<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Hi Jim,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Of course you are right, there is a vast difference in climatic = conditions in the various parts of Australia and of course one should never shift a = piano outside its current living environment but that's what people do.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Moisture content of timber (pine) in Alice Springs can be as low as = 5%, Sydney is about 15% and Darwin (where I live) is either 23% or 14% = (depending on what time of year. I could go on about this but when some one from = Sydney rings my and says I am coming to Darwin and I have been told that if I take my = piano it will wreck it, 'what should I do ?')</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My answer is always 'bring your piano, put it in the right = place in your house, (no draughts, outside walls, rocky floors etc and have = a Dampp-Chaser de-humidity system fitted upon arrival and the piano will = be fine.'</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So a few do and the rest ignore the advise.  Advise is great = when people ask for it and use it but otherwise it is all thought of as a = sales con and ignored.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>People can't and won't sell their 80yo piano because their are = moving to another place and then buy a new piano when they get there. It just = doesn't happen.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When I say 'let it acclimatize first I mean that leave it for a = month, look at it, tighten or loosen the action, raise or lower the key = capstains  etc etc depending on how the piano settles in to its new home.  Sure immediately put a Dampp-Chaser system in it immediately, every piano = should have one be it wet, dry or normal depending on the condition, also, where are = the people going next ?, how long are they going to be there, ? Analyse the situation and then give the right advise.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The question was " Has anyone any experience with a Yamaha baby = grand purchased in Australia, being moved to North America?      I have a customer who has = recently come<BR> from Australia, and brought his Yamaha baby grand. <U>I = was wondering if it is liable to have some of the problems, associated with = the used imports from Japan."<BR></U></DIV> <DIV>This was the question I answered.  What I and Yamaha Australia = refer to as tropicalised pianos are,  waterproof glues used = in bridges and other wood parts instead of white glue, hammer heads stapled instead of = not stapled.  Timber also is seasoned to a different degree.  The = grey piano is often made of cheaper materials. Timbers, glue, felt etc, it = may look the same but to maintain a set quality many thing are graded then used as the manufacturer sees fit. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sorry for the rave but all I did was answer a question and I guess = I assumed that John knows the rest of the story because living in Alaska = he would have had many people move there from other places already,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regards</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tony Caught ICPTG Australia<BR><A href="mailto:caute@optusnet.com.au">caute@optusnet.com.au</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: <<A = href="mailto:JIMRPT@AOL.COM">JIMRPT@AOL.COM</A>></DIV> <DIV>To: <<A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Tuesday, 6 June 2000 2:05</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: Re: Australian sold Yamaha</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>> <BR>> In a message dated 6/06/2000 12:09:06 AM, = Tony C. wrote:<BR>> <BR>> <<"All Yamaha grand's sold in Australia = are top of the range, made in Japan,<BR>> <BR>> tropicalised pianos.  = Most likely the same as those made / sold in America.">><BR>> = <BR>> Tony;<BR>>  I always thought there was a vast difference between = say Alice Springs and <BR>> Sydney? Isn't there?  Or does the four eucalyptus trees in Alice Springs make <BR>> it a "tropical = Paradise"? :-)<BR>> <BR>>   Whether a piano was "made" for a certain = climate or not  the climate which <BR>> it lives in for the first years of = its service is a determining factor in <BR>> where these thingees should = and should not go as 'used' thingees, and If they <BR>> go where they shouldn't..... what can be done to prevent problems.<BR>> <BR>>  Example: a piano which has spent the first 15 years in Alice = Springs is <BR>> gonna develop some problems when it is shipped to live in = Sydney...Or Miami <BR>> TO: Anchorage...or Los Angeles TO: Pheonix....... and = vise a versa on all <BR>> those locations.<BR>> <BR>>  When a = 'used' piano, be it grey market,or S&S, or Baldwin etc..... is = shipped<BR>>  to a vastly different climate, or life style, then it needs to be = treated <BR>> accordingly.  DC systems in those going from dry to wet and<BR>> 'Full' DC systems in those going from wet to dry. (or as I = am sure some will <BR>> say 'full' systems in both)<BR>> <BR>> =  With a little common sense from us tech types that should be no <BR>> = unsurmountable problems with these "grey market" thingees. Marketing types <BR>> notwithstanding. :-)<BR>> My view.<BR>> Jim Bryant (FL)<BR>> </BODY></HTML>