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sussexpianos

The K3 is a nice piano, a very nice bass. The K2 is very popular for its size, I also like the walnut satin.

sussexpianos

The uprights K15-E, K2 and K3 are manufactured in Indonesia. The K5, K6 and K8 are made in Japan. Most of Yamaha and all Kemble pianos are also made in Indonesia. Indonesia is becoming a large piano manufacturing area due to the high skills and relative low wages compared to Japan and Europe. The Ka...

sussexpianos

The laminate debate will go on for many years as the board designs improve. My only real concern is how long will the laminate last? will it de-laminate in time? And also how, if it did crack on an expensive piano, do you repair it as traditional methods will not work? At the end of the day, you mak...

sussexpianos

I am a bit confused. The stop bar replaces the celest rail? And how does the system recieve the info on key and speed? The big problem I can see is not many people will want to play with the insides of their piano. I can see that the price is right as a Pianodsic GT-2 system fitted is around £1200. ...

sussexpianos

Hi, Re the original question of K3 v U1. I'm a player, not a tech, but I compared the two when I was looking to buy a few years ago. I liked them both, the K3 has a mellow sound whereas the Yamahas are known for their bright sound. In my case, I wanted one with the silent action factory-fitted, and...

sussexpianos

I do like seeing the old warrantys and invoices of old pianos, they have the prices and also very common, how much a week they were paying. Interesting a lot of them needed the piano tuned every 3-4 months by the shop to keep the warranty. A lot of piano tuners needed in those days.

sussexpianos

The problem with situations like that is the tuner books the appointment but the staff do not have a clue that silence is required. It is up to the staff to arrange a time for the tuner when it is best for him not to get too much noise. I have been in many situations like this, if I go away and come...

sussexpianos

Yes ,the Yamaha GA1 does have a tuning issue but pianos need tuning on a regular basis and should not be a negative point. You will need it tuned once the piano has moved. If someone is selling a piano then they should get it tuned, like getting a car washed before selling it. That way the buyer can...

sussexpianos

http://www.axminster.co.uk/taunton-spray-finishing-made-simple-prod819172/ This will help. The black finish most people want is hard to acheive because the hard work is in the preparation. The wood has to be flat, grain filled, imperfections removed. If you have never stripped a piano or started a l...

sussexpianos

Mmm, yes, a bit misleading perhaps. There many grades of spruce used for soundboards, a, aa, aaa and also where it comes from, grains per inch etc. Laminated boards are better at climate change and more robust against cracking but will not give the richness of a solid quality board but will be bette...

sussexpianos

This is really a personal thing to buy. Me being a Yam and Kawai dealer, they both have merits in technical and market place. An interesting point is Kawai seem to be getting their pianos in to quite a few major Arts places like Trinity, the Purcell School and the Yehudi Menuhin School. Kawai don't ...

sussexpianos

Quick answer, try Kawai K2, RRP £18,190 but should be able to get it closer to your budget by asking nicely at you Local Kawai dealer. The dealer might also be able to offer 0% finance if required. The grands can be toned to your pref but they are normaly very good.

sussexpianos

Unless there has been a change in design ie The Weber D series, then there is no difference. I have a few pianos which have been on the shopfloor for a while because the customer wants a brand new one or a different colour. There are so many different makes, with different cases, finishes and sheen ...

sussexpianos

Bob is a little older than Dave, unless Dave has been burning the midnight oil and bleaching his hair white! Bob is retired but keeps his fingers in the pie so to speek. Only met him once, nice bloke with lots of info about old pianos which I didn't know.but I cannot tell his real name as its easy t...

sussexpianos

Im repairing lifting hammers on a B&R modern piano, sold by a local firm which had put a lot of nails in to make them hold. I have never found it easy to clamp and glue these hammers, they will soon come off again. I refused to tune it and carry out any minor repairs, only a full set, which they...

sussexpianos

I have always found it odd for a technician not to be able to tune. There are many repairs which need a tuner and technician at the same time. Say for instance, leveling strings? Or toning? or restringing?

