Grey Market

[Anthony G Caught]

Hi Terry,

----- Original Message -----
From: Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: Grey Market


> Yes, I was, but let's be a little realistic here. (My comment here are
based
> on my recollection of geography education from.....well, a few years ago -
I
> couldn't find a geography textbook in my son's bookbag.) MOST of Japan is
> SIMILAR to Florida in that it is relatively humid for most of the year and
> does not experience extreme dry periods. Therefore, indoor relative
> humidities (RH) will tend to be high. And MOST of Europe is similar
climate
> to MOST of mainland USA (and hey, isn't there Disney in Paris?). There may
> not be a Florida, but MOST of the continent is warm and humid in the
summer
> and cold and variable humidity (dry to moist) in the winter (meaning high
> indoor humidities in summer and low humidities in winter).

The problem here is recollection.

Japan is in the temperate zone, Florida is in the tropical zone.

Japan is cold, Florida is hot. You said it yourself. "In Detroit, indoor
heat will take the RH from 70% outside to perhaps 20% inside (just giving
common numbers off the top of my head - but I think they are realistic)."
That also discribes Japan, not Florida
>
> Yes, MC would be better to talk about, but who goes up to wooden objects
and
> prods them with probes? Don't do it to my piano! But regarding the effect
of
> temp of humidity, it doesn't matter too terribly much for pianos because
> (excluding an outdoor performance in April in London, or in Death Valley
in
> February) we are MOST often dealing with a typically small range of room
> temperatures. The temperatures of the natural environments only come into
> play with their effect on the RH in the piano's indoor environment (and if
> you leave the piano outside, it won't be around long enough for anyone to
> yaak about anyway!).

Why everyone says temp is not an issue is beyond me. Dampp-Chaser uses temp
to control humidity.
>
> How this play out is like this: I grew up in Detroit - Roger Jolly lives
in
> Saskatoon. Both get cold in winter. Saskatoon is almost always LOW
humidity
> outside in winter. Detroit is low humidity for the 3 sunny days in winter
> and can be high (above 70% RH) on cloudy winter days. BUT when Roger or
> Derek turn the heat on in the house, the RH goes from 15% outside to 5%
> inside. In Detroit, indoor heat will take the RH from 70% outside to
perhaps
> 20% inside (just giving common numbers off the top of my head - but I
think
> they are realistic). So yes, climate varies here and there, but on the
> whole, MOST of mainland North America is humid inside homes in the summer
> and dry in the winter (on the whole, much like MOST of Europe).

This will depend on how close you are to the Oceans and of course Europe is
in the Temperate Zone approx 1/3 of USA is in the Tropic zone.  (I think. Am
going on memory too. At present I am in a motel on the Barkley Highway. No
books, no internet, no TV.  ARRRRRRRRRGGGHH. So I am answering you post.
>
> Given your concern about tying temperature in, even London is likely more
> like Detroit than Florida in the life of a piano - even though it is
always
> raining in England - because the heat goes on in homes in the winter. The
> outside RH in England is likely similar to that of Florida. But, because
> folks turn the heat on in the winter in England, but do not in Florida, it
> is likely drier for pianos in the winter in England than it is in Florida.
> But I'm sure not as dry as Saskatoon!
>
No England is an island (surrounded by water) high humidities, much like
that other island Japan. Detroit is I think inland, a lot less humidity.

> The bottom line is that before the 1970s, when Yamaha was selling most of
> its pianos in Japan, they seasoned the wood to perform well in a generally
> moist environment - the pianos did not commonly experience prolonged
periods
> of RHs less than perhaps 30% to 40%. Then pianos got imported in the `970s
> and went into homes in places like Phoenix, Denver, Saskatoon, and
> Minneapolis (and even NY, NY). Pianos get blasted with the 10% RH for a
few
> months. Pianos crack and fall apart. Yamaha then switches gears and dries
> the wood of pianos destined for these areas (read North America) a little
> more so that they won't crack and fall apart so easily. Maybe this is why
I
> see so many pressure ridges in Yamahas in Florida?
>
>From memory (cos I am 62 and have been in the trade for some 35 years)Yamaha
started selling pianos in Australia in the late 1950's early1960's.  At that
time thery were considered the best value for money piano on the market.
(Cheaper range) 1/3 the price of European pianos, 1/2 the price of Aust.
made pianos, 2/3 the price of American pianos.  They landed about the same
time as TV came to this country 1956. Helped to destroy our piano industry.
You should have heard the rumors going on then.

So OK the pianos from Japan all improved since then, not just Yamahas. I am
not disputing Yamaha's seasoning ? of timber, I agree it does do a better
job.

What I do not like is for any company to say that this piano is made for
your climatic conditions when they are not. By this I mean that if you sell
a Yamaha piano for use in Florida and you say to your customer "This piano
was made for these conditions" you are telling a fib.  And if thats wrong
then he guy selling he same piano in New York is telling a fib.  Non win
situation.

I will write an article on this later but before putting finger to keyboard
THINK.


> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

Regards

Tony Caught
Australia
caute@optusnet.com.au>