[75334.217@compuserve.com: Prep those Kawai pianos]

[Barbara Richmond]

    ================= Begin forwarded message =================

    From: 75334.217@compuserve.com ("Barbara E. Richmond")
    To: berich@heartland.bradley.edu (Barbara Richmond)
    Subject: Prep those Kawai pianos
    Date: 08 Mar 95 22:06:11 EST


    My Recipe for Prepping Kawai Pianos--a compilation of advice from a lot of
    respected technicians.  Hope you find it helpful.  Preheat oven to 350.

    Do all those things to prep a piano that you were taught--check regulation,
    pedals,
     polish capstans, etc. Here are the things I found especially important for
    Kawais:

    Tighten plate bolts/screws.  They are almost always loose.

    Tune.  I always tune the instrument first to get a feel for what it
    needs--unless,
    of course, the voicing is so horrible I can't bear to tune it.  (Proceed in the
    order
    which is logical for the job.)

    Seat strings.  The idea here is to seat the strings at all pressure points.
    *Lightly* tap
    strings (I use brass stock, slightly tapered and my combination hammer tool) at
    the
    following places:  before the agraffe, before and after the ridge (shoot, I
    can't remember
     what tha's called) in the plate that the strings go over before going under the
    capo bar.  Using a string hook, pull up on the speaking length of the core wire
    of the bass strings
    to seat at top of the agraffe.  Remove action from piano.  Using a bit of brass
    stock or
     what ever, push up on or massage the treble wire strings, again in the speaking
    length,
    to seat them at the agraffes or capo bar. (I used to  use my string hook here
    until some-
    one said I might be kinking the string.)  Next, tap lightly with brass stock and
    hammer in
     front of and after bridges.  Tap lightly in front of and after any pressure
    points be-
    tween the bridge and the hitch pins.  Tap strings at hitch pins.  This procedure
    helps
    almost any piano, but remember that the instrument must be at pitch before
    starting and always  use a light touch!

    Voice those hammers!  Use small (I think mine are 4 1/2 or 5") vise-grips (OK,
    you can
    groan here), jaws set to squeeze uniformly on all hammers.  Squeeze shoulders
    enough
    to make a small imprint.  This should produce a slight cupping of the hammer.
    Experience
     will teach you how much pressure to apply.  Using one big strong needle in a
    heavy
    voicing tool, drive needle in shoulders parallel to the hammer moulding at a
    depth and
     using enough strokes (3-6?) to help straighten out the cupping.  Don't destroy
    the
    hammer!--light sanding/shaping is allowed after needling.  Remember to suppot
    the
     hammers while needling.  Replace action and listen.  The sustain should be much

    improved.

    For the next step I use my little Yamaha upright voicing tool with three
    needles.  Insert needles parallel to the strike surface, running in the same
    direction and just under the
    string lines.  Replace action and listen.  This should take away some of that
    brittle
    attack.  Again, experience will teach how much and how deep.  There needs to be
    a
    small layer of "soft" at the strike point.  Voice the same way for the soft
    pedal.

    Listen for any twangs indicating that the hammers aren't square to the strings.
    Fix.

    This voicing method also greatly impoves the Kawai upright pianos. Lay the
    action
    down on  blocks supporting the action brackets.  (I use 2x4s with carpet on the
    wide
    side.)  Proceed.

    After voicing, re-tuning may be necessary!

    Here are a couple of other things I look for.  Especially when butterfly springs
    were
     new to Kawai, they were always set too tight  (I about hit myself in the face
    one time
    because the kick was so strong---just kidding.).

    Very often the balance rail holes are too tight.  Regulate them; it makes a
    *big*
     difference in sound, power and touch.

    That's all I can think of at the moment.  Hope you have good results.  Yes, I
    typed
    this out on Compuserve (editing is much easier here) and sent it to my Internet
    account.

    Barbara Richmond
    Illinois Wesleyan University
    Bloomington, Illinois
    berich@heartland.bradley.edu









I don't know what happened to the format of this message.
Hope you all can read it because I'm not typing it out
again.  Grin.  BR