Black Market Pianos now HC's

[Porritt, David]

Terry:

The story I've heard is that in the US central heat is ubiquitous where
in the rest of the world it is not.  Central heat dries the air in homes
more than space heaters regardless of the outside humidity so pianos
made for the US are made for a drier environment not drier climate.

dp 

David M. Porritt
dporritt at smu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Farrell
Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 8:30 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Black Market Pianos now HC's

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 


_______________________________________________
Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives