[CAUT] Yamaha sharps

[Michael Magness]

On Dec 15, 2007 10:17 AM, Chris Solliday <csolliday at rcn.com> wrote:

>  they make a nice begininng for the action models you've always wanted to
> build yourself. I mean in your spare time of course.
>
> Chris Solliday
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Michael Magness <IFixPianos at yahoo.com>
> *To:* ilvey at sbcglobal.net ; College and University Technicians<caut at ptg.org>
> *Sent:* Saturday, December 15, 2007 10:53 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [CAUT] Yamaha sharps
>
>
>
> On Dec 14, 2007 11:56 PM, David Ilvedson <ilvey at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> >  Been there...done that...like you I just couldn't bring myself to dump
> > them...
> >
> > I believe I gave that box of keys to Mr. Love for key plugs?....
> >
> > David Ilvedson, RPT
> > Pacifica, CA 94044
> >
> >  ------------------------------
> > Original message
> > From: "Michael Magness"
> > To: "College and University Technicians"
> > Received: 12/14/2007 5:26:32 PM
> >
> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Yamaha sharps
> >
> >
> >
> > On Dec 14, 2007 11:00 AM, Jeannie Grassi <jcgrassi at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > > Alan,
> > > This also happened with a Kawai grand.  I ended up buffing out the
> > > whites
> > > just fine, but Kawai opted at the time to replace the sharps.  Same
> > > Japanese
> > > key maker supplying both companies??
> > >
> > > Now I am taking care of a mid-80 C3 with unusually dirty keys and I
> > > think it
> > > might be the same thing.  Does anyone know the exact years that this
> > > problem
> > > existed?  Thanks
> > > jeannie
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> > > Alan
> > > Crane
> > > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 4:10 PM
> > > To: College and University Technicians
> > > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Yamaha sharps
> > >
> > > At 08:53 AM 12/13/2007, you wrote:
> > > >  Yesterday I had an unfortunate experience cleaning keytops. Yamaha
> > > >C-2 about 20 years old. ... a very thin clear finish on the sharps -
> > > >blistered so as to look somewhat
> > > >white.
> > >
> > > Fred,
> > >
> > > This is probably way off-the-wall but...
> > > In the mid-80s, about 20 years ago, I was working for the local
> > > Yamaha dealer (actually on staff there).
> > > Yamaha had just recently come out with their "Ivorite" keytops
> > > ________ wonderful feel to the plastic, supposedly a milk-based
> > > formulation (at least that was the hype at the time).
> > > But it wasn't too long before they began having problems with the
> > > Ivorite keytops getting dirty and being impossible to clean.
> > > It was a real problem for them and they even had technicians going
> > > around the country replacing entire key sets under warranty with the
> > > same problem cropping up again and again until... they discovered
> > > that the Ivorite wasn't getting any more dirty than normal plastic
> > > keytops do and it was cleaning up just fine.
> > > The stuff that wasn't coming off the keytops (that everyone had
> > > thought was dirt) was the stain from the black keys, a new
> > > formulation which evidently wasn't as stable as it was supposed to be
> > > and was being transferred to the Ivorite by the pianists fingers
> > > and/or the cleaning cloth.
> > > We were told that Yamaha immediately fixed the stain formulation and
> > > I never doubted it since the problem went away.
> > > However... I'm wondering if it isn't possible that, prior to finding
> > > the "right" stain formulation, the factory didn't start spraying on a
> > > clear-coat sealer in an effort to keep the problem stain on the
> > > sharps where it belonged.
> > > Now, this is all just daydreaming on my part and I have no evidence,
> > > anecdotal or otherwise, to support it.
> > > Its almost certainly not what you're dealing with... but... OTOH, the
> > > stain problem was very real while it lasted... and the time frame is
> > > about right...
> > > Just a thought.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Alan B. Crane,  RPT
> > > School of Music
> > > Wichita State University
> > > alan.crane at wichita.edu
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > Hi Jeannie,
> >
> > I have a C3 from early 1977 that just missed having those type of keys,
> > I have replaced them on a C3 from '86, a C5 from '84 and I'm about to ship a
> > set for a C7 from '87 so I would say from late '77 or early '78 through the
> > late '80's probably '89, when they began replacing the key sets which is
> > what they did when the pianos were still in warranty. I still have the old
> > keys from the "86 C3, they were barely 3 years old and Yamaha told me to
> > throw them away! Except for being gray not white they were in excellent
> > shape and I couldn't bring myself to do it. I repacked them in the box they
> > shipped the new ones in and I've had them ever since!
> >
> > Just call Yamaha with the serial number and they will tell you. If they
> > are in that group they'll send a shipping box and an address to ship them
> > to. Figure on about 2 or 2 and a half weeks downtime for the piano. The
> > person that recovers them doesn't remove any wood from the keys so there is
> > no adjustment to be made just removal, packing, shipping and replacement. At
> > least that's what they claim, I'm shipping after Christmas, I'll let you
> > know.  <grin>
> >
> > Mike
> > --
> > People who say it can't be done, should not interrupt those of us who
> > are doing it.
> > Michael Magness
> > Magness Piano Service
> > 608-786-4404
> > www.IFixPianos.com <http://www.ifixpianos.com/>
> > email mike at ifixpianos.com
> >
>
> I was holding out for that day when I needed to rebush a set and could use
> these as interim forgetting of course that I still would have no sharps!
> So I've decided to use them for riblets, nice spruce and in some cases I
> can leave the weights in for mass loading the sound board!
>
> Mike
> --
> People who say it can't be done, should not interrupt those of us who are
> doing it.
> Michael Magness
> Magness Piano Service
> 608-786-4404
> www.IFixPianos.com <http://www.ifixpianos.com/>
> email mike at ifixpianos.com
>
>
Spare time? What's that? Between tuning and the honey do list I have about
30 seconds to myself in a given week! <grin>

Mike
-- 
People who say it can't be done, should not interrupt those of us who are
doing it.
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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