<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 lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thanks Paul.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Bruce<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Paul McCloud<br> <b>Sent:</b> September 11, 2008 9:35 AM<br> <b>To:</b> bruce@bgpianotech.com, Pianotech List<br> <b>Subject:</b> RE: "Seasoned For Destination"<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>I believe that this topic came up some time ago.  You could search the archives about it.  Our store has sold these "grey market" pianos for years, and I've not heard of any failures.  A few of these pianos had fairly loose pins, which is not unusual for 30+ year-old pianos.  Of course, the local climate here in San Diego isn't overly dry either.  Personally, I don't understand why Yamaha doesn't supply parts for these pianos, because sales of parts would increase.  We get around it anyway (just keep a handy serial number handy), so why not carry them?  They can't stop imports, so why not go along and sell the parts?  <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>As far as drying them out for Western climates AFTER they're built, I'm not an engineer but it doesn't make sense to me.  I guess that if there aren't failures in the factory, there won't be in the field.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>Paul McCloud<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>Service Technician for PianoSD.com<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'><a href="http://www.pianoservsd.com">www.pianoservsd.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'>Created with free BlueVoda software:<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'><a href="http://www.vodahost.com/partner/idevaffiliate.php?id=9223_1_3_9">http://www.vodahost.com/partner/idevaffiliate.php?id=9223_1_3_9</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:bruce@bgpianotech.com" title="bruce@bgpianotech.com">Bruce Gibson Piano Technician</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To: </span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="mailto:hpp@highpointpiano.com" title="hpp@highpointpiano.com">hpp@highpointpiano.com</a>;<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title="pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sent:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> 09/11/2008 8:19:39 AM <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Subject:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> RE: "Seasoned For Destination"<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"MS Sans Serif","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal>Thanks Garret.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>I read, recently, that the pianos (after they are built) destined for North America are placed in huge drying rooms and dried down to a low humidity content. Years ago I was under the impression ALL parts were dried down BEFORE the pianos were built. Regardless, surely the pianos destined for North America will absorb moisture (wood cells expand) on their trek across the ocean and then, when they get into our dry interiors, the wood cells will shrink again. Wouldn’t those cells shrink even beyond the lower humidity limit set by Yamaha in the factory if the piano(s) ends up in a place that is below Yamaha’s lowest limit?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:red'>My basic question is this: Will a piano built for the Japanese market be any worse off in North America. If so, why? If not, Why?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:red'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Bruce Gibson<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Saskatoon, Canada<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Garret Traylor [mailto:hpp@highpointpiano.com] <br> <b>Sent:</b> September 11, 2008 6:00 AM<br> <b>To:</b> bruce@bgpianotech.com; 'Pianotech List'<br> <b>Subject:</b> RE: "Seasoned For Destination"<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Bruce,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>This concept of “Seasoned for Destination” is marketing hooey designed to protect Yamaha USA from imports.  The marketing tactic smacks in the face of science, experience, and common sense. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Reference Hadley Cell <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadley_cell">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadley_cell</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Essentially, the earth has rings or bands of weather (polar, mid latitude and inter tropical).  Were instruments “seasoned for destination” to reflect actual global weather conditions then instruments would be labeled not by country but by desert, temperate, or tropic categories.  North America shares similar weather conditions as the rest of the globe.  Instruments could be made for a specific geography but the cost would bee to high for manufacturers, parts do all come from the same bin at factories.  In addition, I have taken tours of piano factories in Inchon, Hamamatsu, and Thomaston and have seen that humidity controls are far from strict as some might guess and parts are not segregated.  The action parts for Japan are the same as parts destined for other parts of the world.  <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Dampp-Chaser Climate Control Systems should be an essential consideration for pianos in environments that warrant control over high and/or low humidity.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'>Also, I have lived in Japan and the United States and have serviced a wide variety of American, Japanese and European instruments; the occasional “bad instrument” was not due to the quality of the instrument but do to the poor maintenance practices for that given instrument; we run into this every day.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>Kindest Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>Garret <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>---<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>Garret Traylor - President<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>High Point Piano & Music Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>88-PIANO (336) 887-4266<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Bruce Gibson Piano Technician<br> <b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:26 AM<br> <b>To:</b> Pianotech List<br> <b>Subject:</b> "Seasoned For Destination"<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Hello Everyone,<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Is there anyone out there that can explain the “seasoned for destination” process that Yamaha advertises. I’m really quite interested in “science” and not propaganda, so please back up your statements with some quality research that has been done.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Thanks a million.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Bruce Gibson<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Saskatoon, Canada<o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>