<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:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"> <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <a name="_MailEndCompose">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.<o:p></o:p></a> Joy!<o:p></o:p> Elwood<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Rev. Elwood Doss, 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 University of Tennessee at Martin<o:p></o:p> Martin, TN  38238<o:p></o:p> Office:  731/881-1852<o:p></o:p> </div> Fax: 731/881-7415<o:p></o:p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> From: Rob & Helen Goodale [mailto:rrg@unlv.nevada.edu] Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 11:39 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: Re: Boston Pianos<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> 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.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Rob Goodale, RPT<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Las Vegas, NV<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>