"Seasoned For Destination"

[CHARLES BECKER]

My experience with these "two pedal" pianos has not been positive.  Mostly low torque on the pins after just two winters here in New England.  Our climate shifts are extreme.  A Dampp-chaser is always a good idea,  but after the damage is done?   
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Garret Traylor 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 9:38 AM
  Subject: RE: "Seasoned For Destination"


  Patrick,

  I don't think you will find a failure rate any higher or lower with different brands under the same circumstances (quality, age, overall, condition, environment).  If the piano were moved to Tokyo to Sapporo Japan, we would find the same issues.  It's the weather (humidity and temperature) not the Market or Geography.  Go to Google Maps and zoom out to see the world and then research Hadley Cells in Wikipedia.  The answer: Dampp-Chaser curs a lot of ills.  Sorry your customer did not buy into the concept of saving their piano.  Of course a poor or misleading "Rebuild" is another issue too.

  Kindest Regards,

  Garret 

  ---

  From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of J Patrick Draine
  Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 8:18 AM
  To: Pianotech List
  Subject: Re: "Seasoned For Destination"

   

  Bruce,

  If indeed your environment is "very kind" you may not have much to worry about. 

  What do I see in Billerica, MA, about 25 miles inland? Soundboards that develop cracks during their first winter stateside. Very low pin torque.

  One customer bought a Yamaha C5 that was rebuilt by one of the import outfits, in TN or KY I think. Pin torque was monstrous in July just after he bought it; bridges and soundboard developed cracks as soon as the heat came on in the Fall, and pinblock torque took a sudden dive.

  These pianos were not outfitted with Dampp-Chaser systems, despite my warnings to the proud new owners.

  Are some of the grey market pianos OK? Yes, but the failure rate is unacceptably high.

  Patrick Draine

  On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 5:07 AM, Bruce Browning - The Piano Tuner <justpianos at our.net.au> wrote:

  David,
  With respect to the "grey market" pianos, people on this list keep saying
  "coming apart", or "falling apart". Where are the specifics, as in my 10 -
  12 years of servicing these in this country I have only seen minor
  problems which can easily be rectified, such as well worn key bushings,
  and the inevitable hammer butt loops (and aren't these problems common to
  locally supplied models as well?). Admittedly the environment I work in is
  very kind, but what should we be looking for? 
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