Kawai University Program

[Barbara Richmond]

Ron,

I'm curious about your comments about the Kawais at Lansing--
especially about the hammer softener.  I've used softener with
excellent results, though I've never tried it on Kawai
hammers.  Did someone use too much and the hammers fell apart?
Or did someone assume that if the hammers sound like cotton
balls that there's nothing that can be done?

I've never had a string breakage problem either.  Maybe none
of the pianos I service are old enough.  Or, perhaps all the
pianists in my area tread lightly.  Perhaps the strings don't
break because I prepped and constantly service the hammers.

Voicing is my *thing*.

I have dealt with the loose hammer head glue joint.  Once it
starts I just hit all those joints with Jet--a super glue type
thing--and that resets(?) the glue joint.  I started doing
that on the jacks of the Yamahs P-2s here at IWU.  Since
treating them, I haven't had to re-glue even one.  It used to
be a daily occurrence.

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