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PianoGuy

Produktiv - Genossenschaft :

My German is not that good, but I thought that phrase just meant 'Production Co-operative' ?

German experts please?

PG

PianoGuy

Look at my opening paragraph: IMHO, Kawai pianos are let down by their insistence of using ABS components throughout their actions. Technically and in performance, there is little difference to the immaculately machined wood in the typical Yamaha, save for a slight abruptness in the key travel of th...

PianoGuy

Great!

Don't forger to get that local tuner to check it out first!

Do drop by and tell everybody how you're getting on with it!

PG

PianoGuy

Sounds like you're getting good service *and* a good price! The Kemble to which you refer was probably a Studio model. It's very similar to the C110 but built in the UK. How it can be done for the price with UK labour costs I have no idea, although there are obvious compromises made. The veneer is o...

PianoGuy

Just because some wishes to use a nickname this is not an indication that hey have an hidden agenda What bring a smile to my face is Kawai?s ranting about how stable ABS jacks are, but it is still seated in wooden parts, having said that it is still a very good product and Pianoguy has said the sam...

PianoGuy

PianoGuy

ABS is tried, tested and proved NOT on trial, and evolving all the time. Its not Kawais fault if other piano manufacturers cant keep up. As a piano technition myself I can safely say that ABS carbon fibre is great thing for the piano. Yamaha is a multi billion dollar corporation with output and mar...

PianoGuy

are we time travelling again?

PianoGuy

Exactly!

Don't do it!!

PG

PianoGuy

Bill Kibby wrote:Although "PianoGuy" is technically right, it's a bit harsh.

Yeah! Sorry about that! Harshness is not really in my nature, but I can't resist it in these forums!

Give us a bit more of an idea of its appearance, and we'll be able to get you a better idea!

PianoGuy

Nobody seems to have mentioned that the tone on Kawai pianos is far superior to Yamaha, I say that as a piano tuner of 22 years standing and having had the opportunity to compare at many trade shows. I have been asked by Yamaha on several occasions to stock their pianos but have refused because of ...

PianoGuy

Have you looked at the first sticky on this forum? There's no telling some people! Assuming it's in working order I'll guess that it's worth somewhere between Diddley Squat and 1000 USD. If the lower serial number is correct it dates from 1897, if the higher is correct, it's 1915. What does it look ...

PianoGuy

Hi Pianoguy, I noticed your harsh criticism of the Simplex action fitted to thousands of baby grands and wondered what aspect of the piano is so crap. ..................... ........ After all if thousands of people hadn't bought pianos with this action there presumably wouldn't have been thousands ...

PianoGuy

Yes, the hammers are different from those fitted to the rest of the range. They are distinguishable by the lack of underfelting (usually of a different colour) The piano is made at the Chinese Pearl-River factory and is none the worse for that. Batch uniformity is better amongst C110 pianos than the...

PianoGuy

It could be one of the huge table sized squares produced in the US at that time. Steinway stopped producing squares in 1888, and that particular firm was a great promoter of the upright. 15 years earlier it was estimated that 90% of US piano production was squares. European makers had embraced the u...

PianoGuy

The residual value of an older piano will depend upon what make you choose and more importantly who restored it. As a rule, the only blue chip investments are German Steinways. US Steinways are less sought after because the Shermans don't want 'em back, even though if bought carefully they can be su...

PianoGuy

A C3 is the most sensible option, but the least romantic! I'm a great fan of this model and reckon that if you can't stretch to a Steinway, you should buy one. They're heating-resistant, very tweakable and can sound almost Steinway-like. As for polyestering of old pianos, it is often done to consoli...

PianoGuy

Too right about those wrestpins Barrie! I answered this query on another forum. It's good to see that we're both barking up the same tree! http://www.pianos.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1066 I agree about Poland. Good work in general, but you can't leave it in the state that it comes back. Huge amou...

PianoGuy

Well personally if I was given 10K to buy an upright I'd buy a U3 circa 5.5 million serial number (so it's pre that stupid and ugly fall) for about 4K and keep the change. Six grand in change buys you a few concert tickets, a lot of sheet music, a stack of CDs and a half decent sound system to play ...

PianoGuy

Late 19th and early 20th century G&Ks are *buggers* for cracking their frames. German metallurgy was appalling at that time. Take a look at the (vertical) break-bar in the iron frame which divides the register of strings in the treble, about 2/3rds along the iron frame. You'll probably need to r...

PianoGuy

I reckon you're looking at the wrong serial number, and I think you've lost an inch in your measurement. Welmar baby grands are usually (but not always!) 1930s confections, and heavily derived from the Blüthner 4'11" of the period. The tone quality does indeed betray the dimensions, and at best...

