ga-1

[Mark Dierauf]

Not only do they sound awful - they won't stay even remotely in tune
through a weather change. I have one that I tune 3x a year here in NH
and I've seen that B2 move as much as 70 cents in three months. I put a
DC with a bottom cover in and now it only moves 35 cents in that time
period. What an improvement! 

- Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Nossaman [mailto:RNossaman@cox.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 6:41 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: ga-1


>Kevin,
>
>I was surprised and disappointed that they built the GH-1, also!
>
>Avery
>
>At 07:30 AM 2/4/04, you wrote:
>>Yes, the GA-1E is Yamaha's new little price-point piano.  This is the
one 
>>that has plain wire going all the way down to B2, which in a piano
that 
>>size gives you some real problems tuning. B2 and the next few notes
sound 
>>like rubber bands, and it's frankly hard to find a good place to put 
>>those notes. For that reason I usually recommend a Kawai grand if
they're 
>>looking for a piano that small. I'm surprised Yamaha designed and
built 
>>this piano, it's not like them.
>>Kevin.

After tuning a C1 for a dealer this morning, I looked over a GA1 in the 
showroom. Where the GH1B had a B-2 speaking length of 977mm at 21%
break, 
the GA1 has a B-2 speaking length of 915mm at 18% break - #20 wire on
both. 
The C1 has a B-2 speaking length of 965mm, and three wrapped bichords in

the low tenor. It sounds much better down there than either the GH1B, or

GA1, but still not that good.

Length measurements are approximate.

I have no idea why any company would want their name on a piano that
sounds 
as bad as either of those G series things. With the bass/tenor break at 
around F-3, both pianos would be much more tolerable.

Ron N