<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:ns0="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> I hope Young Chang does a better job with <st1:place w:st="on">Essex</st1:place> pianos than they do with Young Chang.  I’ve never met a Young Chang piano I like.  When a dealer has to dope the pinblock of a brand new Young Chang piano with CA glue, ya’ got problems!  I’ve seen that twice...at the same church.<o:p></o:p> Joy!<o:p></o:p> Elwood<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Elwood Doss</st1:PersonName>, Jr., M.M.E., RPT<o:p></o:p> Piano Technician/Technical Director<o:p></o:p> Department of Music<o:p></o:p> 145 Fine Arts Building<o:p></o:p> The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> at Martin<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Martin</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">TN</st1:State>  <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">38238</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><o:p></o:p> 731/881-1852<o:p></o:p> FAX: 731/881-7415<o:p></o:p> HOME: 731/587-5700<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: Kerry Cooper [mailto:brispiano@optushome.com.au] Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 10:08 PM To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>' Subject: FW: <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> Pianos<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Rod,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> When I did the factory tour of Young Chang in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Korea</st1:country-region> last June, I took photos of the <st1:place w:st="on">Essex</st1:place> grand in their factory. I have been told by the local Steinway dealer that the Essex is to be made in both china and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region> to keep the standard up. They are playing on factory off against the other. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Kerry Cooper ARPT<o:p></o:p> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Rob & Helen Goodale Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2007 3:39 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> Pianos<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> The Essex is no longer made in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>, it entirely a Chinese product.  <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> 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 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City>, 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.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Rob Goodale, RPT<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">NV</st1:State></st1:place><o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>