PianoGuy

How old is the Waldstein? If it dates from the mid '90s, then it's likely only to be of average quality. At that time the Pearl River factory was in its infancy, build quality was intended for the Chinese domestic market and not particularly good. Some of the early instruments to hit European shores...

PianoGuy

Hmmmm..... I'm not one to sanction DIY piano work, but I guess you could dismantle the action yourself, contact one of the piano parts people listed on this site, and get them to do difficult work. David Fry Piano Services or Fletcher and Newman could certainly recover the hammerheads and do the reb...

PianoGuy

I think Nippon Gakki just means 'Made in Japan', or that it's a Japanese company. "Nippon Gakki" is roughly translated as "Japan Musical Instruments (Company)" You will also see "Kawai Gakki" on the soundboard decal on Kawai pianos, translating as "Kawai Musical I...

PianoGuy

Kemmler is another of those German piano names now used by the Chinese. They don't claim they're from Osnabruck any more though!

PG

PianoGuy

The mfg. date of all Bentleys is written on the lowest key in pencil.

You will have to lift the key out, as it's written on the side of the key. If unsure, ask your tuner to remove it the next time he visits.

Regards

PG

PianoGuy

Nothing wrong with the Wendl & Lung if you buy 'em cheaply. I *think* the tsp is about 3k, but you can easily haggle down to 2.2K if you're careful. Build quality is good at that price, although there's a bit too much use of metal bracketry and thin wood panelling around the key-bed, and they lo...

PianoGuy

Barrie Heaton wrote:131971 would be more 1960 than 61 Did they make the U series then - You would be better taking to Yamaha Japan than US

Barrei,

The U1 has been around since the late 1920s......

PG

PianoGuy

Eavestaff Minis and Kemble Minxes of your vintage suffer from a general crapness of quality in the glue used to form the hammerheads. If a few of yours are held on with thread, then more will likely go the same way. A new set of hammerheads or a quality recovering job will be required. That'll swall...

PianoGuy

If you like the stark angular styling then the T121 is OK, but a new U1 is far better and will be easier to sell on. The P121 is a prettier piano and is of a similar design to the earlier U1, (without the natty but ugly soft-close fall) but sounds 'thinner' than a current U1. It is cheaper however b...

PianoGuy

My mistake!! Hope all's clear now!!

You're a resourceful and informed fellow, Mr. K!!

Warmest Regards

PG

PianoGuy

Broadly speaking: The U30Bl is a U3 with a full depth top and a practice pedal instead of a sostenuto. The U3X is a U3 sized piano with a different bracing structure to the back; ie an X-shaped bracing rather than simple posts. The UX is similar, but features uglier angled casework. The U10Bl is a U...

PianoGuy

I'm fascinated, does this mean you have original archive material, or is 4634 a code for the date and the number sold that year, like the later ones? No, the 4634 is probably just a factory number (Dale Forty had some of their pianos built elsewhere) In this case, the 86263 is the important number....

PianoGuy

A 19th Century Dale Forty can be dated from its paper label. Yours is 1883, and was the 263rd piano sold that year. 20th C. Dale Fortys can be dated from the number stamped on the inside of the top door preceded by either one or two stars. One star denotes new, two stars second hand. The first numbe...

PianoGuy

U1H pianos are Japanese. The H is merely the series.

PianoGuy

U1 is lovely, the U3 is better, but bigger. ..... And uglier. All of the V series has foul styling. Save your money by avoiding like the plague. Leave fancy casework to the likes of Schimmel who do a *really* nasty job of styling. The P121 is a British-built U1 with cheaper hammers and the earlier a...

PianoGuy

Old Digitals are dicey. Depreciation in the first year is dire, the notable exceptions being the portable types used for pro-use such as the Yamaha P60. Think of them as second hand computers. How much are they worth after 10 years' use? Digital 'Pianos' are computers with a piano keyboard. If you t...

PianoGuy

IMHO, Kawai pianos are let down by their insistence of using ABS components throughout their actions. Technically and in performance, there is little difference to the immaculately machined wood in the typical Yamaha, save for a slight abruptness in the key travel of the Kawai. Other things to consi...

PianoGuy

As a tuner, I find that I return home at about 7.30pm, have just enough time to listen to my voicemails and get around actually to replying to about a third of them!

Stick with the tuner you know and trust. A repeat message left on his/her answer-phone wouldn't hurt!

Best

PG

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Re: Kawai v. Yamaha

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