surprise 
they are both fine pianos to this day.  Time will tell.  We won't sell the 
pianos due to "the unknown" in years to come.  But the "humid-a-seal" 
pinblock of Yamaha is not just a story.

Ed Tomlinson