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Openwood

Advice Please??? It's hard to add much to what Joseph's already said: It all depends what you are willing to spend, what space you have, and what you want the piano for. That's pretty much the bottom line. If you have enough cash to be thinking in terms of upright versus small grand you probably ha...

Openwood

Buy-up the opposition and then run them into the ground? That doesn't sound like the Japanese way at all.

Openwood

Paypal is fine - can you post/pm the website address here?

Openwood

Five thousand for a good secondhand 6-footer sounds good value to me. You need to get it inspected by a tuner though - it could be fab, but equally it could be shite. It's impossible to know without a professional inspection. It will probably cost you about the same as a tuning visit to get someone ...

Openwood

Joseph, were you about to release a CD a few months ago? If it's available now I'd love to buy a copy - details gratefully received!

Openwood

Down to your last two grand pianos, eh Jo? That's a recession for you

Openwood

For what its worth, I prefer Steinways to Yamahas any day You'll hear no argument on that from this corner, Joseph! I'm very happy with my Yam C3; in fact it has greatly exceeded my expectations. It was (and still is) the best piano I could afford. However, if and when I can afford a Steinway B or ...

Openwood

I played a couple; don't like 'em. Tuning very unstable, tubby bass, thin treble. What's the point?

Openwood

I had not read any of the previous posts as waspish and mincy.

'Mincy' is a new one on me - mincy as in Graham Norton? Surely not; I didn't use a single knob gag in my earlier posts.

Good idea to move this to a new thread, although one of my posts seems to have gone awol in the process.

Openwood

Perhaps they will next do a Kemble Bach, with marbled casework and really thin strings so you have to tune it each time you play. Or perhaps the Kemble Norman Foster; with the action on the outside. Or even the Kemble Bono; produces an incessant attention-seeking whine that gets on everyone's tits ...

Openwood

Of course an acoustic harpsichord is better than a digital one; I wasn't suggesting that they weren't. The point I'm making is that for basic continuo work a digital 'harpsichord' can provide an acceptable alternative to paying for transport, regulation, and tuning of the real thing. If you have suf...

Openwood

I got a tech over from the UK mainland to look at the zings; in the end he muted the middle duplex string on each note and the problem is FINALLY solved. It may not be the most elegant solution but it's fixed something that's been driving me up the wall since 2005 so I'm lovin' it.

Openwood

Question: Yamaha seem to have got into many musical instruments, but did they ever try doing harpsichords or organs? It's a limited market but I think there would be a demand for basic facilities at a reasonable price. Probably comes down to economy of scale. Even if a harpsichord sells 'well', I g...

Openwood

A most diverting avatar, Herr King; which one is you?

Openwood

Moi?

Ah, but of course!

Openwood

The Grauniad recently did an article on Ulrich Gerhartz which implied he was Top Dog in the piano technician world. Is that so? If so, who are best of the rest (top 5, for example)?

Openwood

Yes, it's down to personal taste! I'd put the C7 higher up the list than PG. Remember you have to 'play the building' as well as the piano. A C5 is great for a studio, but a C7 gives you that ballsy bass without being over-powering, and as a result it works brilliantly in a 'recital room' environmen...

Openwood

Has it had a string replaced which is still settling?

Not to my knowledge.

Openwood

How old is the piano and are the hammer heads fairly worn or grooved? The C7 isn't old - 2005, or thereabouts. Serial number 6771188. It was voiced in January and the zings appeared to have gone away, only to return a couple of weeks later. The piano as a whole sounds fantastic, which makes these i...

Openwood

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but the offending note on your Yamaha C7, B above mid C is the very first note on the capo bar section -So both ends of the duplex scale come into effect - the capo bar (front part) of the duplex creates a very noticeable harmonic not heard on notes lower down the sca...

Openwood

Mr Cameron is not really my uncle, its just a little joke. But he is coming to my wedding at the end of the month.

So the shop will be unattended? He'll never miss just one little 6ft Brodmann, MWAH HAH HAH HAH

Openwood

Just how many grand pianos do you need, Mr Openwood? :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano; :piano...

Openwood

I do like my piano so it would be best to keep it....

Hear, hear! That's the absolute Golden Rule in my book; The best piano in the world is the one you like the best.

Openwood

Two friends of mine have C1s and the treble is not nearly as bad as you describe, so I don't think it's an unavoidable 'Yamaha sound'. If your dealer doesn't do much preparation that might explain the unpleasant tone. I realise there is a tendency to see preparation as the 'Holy Grail' which can cur...

Openwood

My Uncle James at Edinburgh Piano Company has got loads of Brodmann's in his store all boxed. We also have heaps in the shop. They're obviously creating a serious storage problem; surely Uncle James wouldn't miss just one little 6ft grand, would he? Can I have one? Can I, Can I, Can I? Face it, he'...

