Black Market Pianos now HC's

[Farrell]

By HC, I assume you meant MC = moisture content?

I agree with you completely Paul. Seems silly to me. My understanding is 
that Yamaha first experienced problems with some of their pianos when the 
first started exporting them to North America. The pianos were "seasoned" 
for the Japanese climate - which, as I understand it, is on the humid side 
and is completely/nearly devoid of any really dry climates. When these 
pianos starting living in places like Arizona and Minnesota (in the winter - 
next to the wood stove), some of them started imploding. So I think the 
manufacturing process was adjusted to have the pianos survive some of these 
more extreme climates.

Personally, I think climate control in one form or another should be 
paramount with pianos - this business of changing manufacturing MCs for a 
target climate seems a bit silly to me.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 

> Subject: Re: Black Market Pianos
>
> Does the Kawai thing include different MCs for wood during manufacturing?
>
> Terry Farrell
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> Both Yamaha and Kawai have a separate market for US pianos.  When a piano
>> destined for another market crosses over to a different one for a second
>> sale, it undercuts the market in that existing country.  I believe the
>> same
>> problems occur in Europe as well.
>>
>> The American branch of Yamaha has taken a particularly hard stand by not
>> being willing to supply parts and service to these instruments.
>>
>> jeannie
>>
>>
>> Jeannie Grassi, RPT
>
> I've never been able to understand how a manufacturer can adjust HC's for
> the variety of global climates, then, select an HC for North America when
> North America experiences almost all the climates on earth.  If you want 
> to
> find out just how that can be, come live in Minnesota for awhile, or 
> simply
> check the climatologically records.  My guess is the manufacturers select
> material HC's best suited for manufacturing, not global climates.
>
> Paul C