Boston Pianos

[Michael Magness]

On Nov 20, 2007 7:49 AM, Elwood Doss <edoss at utm.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm sure the carbon composite parts have gone through extensive R & D that
> will show they will last longer than traditional wood parts, but I wonder if
> in 50 years the carbon composite parts will crumble in the pianos and some
> poor piano technician will have to tell a piano owner that the piano will
> have to have all the CC action parts replaced.  Wood parts have proven their
> durability and I'm partial to them.  They may not be as stable as CC parts
> but they've proven their worth.  As far as I know the only major brand of
> vertical piano that truly uses all wood parts is the Baldwin Studio Upright.
> The Boston uses some aluminum in rails, etc.
>
> Joy!
>
> Elwood
>
>
>
>
> Rev. Elwood Doss, Jr., M.M.E; RPT
>
> Piano Technician/Technical Director
>
> Department of Music
>
> 145 Fine Arts Building
>
> The University of Tennessee at Martin
>
> Martin, TN  38238
>
> Office:  731/881-1852
>
> Fax: 731/881-7415
>
>
> From: Rob & Helen Goodale [mailto:rrg at unlv.nevada.edu]
> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 11:39 PM
> To: Pianotech List
> Subject: Re: Boston Pianos
>
>
>
>
>
> The Essex is no longer made in Korea, it entirely a Chinese product.  Boston
> is 100% built by Kawai but is not 100% Kawai's specifications.  For example,
> Kawai is now exclusively using the carbon composite actions which have shown
> to be far more stable.  The Bostons have traditional maple actions.  A while
> back I had the opportunity to ask one of the Kawai marketing executives why
> that was.  The explanation was simple.  Kawai sunk huge amounts of capital
> in research, development, and putting into production the fully carbon
> composite action, (Yamaha is using some of these type parts but mostly just
> flanges right now).  When an agreement was reached for Kawai to manufacture
> the Boston, a condition was they flatly refused to share their efforts in
> developing the new components with a competitor.  I also asked why they had
> agreed to build them at all for a competitor.  The bottom line was that it
> keeps the factory busy and boosts their production numbers.  Given the
> choice many are not particularly excited about it, but business is business.
>
>
>
>
>
> Rob Goodale, RPT
>
>
> Las Vegas, NV



I would have to disagree with Elwood about the composite parts and
their longevity as well as the use of the aluminum rails. The
composite is comosed of styran, a rubber based material that Kawai
owns the patent on and has, very successfully used for over 20 years
now. The second part of the composite is graphite which has been used
in many other products that require longevity and ridgity. I see no
catastrophic results down the road as we all have experienced from the
inferior plastics that were used in the infancy of that industry.
Since these current products have been tested by not only the R&D
Department of Kawai but indepently by MIT, I have every confidence of
their longevity.

Now regarding the extruded aluminum rails, I trust Elwood has never
had an action rail warp, twist or sag with age. I would further
question whether he has observed the relationship between wooden
flanges and a wooden rail when subjected to extremes of humidity and
dryness such as a Baldwin Studio Upright might experience in a school.
Having to constantly tighten the flanges in winter but not too tight
or they will crack in summer when they swell. Compare that to a piano
with a aluminum rail, where the manufacturer used spring washers to
alleviate loose flanges in dry conditions or a Kawai where with a
Styran or composite flange they are impervious to humidity changes.

I will stick with the aluminum rails thank you, I prefer other more
skilled piano work to tightening flange screws every winter.

Mike

-- 
You never learn anything by doing it right.
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com