capstan replacement on Bohemia 185

[Farrell]

"When he arrived home his Kawai didn't play like those (Steinways)..."

Counting his blessings?  (Why am I thinking of Steven Colbert's "The Word" segment.....)  ;-)

"(I was thinking surprise pal you didn't buy a Steinway)"

Counting his blessings again? But he did buy a Kawai. Where does the reverence for Steinway come from? My experience suggests that, without major surgery, the run-of-the-mill Kawai will play better than the run-of-the-mill Steinway. I find Kawai piano actions to be much more consistently set up properly.

"...he explained he'd had 3 techs in to make it play more like a Steinway and none had been able to."

Well, they obviously had not been trained and equipped to add six leads to each key and paint the icky green goo on all the action centers.

"When I arrived downweight was 62 grams after 2 & 1/2 days I had it at 52 in the bass and 50 through the rest of the keyboard."

This sounds like nothing more than the fact that the piano had never been properly prepped. 

Good show though, it's always fun and rewarding to bring that much pleasure into someone's piano playing (especially after dropping $25K - or whatever - on a new piano!). No doubt it was a rewarding experience for you.

Terry Farrell
  Hi Dave,
  About a year and a half ago I had a call from a city 80 miles north of me from a gentleman who had purchased a Kawai RX-5 18 months prior. During the intervening time he had made a business trip to New York and somehow talked his way into Steinway headquarters and was allowed to play some of the pianos kept there for visiting artists. When he arrived home his Kawai didn't play like those(I was thinking surprise pal you didn't buy a Steinway)he explained he'd had 3 techs in to make it play more like a Steinway and none had been able to. He then called Kawai who gave him MY name( grabbing at straws I'm certain, they'd never given it out before)and he wanted to know if I thought I could, he would pay my time and milage both ways. I agreed and blocked out 3 days a few weeks off. I then called several people for advice, I had some ideas but am not an expert on Steinway touch, just very familiar w/Kawai's. I managed to talk to Don Mannino who among other things, easing balance rail holes, using McLube on keypins, setting key height as close to spec as possible(Kawai machines their keybeds very carefully and key height can make a big difference) mentioned very specifically polishing the capstans. I took along my Dremel tool and cake of Jeweler's rouge and along with the other things polished those capstans very carefully. When I arrived downweight was 62 grams after 2 & 1/2 days I had it at 52 in the bass and 50 through the rest of the keyboard. The man was smiling, even when he wrote the check!  
  I am a firm believer in polishing capstans, always with a cotton buffer and jewelers rouge, it is a regular part of my regulation.

  Michael Magness
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