sussexpianos

Ok, I have some experiance with schools and underfloor heating. The main thing is to see what floor it is, stone is the worst as it also stores it after the thing has switched off. Also if its on a themostat, and also if thats for the biluding or just that room. Is it on all the time? A dampchaser i...

sussexpianos

The KX15 was discontinued a long time ago( i stopped selling these 2 years ago!) but I guess they had some in stock to get rid off. The action is the abs type and it is OK. The next one up will be the K15-E RRP £3k new. Its a good buy.

sussexpianos

I left Newark in 96, I have to say I wished I was able to work in an established workshop when I left, there was alot of missing info which I had to learn. I have a few advice notes. Dont buy the reblits book, buy the set of Carl-Johan Forss, they are expensive but full of info. Gradualy buy your to...

sussexpianos

http://www.pianobuyer.com/index.html

This time its free to view instead of buying the book. Its worth a read to anyone.

sussexpianos

Pleyel pianos are very good pianos and can give some of the well know German makers a run for their money. The cases are usually very good but this one does look a little tired. Has all the work been done? Or is there still work to be done. You need to get a tech(someone who knows what they are talk...

sussexpianos

A warranty is only worth what it says in the small print. If a warranty is given, you should by law have the terms written and given to you so you know what's covered. A verbal is no good. They vary from dealer to dealer. U3 yamaha vary, some are good , some are not so good. You need to view the pia...

sussexpianos

For around £2k you are a bit limited but here are my recommendations. Steinmayer 108/110/118 = good pianos for the money once regulated well.They range £1900-£2300. Samick 042/043/112/115 =Good value for money with German strings & hammers.£2100-£2500 Good secondhand piano from your local dealer...

sussexpianos

In my humble opinion, the Kemble is a good piano and will serve you well. Followed by the Yamaha P121. I haven't tried the Weinbach (used to be Petrof but now built in China with some Petrof parts) but the name isn't well known so future sales value might be an issue.
Others to try Kawai K3 & K5.

sussexpianos

I prefer the U3x as it should have higher grade hammers (some have Mahogany heads making the touch lighter and more responsive). But as Colin says, try them as there are some good ones and bad ones out there. Factory reconditioned means they have brought the piano upto a certain standard (A- or A++ ...

sussexpianos

I cannot remember how many times I have come to a new upright piano with the hammers still resting on the jacks and the customer complaining about sticking keys! Not to mention the polystyrene packing on the hammer rest rail! That does amaze me as surly they would notice the halfblow(soft pedal) wou...

sussexpianos

Did think about the keybed not being original as that is the only reason why it wouldn't work. But if someone is going to the trouble of fitting a new bed and keys, they would make the una corda work? Well, I moved the action to the left, re-regulated the action and trimed a few keys and it now work...

sussexpianos

1930's Bosendorfer baby grand 5foot. I’m trying to get the una corda to work but I am perplexed by the problem that the keys are touching the dampers next to them so much so that I can not move the action at all! The keys are fine, no warping etc. the bodies look ok, there is no adjustment to the da...

sussexpianos

Ah well! Vernon, Renner can supply you the leather in reels as they do with bushing cloth. It makes it much easier with a bushmaster. Just the right width. These days I look at many supply houses, Germany and the USA. There are a few large companies in the US which have an impressive selection of to...

sussexpianos

I was told by a German piano man, who is now the technical expert at Renner that you should always replace leather with leather. The leather does last longer and if the key was designed for leather, it should have leather.

sussexpianos

Apparently it took ages to find the fault. Eventually pivot rocker centre pins were replaced with thicker pins. Noise on most keys went away as a result of this. It was a prominent metallic sounding click upon release of the keys. Initially Protec was used on the leather key bushings, and everythin...

