Dear Bill: I have a client who just purchased one of these imported used pianos, reportedly about 35 years old. I haven't examined it yet, but at a casual glance it looked OK. Should I recommend the installation of a complete Dampp-Chaser system? Or would it need only the dehumidifier elements so it doesn't get too damp? Or nothing at all? Here in southeast Pennsylvania the indoor humidity is typically 25% in the winter and up to 85% in the summer (somwhat less in air conditioned houses). Clyde Hollinger BillBrando@AOL.COM wrote: > > In response to the "A tropical environment???" comments... > > Your question: Do you mean like Florida or maybe New Orleans??? > > If we are talking about "outside", then yes. If we are talking about "inside" > where pianos are usually kept, then no. Energy costs are much more in Japan > than in the U.S. As a result, air conditioning in Japan is used much more > sparingly than in the typical U.S. home. > > Your question: Does this mean that pianos that have spent a considerable > amount of time in > Miami cannot be shipped to the North East U.S. with out nasty problems > developing??? > > No, it doesn't mean that. If a piano (or just about anything made out of wood) > is kept in a very moist environment for many years and then moved to a very > dry environment, the wood reacts significantly to the change. The effects on a > piano are usually negative. > > You said: If I own a Yamaha grand can I open my windows or must it remain in a > controlled environment. Better not do an out door concert!? > > You can open your windows if you own a Yamaha grand. Must it remain in a > controlled environment? No, but ANY piano does hold up better in a "controlled > environment." (Ask a piano technician.) > > You asked: The U.S. has many zones, so which one does Yamaha season for??? > > Yamaha seasons its North American pianos for dry to very dry conditions, > compared to the seasoning of pianos for Europe and Asia. Why? Because our > pianos hold up much better in the United States by seasoning them this way. We > know from experience. (It is amazing what you learn during the process of > making nearly 6 million pianos!) > > Your said: Calling Yamaha for more propaganda is a waste of time. > > It was this comment that got me to jump into this issue. Steve Pearson > responded honestly to Dave Severence's questions in an attempt to help, not to > spread "propaganda". > > Yamaha Piano Service staff members know what we know about the "seasoning for > destination" issue: > > When Yamaha pianos were first imported to the U.S. in the early 60s, they were > not seasoned as they are today. We repinned hundreds of these pianos. We > replaced nearly as many with cracked soundboards and bridges. Yamaha learned > about "seasoning for destination" the hard way. (We know this from the many > service files we keep on pianos sold in the United States.) > > The 20 - 40 year old Yamaha pianos being brought over from Japan today were > seasoned like the ones we brought in during the 60s. These pianos can develop > the same type of problems that our 60s pianos did. We know, because of the > number of calls we receive each week from unhappy customers that have > purchased a used Yamaha piano made for the Asian market. They call to report > that their piano now suffers from a cracked soundboard, loose tuning pins, > and/or cracked bridges. They expect Yamaha to "take care of the problem" with > their piano. We tell them how sorry we are about their piano and we explain to > them "what we know" about the issue. These customers tell us that they wish > they knew all of this before they purchased the used Yamaha piano. > > You said: Let a good independent tech be the judge. Then enjoy your piano. > > I agree, assuming that the technician stands ready to "take care of the > problems" when the piano he judges to be a great buy, develops major problems. > > About a month ago, I was talking to a customer that had purchased a used > Yamaha CF concert grand (made for the Asian market). The customer reported > that he purchased the piano a month before and in that short amount of time > the soundboard cracked in 5 different places. According to the customer, one > crack was nearly 4 feet long. I asked the customer why he purchased the piano. > He said that before he purchased the piano, he hired a piano technician to > evaluate the piano. The customer and the technician went together and looked > at the piano. The technician said it was "a good one" so the customer bought > it. > > After the soundboard starting cracking, the customer called the piano > technician and informed the technician of the soundboard cracks. The > technician told the customer that soundboard cracks were a major problem that > could not be repaired. The customer asked the technician what he should do and > the technician said, "Call Yamaha, they will take care of it," and gave the > customer our phone number... > > Propaganda? I don't think so. > > Having been a member of the Yamaha Piano Service staff for more than 18 years, > I can tell you that our function has always been to provide truthful > information to technicians, dealers and customers. > > I do agree with you on one point. "Calling Yamaha for more propaganda is a > waste of time." You have to look somewhere else if you are looking for > propaganda. > > Bill Brandom > Piano Service Manager > Yamaha Corporation of America > > At 12:51 PM 15/10/98 -0400, you wrote: > >A tropical environment??? > > > >Do you mean like Florida or maybe New Orleans???? > > > >Does this mean that pianos that have spent a considerable amount of time in > >Miami cannot be shipped to the North East U.S. with out nasty problems > >developing??? And just what are these nasty problems that would not occur > >in a seasoned for destination piano. If I own a Yamaha grand can I open my > >windows or must it remain in a controlled environment. Better not do an out > >door concert! > > > >The U.S.D.A. has a nice chart that specifies the equilibrium moisture > >content of wood for the many regions of the U.S. The U.S. has many zones, > >so which one does Yamaha season for??? > > > >By the way, Tokyo has a climate very similar to the North Eastern United > >States. Look it up! > > > >Calling Yamaha for more propaganda is a waste of time. > > > >Let a good independent tech be the judge. Then enjoy your piano. > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Steve Pearson <SPearson@yamaha.com> > >To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org> > >Date: Tuesday, October 13, 1998 4:26 PM > >Subject: Re: 2 pedal Yamaha > > > > > >>Dave and list...YAMAHA never imported ANY grand pianos with two pedals. So > >if it has two pedals, it IS a 'gray market' piano. How much that matters > >depends in part whether it can survive in our more controlled climate. Air > >conditioning and central heating are rare in the tropics, and can be > >problematic for these not-for-export pianos. Any piano which has lived many > >years in a tropical environment, will likely have some difficulty adapting > >to a significant change, and can result in some nasty problems. Yamaha does > >season for destination, and it does matter. Encourage your customer to call > >Yamaha for more thorough answers to this subject. > >>Steve Pearson > >>Yamaha > >>800/854-1569 > >>>>> david severance <severanc@mail.wsu.edu> 10/13 9:41 AM >>> > >> > >>List > >> > >>One of my customers has ask my opinion concerning the purchase of a 2 pedal > >>Yamaha G series grand that a dealer is offering her at a very attractive > >>price. I told her that I thought they were used pianos imported here by > >>individuals that were originally sold to the over > >>seas market. I haven't heard positive comments regarding these pianos but I > >>haven't personally seen any of them and would appreciate comments from > >other > >>techs who have. Thanks. > >> > >>Dave Severance > >>Dept. of Music and Theater Arts > >>Washington State University > >>Pullman, WA 99164 > >> > >> > >
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