<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Dave, I = service a number of Shigerus and was fortunate enough to be allowed to sit in when = Master Piano Artisan Naomi Hamaguchi worked his magic on one of them.  I = was disappointed not to be able to watch MPA Otake when he arrived last = Spring, but later found out that he prefers working alone and would have been = uncomfortable with me there.  Kawai is trying to set up a technicians’ = training program just for this reason.  I’m not sure how far along it = is (I’m sure Don can respond to that).  We should be respective of these techs.  They are there to work on the pianos, not to train us. =  They all have different personalities, as do we, and it may not be = appropriate for us to intrude on their work.  It wouldn’t hurt for us to take = a step back and realize that there are cultural differences that may also be a = factor here. jeannie   <div> Jeannie Grassi, RPT Associate Editor, Piano Technicians Journal <a = href="mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net">mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net</a>= </div> -----Original = Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Piannaman@aol.com Sent: Sunday, November = 07, 2004 12:46 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Shigeru techs = sightings   Hello = list, and Mr. Mannino in particular, One of the stores I do some contract work for had a concert this past = Friday.  The store manager asked me to get a Kawai RX 6 ready for the = concert with the time I had allotted for store work. I spent about 4 hours + pitch raising, tuning, lubing knuckles, and = keypins, and doing a minor regulation.  I thought it played and sounded = purty danged good when I was done. Granted, nothing had probably been done to = it regarding regulation in the two years since it had been uncrated. So I called the store the next day to find out how things went and how = the piano performed.  Turns out, a 7 foot Shigeru had been brought in = for the event, and with it came one of the elusive Shigeru techs who spent some = hours on the piano, then spent a few more on the RX 6 I'd just worked on.  Hopefully, I did a decent job of roughing it in for him....:-) = So my point here is, I'd like to see one of these techs work, and find = out why they are so highly regarded.  Don, if at all possible, it would be = really nice to have a heads-up when something like this is going to happen, so = I can block out the time to come and garner a bit of knowledge and wisdom. =  It would be very valuable to me, as well as all of the customers of Kawai pianos--and there are many--that I service regularly. Thanks in advance, Dave Stahl </div> </body> </html>