<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 9"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C3FB7C.EC187C50">  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> Ou= r Indy chapter was fortunate enough to have a Japanese MPA do a technical at = the local Kawai dealer, The Piano Merchant. It was fascinating. He started out by = asking if anyone spoke Japanese or German who could translate for him, as his = English was very poor. Nobody did so he continued in very broken English. = Language barrier aside there was marvelous communication that evening as he = demonstrated voicing and regulating techniques. A couple of things that stuck with = me: he set letoff at 1 mm for plain wire and the diameter of the string for = wound wire. He did it by watching the hammer and never looking down at the = letoff dowel. Holding the tool in his hand he would feel the heel of the jack = with his finger and follow it up to determine the correct dowel. Then he’d = find the holes in the dowel to turn it by touch alone. He could go over every = note in a very short amount of time using this technique. He also set very little = drop from letoff- maybe one mm.<o:p></o:p> <!= [if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> An= other tip for when he was needling near the crown, he used a small flashlight = to shine the light across the crown. This made the very faint string marks = on the new hammers stand out as they would be in shadows. The actual contact = points he carefully avoided with his needles. <o:p></o:p> <!= [if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Th= anks for the clarification, Don. Sounds like the MPA is really a PhD in piano technology.<o:p></o:p> <!= [if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Dean<o:p></o:p><= /font> <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p></= p> Dean May             cell = 812.239.3359<o:p></o:p></= p> PianoRebuilders.com   = 812.235.5272<o:p></o:p></= p> Terre Haute IN  47802<o:p></o:p> <= span class=EmailStyle15><![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> -----Original Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]On = Behalf Of Donald Mannino Sent: Wednesday, February = 25, 2004 12:00 AM To: Pianotech Subject: Re: Master Piano = Artisan <![if = !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Jack, Master Piano Artisan is a title given by Kawai to the technicians who do = all of the final assembly, regulation, tuning and voicing of the Shigeru Kawai pianos.  The title is bestowed on the technicians after a very = extensive training and experience-building process.  These technicians are = trained in the Kawai schools, then work as an apprentice in the Kawai R&D laboratory building EX pianos.  They are given concert service = experience in Japan, then are sent to Europe for 2 years to work on all types of = pianos - not just Kawai or Shigeru Kawai pianos.  The are assigned to at = least one piano competition during this time to gain experience in a very = demanding situation.  Later they spend time in the US and Canada learning = about pianists' tastes here, and finally return to Japan to take a very = stringent final exam.  If they pass this exam, they then can build the = Shigeru Kawai pianos, and can begin to service them in the field. There are only about 20 of these technicians, so they could not possibly = provide all service to all of the Shigeru Kawai pianos sold!  They are sent = to each Shigeru Kawai owner's home once for a full day in-home service to = ensure that the piano is well regulated and voiced to the customer's = tastes.  >From there it is up to the local technician to keep the piano up. The MPAs are not the only people who should work on a Shigeru Kawai piano.  There is nothing special about these pianos which would = keep any technician from servicing them, although it is true that the MPAs, since = they are the ones making the pianos, are especially good at getting the = Shigeru Kawai pianos to play and sound their best. Kawai does have a training program in place for technicians to learn the special methods of the MPAs.  The program is still in it's infancy, though, so it is not possible for large numbers of technicians to = participate yet.  It is mainly open to Shigeru Kawai dealer technicians for = now. Don Mannino RPT Kawai America At 10:16 PM 2/23/2004, you wrote: <![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]> <![endif]><o:p></o:p> Hello What is a Master Piano Artisan? I have heard this in past postings and = want to know what qualifies one for using this term? Is there schools or tests = to become a MPA?  Just curious.   Jack Houweling Beautiful British Columbia    <o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>