Openwood

Yes, you need to ask a qualified piano tuner to take a look at it. It's a bit like a secondhand car; it could look great and actually be great, or it could look great but have all sorts of hidden problems, or it could look crap but actually be perfectly reliable, or could look crap and be - well - c...

Openwood

Why is Terry Venables trying to brainwash ourselves into thinking that Yamaha is the only piano maker? Terry have you ever heard of Steinway, Bluthner, Bechstein, Kawai etc etc?

Hey, let's keep it civil please, folks.

Openwood

a C3 around 22k

I realise that the rrp is never the actually selling price but I'm more pleased than ever that I got my C3 two years ago for 9.5K. I can't see that happening again anytime soon.

Openwood

Every one of them is like the last sausage off a string

Saucer of milk and a table for one, please waiter

Openwood

I now use a Coke can cut into strips

Teaching the world to string in perfect harmony

Openwood

Many pianists complain about this distinctly audible harmonic /tone change on those first 3 or 4 notes particularly when played hard Chris, many thanks for the detailed suggestions; I'm going to ask my tuner to work through them with me and we'll see what happens. It does sound very much like the s...

Openwood

Thanks for all the replies - sorry I haven't replied sooner, I'm at Gatwick right now having just flown back from a school trip. I'll read the replies carefully when I'm home and keep you posted on my progress!

Openwood

I thought Vernon would respond to your post, otherwise I was also going to suggest that you get in touch with him. I'm positive you'll find buying from a good dealer like him infinitely better in every respect than purchasing online. With some things internet shopping works; with pianos I don't beli...

Openwood

if you uses glass ones you will need a foot rest as they do raise the piano by about 20mm Oh no, I couldn't be doing with that. Thanks for the pointing that out, Barrie. I've gone for some wooden ones. I read somewhere that they're inclined to split but I know someone who's had some for years and t...

Openwood

Hmm, not sure I can be arsed to polish them. I like the idea of glass ones - might keep looking for a bit.

Openwood

No, not that sort. I need to get some castor cups for my C3 cos it's going on a laminate wooden floor. I don't know whether I should get the 40mm or 80mm ones. Please advise! Also, I was going to get brass ones - are they ok?

Thanks!

Openwood

Thanks for all your advice. I'm intrigued by the castor, oil certainly investigate. Geddit?

Openwood

have you checked the pins in the hinges are pushed right in? Particularly if they've got those little balls on the end

Thanks for the tip, Gill; I must admit I haven't got as far as the balls yet.

Openwood

Just to complete the story; Yamaha sold me the decal for a very few quid and it now looks fantastic on the treble side of the C7's case.

Openwood

play lots of all sorts would be my advice rather than deciding from the outset that it has to be one of two Yamaha models.

Yes, absolutely - very good point genaa!

Openwood

Just looking at the 'Pianos for sale by Shops' link (on the left of the screen) I noticed this used C3: http://www.uk-piano.org/pianos-for-sale-trade/detail.php?siteid=2866 Now, there may be all sorts of reasons not to get that particular piano, but you see what I mean. Having played several example...

Openwood

You could get a good secondhand C3 for 12k.

Openwood

our wealthy dealer friend in Chorleywood

Hee hee - you always mention his robust financial health, PG

You know, I think green rather suits you, dear boy

Openwood

I've just been listening to Gulda's recording of the Forty-Eight (eccentric but often beautiful - the playing not the pianist, you understand). I think it was recorded in his own studio; does anyone know what type of piano he had? It doesn't sound like a 9-footer - in fact it doesn't sound like he u...

Openwood

I was about to set fire to said piano, when I put the lid down. The buzz stopped. I put the lid up again and still no buzz....it hasn't come back (touch wood). My C3 at home does exactly the same on the same notes! I find that gently pushing the lid away from me a little makes it stop, or, if that ...

Openwood

you could go on the next one day polyester repair course

Sounds interesting: when, where, and how much? Does anyone do similar courses for making basic tonal adjustments (needling etc)?

Openwood

I've been babbling away in other threads about my C3 being put back together after a spell in storage. As well as getting the insides checked-out I'd also like to get a couple of scuff marks polished out on the music tray and the case. Annoyingly, they happened when it was delivered new and I was to...

Openwood

Reservior

See, the buzzing is driving me so mad I can't spell anymore either

Openwood

Can't you hire a charabanc and at least half a dozen of us forum experts could descend on you?

It could be like the 'Are you being served' movie when they all go on holiday! Or, if the discussion turns to preferred makes of piano, it could be more like Reservior Dogs

Openwood

an ultrasonic detector

Thanks pianomate - that's def worth a try. I'll ask our science department if they have one.

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