INFORMATION

Here are answers to some frequent questions about pianos. This section is updated on a regular basis in order to keep it current, given that the world of pianos is always changing. If your questions are not answered here, please either call or e-mail me and I will get back to you promptly. Included in this section is a detailed explanation of the properties of wood, it's behavior, and its relation to the current surge of "wet pianos" on the market; or "gray market pianos" as some call them.

Buying a piano
Properties of wood and it's relation to Wet pianos, gray market pianos
Care and maintenance
Cleaning
How to move a piano
Where to place your new piano
Regulation
How often should a piano be tuned?
Warranty
Information on the web
Additional piano questions

BUYING A PIANO

Buying a piano is an important occasion. It is highly recomended that you have a Registered Piano Technician look at the instrument you are considering before you purchase it; this applies to brand new pianos as well. It is a conflict of interest to get all your information about the quality of a certain brand of piano from the dealer itself. Only a Registered Piano Technician such as myself will be familiar with all different types and makes of pianos, and will give you a straight up honest opinion of the instrument in question. I am the technician who sees on average 20 pianos every week and has to repair, regulate, and tune them. Because of my experience in the field, I have become aquainted with countless models, makes, and their relative attributes.

The need to pre-inspect new and used pianos is ever higher these days with the recent trend of "wet piano" sales, especially with Yamaha U1's and U3's. If you are in the market for a good used piano, you MUST read the information on in this section on "wet pianos"/"gray market" pianos, since it has become such a surging trend over the last 10 years. I have done my best to explain clearly - and in regular english - the behaviors of wood and how it relates to the topic of wet pianos.

Your new piano will be the most valuable and cherished possession in your home, please take the time to have us advise you on your purchase. Strike Point will make sure that you choose the right piano for your musical and esthetic needs.

For more information on buying a used piano, check this site out: The Piano Technicians Guild.

PROPERTIES OF WOOD AND ITS RELAVANCE TO WET AND GRAY MARKET PIANO SALES

Understanding what a wet piano is these days is essential information for the potential buyer. In order to fully understand what a wet piano or a gray market piano is, we must first understand a few concepts about wood.

Wood as a material and its properties.

Wood, being a material that was once very much alive, and quite full of water, never loses its ability to absorb moisture from its surroundings. When it does absorb water, it expands and when it dries again, it contracts.

Temperature has an effect on wood, but has more effect on moisture. Extreme heat will cause the moisture to evaporate and thus the wood will shrink rapidly. Extreme cold causes moisture to expand and in turn causes the wood to expand as well.

Find this hard to believe? Consider this, The ancient Egyptians used this discovery to their advantage. One method used to mine great stones to build the pyramids was to put dry wood wedges into cracks in the stone and pour water on them. As the wood expanded it would continue to crack the stone and eventually separate it. Studies have found that in some wood, this water expansion can develop as much as 4000 pounds per square inch of pressure. To give you an idea of how much pressure that is, think of it like this: put your left index finger under a 3/4" board 12"X12"; now with your other hand, stack 192 midsize cars end to end on that board. Imagine the pain.

Now that we understand that wood is constantly expanding and contracting, we must understand the reason why it cracks sometimes. Since most people have no clue what a piano soundboard looks like, or how it is constructed, I am going to use an analogy. Although a hardwood floor in your house really seems nothing like a piano soundboard, the two share a few of the problems and challenges met by things constructed with wood. The most important similarity is that they are both held firmly around the perimeter of their structures. A piano soundboard is held in place by a solid structure that moves little in comparison with the wood of the actual soundboard. A hardwood floor is held in place by nails, and by the edges of the walls, providing very little opportunity for expansion or contraction.

Why do wood floors separate and crack, and what does this have to do with a piano?

behavior of wood makes it challenging to work with; however, if treated correctly it poses no problem. This is the difference between a wet piano and a proper North American piano; a North American piano is constructed in a way that poses no risk for separating or delaminating parts, whereas the wet piano is almost certainly going to have serious problems.

What do we do to minimize the movement of the wood in things such as wood floors and musical instruments during the construction phase?