sussexpianos

Well, its a question of taste and budget. The new (or nearly new) piano will give you better reliability, better tuning stability and better overall performance than an older grand but it does depend on what’s been reconditioned or replaced? The ultimate would be new wrest plank and soundboard, new ...

sussexpianos

You will be OK with Richard, he's not a tuner or technician but plays the piano nicely. The pianos are worked on by some good members of the PTA so the regulation will be good. I have bought of him and you should be happy. However I would always recommend viewing the piano before buying as each pian...

sussexpianos

I have been reading about Danemann pianos in Dr Alastair Laurence book "Five London Piano Makers". It was interesting to note that Danemann grands were very highly regarded and if it wasn't for their lack of artist support, unlike Steinway, a lot more of their grands would be on concert st...

sussexpianos

The U1 and U3 are good pianos, but I would also look at the P121. The other models are very good, but the U1 is around £7k to start with!

sussexpianos

I hate the old Pleyel actions with the check wire trhough the middle of the shank. The underneath damper system is a joy to work with, give it to someone else!

sussexpianos

I wasn't being unkind (honest) but wondering if London did that qualification? I kinda like the B3, better than some knakered U1's out there!! :sad: That all academic now as its looking like that the UK will have no colleges to teach tuning. Newark or what ever its called these days is having it's ...

sussexpianos

Ive been looking on Mark Goodwins website!!!! Well theres your first mistake in a search for a good piano Im affraid. KK what does a Ba hons got to do with pianos? is it a trade qualification that I havent heard about? I know of City & guilds, pta, imit, N&S dip. What did the London college...

sussexpianos

Ive been looking on Mark Goodwins website!!!! Well theres your first mistake in a search for a good piano Im affraid. KK what does a Ba hons got to do with pianos? is it a trade qualification that I havent heard about? I know of City & guilds, pta, imit, N&S dip. What did the London college...

sussexpianos

Best value for money or best quality? Best value would be a young 1990ish U3x and say you want A++ grade. Best quality will be a new one but you pay more. But remember that is just my opinion, maybe not others but Im sure they will add their comments

sussexpianos

There are many old U3's which are good, some which are worn and souless, and a few exceptional. You take your pick. The new ones are good, will always hold their value and you get a Yamaha warranty. I don't think the age range is correct as each piano is different. Try and buy local for the extra mo...

sussexpianos

The stringing felt is used to stop unwanted sound coming from the the string length between the bridge and hitch point, unless there is a duplex scaling if some piano owners are wondering, or the length is so short that it would be difficult to sound.If there could be be some sound due to sympathy s...

sussexpianos

The prices of imported yamaha pianos are increasing all the time as the x-change rate isn't great. The dealers(like me) are having trouble sourcing good Yamaha pianos at sensable prices. Some dealers are getting older and not in good condition pianos to keep costs down, so the prices remain keen but...

sussexpianos

thanks Chris, thought it might be something like that.

sussexpianos

Use a micro fibre cloth, you can get a polyester spray which is good at repelling dust. Use black T-cut to remove small scratches.

sussexpianos

Same as above

You have to be very thorough when applying the stuff, taking keys etc out. I would only do it if you have a small problem area, it too large then scrap it.

sussexpianos

Thanks Vernon, was thinking of replacing. Does Yamaha sell replacement tops?

sussexpianos

Hello all, Been to see a 1988 Yamaha C3 mahogany grand which is imaculate except for yellowing of the plastic keys. I have not seen plastic keys on a young piano with this amount of yellowing. Question is, can they be scraped and re-buffed or would the yellow be quite deep and thus replacment is nes...

sussexpianos

the blue angel wrote:it sounds alot nicer then the digitel pianos

Acoustic is always better providing the piano is not dilapidated and too old. Id rather a customer had a good digital than something which needs a match.

sussexpianos

funny you should say that, i once tuned a grand piano which had loads of coats of yacht varnish. Looked good from a distance, but i couldnt get the action out as all the panels were stuck as he painted it with all the panels still on! 2pk has to be done right first time which i hate, precat bartop i...

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