Kawai tuning stability

[UNATUNER@aol.com]

I have tuned predominately Kawai pianos (as opposed to Yamaha) due to the
proximity of a Kawai dealer in my area.  I agree that there are false beat
problems in the upper 2 octaves and noticably more common in the larger
grands.   I tune 2 large Kawai grands on concert stages and both are
literally untunable in the top end.  I tune many more (especially smaller
grands), however, that do not have this problem.  I think that it is due to
softer maple bridges and rounded bridge pins.  The uprights generallyl are
OK.   My real dissapointment is with weak tuning pins....not being able to
feel the pin turn, but not loose enough to slip.  I do live in Chicago and of
course the Winter dryness always brings out the worse in a piano! I would
appreciate hearing if anyone else has encountered this problem and if any
remedies have been found.   In contrast, with the flood of Korean pianos that
I have tuned in the last 10 years, I have not had one that I can remember
with loose or "gooey" pins, in fact I hold them responsible for a couple of
broken hammer heads!

Jerry Wood