Having a high or low content in humidity of the wood during the construction phase of the piano is not going to make the piano better or worse, what makes the difference is where that piano ends up. Wood that is used to make pianos is dried in a kiln to a specific humidity rating before being assembled. Before any significant wooden product such as a piano or piece of a hardwood floor is assembled, it goes through the kiln drying process. This dries down the wood to a specific % humidity rating which deems it acceptable to use in certain climates. Some areas of the world are known for their humidity and small fluctuation through the seasons, which is why we poor Canadians like to go there for vacations. Other areas of the world have extreme fluctuations in humidity and temperature, such as good old Canada. Think about the % humidity that you would want in the wood for a piano destined for Canada. If you put a piano together in China, and it has a humidity rating of 40%, and then you ship it to Canada and put it into a home where the humidity content in the air is 15%; there are going to be some serious problems. Likewise, you don't want to be drying the wood down to 10% humidity and then shipping it to a place like China where the thing is just going to swell up beyond reasonable proportions and damage itself. The fact is that when a piano is being manufactured, it is designed to go to a specific area in the world. U1's or U3's are either destined to be shipped to North America, or stay in Asia, depending on how long the wood used to construct the piano has been kiln dried. Pianos that have less moisture content come to North America, and pianos that have more moisture content stay in Asia, which is why the pianos that stay in Asia are called "wet pianos", since they have more moisture in them.

So how do these pianos get to North America?

The culture overseas is very different to ours. People over there value their pianos greatly and take very good care of their possessions, generally speaking. Many pianos are replaced with new ones every 25 to thirty years. What happens to these wonderfully kept 25-35 year old instruments? Sometimes they get bought by sneaky businessmen in North America by the container load. Most people in the industry can get these pianos shipped to North America for as little as $1,500 to $2,000 per unit, depending on the condition of the instrument. The price they pay is based on a rating system, and it goes by "A", "B", and "C" pianos. The instruments in the A class will be most expensive for the dealer, however these instruments look brand new and can be sold easily. On these "A" pianos, the finish is nice and shiny, and the keys are nice and bright, making the pianos look very good from the outside. What happens is that the dealer will pass this instrument off as a "good used U1", which normally has a value of about $5,000 - $6,000. The reality of the situation is this. Check the pin block of that piano and you will normally find that it has very loose pins because the wood around the pins has contracted so much, which means that your piano is not going to stay in tune. The soundboards and bridges all have serious cracks in them which make the tuning unstable and can sometimes lead to certain sections of the piano going completely dead (this happened to a client of mine). The glue joints holding the action parts together are now starting to dry out, making clicking noises in the action, and sometime they come apart completely, making the action unreliable and expensive to repair. The frame of the piano can also separate, or delaminate, and at that point your piano is literally falling apart. Since the piano is now in a foreign climate that it is not designed for, it is only a matter of time before you start to see real problems developing. I have personally seen a lot of weird things happen to these pianos that render them almost unusable.

Why do dealers sell wet pianos?

The fact of the matter is that it all comes down to making a living. Sketchy individuals sometime visit towns and announce that they are having a "huge piano sale". We have a guy who comes up from an undisclosed location to Ottawa and does this every year. He sells wet Yamaha U1's and U3's to unsuspecting customers, which saturates the market for the dealers who are selling legitimate high quality U1's that will last a lifetime. The problem occurs because the customer looks at a brand new U1 with a price tag of $11,000, and then looks at another U1 that looks exactly the same from the outside for the low price of $4,500. That's a no-brainer for an uninformed customer who has no idea what they are getting themselves into, all they see is a wacky fantastic deal, and that's the persona these sales take on. See for yourself, have a look at the action of a wet piano that is 30 years old, and then have a look at an action of a North America U1 that is 30 years old, you will see the difference immediately, they are different colors. The wood used to make the action of the wet U1 turns an ugly brownish color over time, whereas the wood inside a North American U1 stays nice and fresh and white looking, due again to the moisture content in the wood. You can also check the serial number of the piano, which is located on the inside rail of the action. If you have the serial number of the piano, you can contact Yamaha and ask for yourself if the piano was manufactured for North America or China. Yamaha is a company that takes great pride in their instruments, they are known in the piano community for a reason; they make fantastic durable instruments. Yamaha is not happy with this current trend of having these problem instruments in North America. It is causing them to deal with many complaints and tainting the name of the U1's and U3's, which are normally instruments that last a lifetime with proper care.

And so if you have a budget of $5,000 - $6,000 to spend on a used piano, and are looking for a good Yamaha, make sure you purchase the North American U1 rather than a sketchy wet piano, or you may be getting yourself into a bad situation. I have personally seen some very strange things happen to these instruments; I would not want any of my own clients to have to go through the same nightmares.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

A piano that is properly maintained can yield decades of musical service! It is neglect, and not use, that causes damage to a piano. Good pianos can take extremely hard blows for extended periods of time, and are designed to withstand the most aggressive concert pianists. This kind of musical attention will not harm the instrument. Ironically, the most serious form of piano abuse is called neglect.

