Kawai=the new Lester?

[Richard Raskob]

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Before the list gets all worked up over the Kawai CX-5H please note it =
is a
model no longer available in the US.  The soundboard grain is vertical
because it has a laminated soundboard (none of the presently made Kawai
models have this feature).  The CX-5H has a full perimeter plate and
therefore doesn't require the support of the back post.  I will let =
Kawai
explain why they choose to produce this model but to their credit when =
they
realized their mistake they moved away from it.  Don't throw the baby =
out
with the bath water!
=20
Richard Raskob RPT

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On =
Behalf
Of Tvak@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 6:44 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Kawai=3Dthe new Lester?


List

Just tuned a Kawai vertical, a CX-5H.  I have always thought of Kawai as =
one
of the better brands of piano.  But the design elements of this piano =
make
me wonder if they continue to aspire to quality. =20

First of all, this piano had a soundboard with the grain orientation
vertical!  I had always read that the best orientation for soundboard =
grain
on a vertical was diagonal.  Cheap pianos had the grain horizontal =
because
it took less wood (lengthwise) to do it  this way.  I've never seen =
vertical
grain orientation before, but I'm guessing it's for the same reason, and =
it
ain't because it sounds better this way.  The tone of this piano?  Well, =
the
top two octaves were pretty weak.  Not much sustain, not much =
brightness.

There were also no wooden frame support beams in the back.  Completely =
open.
Again, from what I understand beams bracing the frame are there to help
tuning stability by stiffening the structure of the piano.  Perhaps, =
just a
coincidence, but this piano, which was one of three that I tuned in the =
same
building, was the only one that needed a pitch raise.  Following a =
tuning 6
months ago (by another tuner), this piano was 35 cents flat in the =
center,
and nearly 100 cents flat in octave 7.  The bass strings were generally =
15
to 25 cents flat.  The other two pianos were within 4 cents of A440.

I also noticed that the action had only two brackets attaching it to the
plate, one on each end.  There was a hole in the plate at the tenor =
break
where a third bracket could have been attached, but there was nothing on =
the
action there.  Perhaps this plate is shared by another model in the =
Kawai
line that does have a third bracket there.  Or maybe they  elminated the
bracket after designing the plate with the hole already there. =20

So maybe I'm misinformed about some of the above elements of pianos in
general.  If so, I'm sure someone will enlighten me.  And that's what =
this
list is all about.  But from my humble viewpoint, the Kawai CX-5H has =
quite
a few corners cut, resulting in a piano that makes me contemplate Kawais =
in
general. =20

Tom Sivak
Chicago PTG Associate=20


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