kawai tuning stability

[Ronald R Shiflet]

Greg,
	Every manufacturer has quirks in their pianos since they get
strapped down good prior to going in the crate.  Within a few months you
soon learn what quirks go with what brand.  I'm guessing about their
tuning stability but I suspect if you did a temp/humidity check, a cents
flat or sharp check and then found out how far those strings had to be
moved during the tuning, you'd have the answer.
	Because of packaging for the big move, Kawai doesn't come out of
the crate flawless.  Loose hammers click, balance holes are too tight,
the glide bolts are never right, and the hammers are always resting on
the rail and need raised.
	I have worked for 2 Kawai dealers in the past.  Tune it, give it
a 30 minute dealer prep and wipe off the movers fingerprints.  3 days
later tune it again.  1 week later tune it again and it should be a
wonderful piano with very predictable results.  About the 3rd tuning
they settle in nicely.

Ron

PS, As per Dennis's post about the 1 Kawai that would never hold, it
sounds like a cracked plate.


On Fri, 24 Jan 1997 00:03:19 -0500 Greg Newell <gnewell@en.com> writes:
>Hello everyone!
>     I wold like your input on a matter I find a bit confusing. I went
>to an area dealer tonight who just aquired the Kawai line and has
>recieved their first shipment. They have had a few of the instruments
>tuned and seem unhappy with some of the unisons having gone out within
>a
>few days. I did not do the tunings for them but they called me in to
>verify what they feel is the problem.
>      The dealers first move was to call Don Mannino direct (smart
>move)
>where it sounds as if they pinned him in to admitting that Kawai was
>having a problem (dealers words) with the string coils not being
>leveled
>during stringing. This seems to be their sole reason for believing
>that
>the pianos won't hold a tune. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but ... I
>haven't seen a manufacturer yet who didn't have some uneven coils on
>the
>tuning pins and they seem to hold just fine. Also I did tune these new
>Kawai's untill very recently when the previous dealer lost the line
>and
>this new dealer got it. I had very good and stable results with them.
>A
>Great instrument no? The tech brought in to floor tune these pianos is
>of high repute so ... what gives???? Any ideas out there? Is this a
>real
>problem or is someone just making waves?
>                                          Greg
>--
>