Road Test (Boston UP-118)

[drgrebe]

Dear List,
	You know how it is.  Here is the relatively new piano on the block and you
are trying to come to some conclusion whether it is your kind of piano.  I
think that this is my 5th Boston (all verticals) that I have tuned so far
with this 45" the first of its' size.
First of all,  this piano had been purchased this late spring or early
summer by one of our community colleges here in Florissant.  I was called
on a real quick basis because it would be used this Sunday for a shindig
there.  I am one of several tuners who tune for them so I am not called all
the time for every tuning.  Anyway, I told them I would fit them in this
afternoon.  The piano had to be moved from where it was to the entryway of
one of the campus buildings where I tuned it.  My guide brought me to it. 
One of their complaints were that they could not lock it so I volunteered
to install a fallboard lock while I was on the phone with them not knowing
that it had a fallboard lock already that didn't lock.  I was surprised
when I uncovered it from underneath its' cover that it had a lock that
didn't lock.
The piano was black on oak veneer, pretty ugly to me.  On removing the
music desk assembly I made note that it was made of particle board covered
with oak veneer.  I do not like particle board.  The piano was -31c below
pitch.  So up it came.  The touch was heavy, not from heavy action weights
but it felt like weights were added in the keys just to make it heavy.  One
butt flange screw was loose so it clicked in the high treble, tightened
it-click gone and one pin was not as tight as the pins around it in the
same area.  FAC numbers were 11.5,10.4,7.3.  The piano tuned fine but
afterwards in playing it just had no soul  The heavy keys did not give a
feeling of confidence but gave the impression that if you played it long
enough your arms will wear out.  The key bushings were neat and the action
looked like it was made in Japan.  On the back of the case was a little
placard, "Assembled in the USA".  I really could have done without that
My whole impression on this and the other 4 Bostons (all verticals) I have
tuned is similar to that of what happens when you hire someone to do work
for you and your name goes on it and not theirs'.  You simply don't have
control over your finished product even though it carries your name.  
The Kawai closest to it  would be the UST models and this compared to that
series, the Boston came in a poor second.  In comparison to the Yamaha P-22
it would be a poor third.  Looking at price it was the most expensive of
the three.
Bottom line, would I recommend it?  In a word,  no.  What would I do to
make it better; make the touch lighter and give the piano some soul and
lower the list price.
	Remember these are my personal opinions and experiences with this piano
and although I have my opinion on this one it may be different on other
pianos of this model.
                                                                     Life
goes on.

James Grebe
RPT from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com