Besides the cast iron plate, the main structural and mechanical parts of the piano are made of wood. Wood swells up in high humidity (summer) and contracts in dryness (winter) quite dramatically. If the paino is not serviced regularly, this swelling and contracting motion in the wood can have serious effects, especially cosidering that a piano has anywhere from 10-15 tons of tension on it. Although it is hard in climates such as the one we have in Canada, piano owners must do their best to maintain a piano-friendly environment. This consists of a constant temperature and humidity level. There is a good product on the market that maintains the climate around the piano in places where the humidity and temperature are in constant flux. This unit is called the Dampp-Chaser and works by keeping humidity in constant circulation around the inside of your piano using heating rods and water pads. Strike Point can install a Dampp-Chaser in your piano if it is needed.

Proper maintenance - twice per year - will ensure that your piano is playing properly, up to pitch, and stable. Flexing movements caused by drastic changes in humidity coupled with dryness can cause serious structural damage to the soundboard and bridges. Delaminating bridges, cave in, rib separation, and cracks are just a few of the problems that can develop from these factors. As much as 500 lbs of tension may be lost or gained from one season to the next. Regular tuning visits keep these fluctuations to a minimum, and more importantly, keep your piano in tune. Regular maintenance will help the owner avoid costly repairs in the future. Having a humidifier in the room also is a good idea. Placing your piano over an active heat vent in your house is as good as throwing your piano in the garbage.

CLEANING

The piano is the most cherished piece of furniture in your house, and one wants to make sure that you keep the esthetic side of your instrument in just as good shape as the mechanical side. Never use household products such as wax furniture polish, or household cleaners to clean the cabinet or keys on a piano. After a while, polish will turn a lacquer finish into a sticky substance that attracts sweat, dirt, and grime. One may have noticed this effect on some institutionalized pianos; it looks as if someone has smeared a thin layer of dirty bubble gum over the entire bench. Also, household cleaners will eventually discolor key tops, especially ivory. Strike Point recommends that you use only products that are specifically meant to be used on pianos, such as "Cory" products. I use a cleaner called "Final Inspection" to polish my pianos.

The inside of a piano should be cleaned as well. After years of use, a large amount of dust and grime can collect inside the piano. This could potentially cause malfunctioning parts, it is generally better for the inside of the piano to be relatively clean. Cleaning of the inside of the piano, or retrieval of pencils or coins that fall inside the action must only be done by a us. Clients that attempt to take the piano apart themselves risk snaping off delicate parts of the action.

HOW TO MOVE A PIANO

The three legs of a grand piano are very strong lengthwise, however they can easily collapse if incorrect pressure is applied to them. If a piano leg is being pushed sideways, it can easily break under the enormous weight of the instrument. Sideways pressure on a leg can result from somebody trying to move the grand by simply pushing it on its wheels in the desired direction; this is especially dangerous on surfaces that form dents in them, such as carpet. The piano leg can get caught in the dent, stuck on a pencil, or jammed on a piece of debris which will apply unusual sideways pressure to the leg. I have seen a grand piano collapse in this manner before and take my word for it, you don't want this to happen and it is obviously very dangerous. Although uprights are generally more stable for moving, since their rear wheels are attached to the frame of the piano, they are still not exempt from this danger. Many uprights have very delicate front legs that are not braced to the cabinet. These legs can easily snap off when under unusual pressure. Like a grand, never simply push an upright to move it. Also, extensive stress to the key bed while moving an upright can potentially throw the regulation completely off.

The proper way to move a grand piano is with two people. Downward pressure is minimized by having two people lift the piano enough that it can easily move across the floor without a dangerous amount of side pressure being exerted to the legs. An upright is moved in a similar fashion. Take the pressure off the weaker front legs by slightly tipping the upright backward; you are not actually tipping the piano off the front legs, but more just taking the excess weight off. Like moving the grand, this should also be done with two people, one at each side of the instrument. When the weight is off the front legs, the piano can be moved in any desired direction safely. Never push or pull an upright from the front or back, it may get caught in a rut and tip over on you.

Strike Point sells and installs various piano trucks for grand pianos, which allow a single person to push or pull a piano wherever he/she pleases in a safe and easy manner, without the risk of breaking legs. These piano trucks are ideal for institutions and homes where the grand is continually being moved around

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR NEW PIANO

Pianos can last a very long time; however, they can also fall apart very quickly if placed in the wrong place. A piano should be kept clear of devices that cause excessive dryness. Heat vents and fireplaces are two examples of devices that will ruin your piano in a very short amount of time. Having your piano in front of a fireplace can cause it to literally fall apart. Glue joints in a piano are very strong, but because the piano is subjected to such extreme forces, any weak areas caused by excessive dryness can start a chain reaction in the separation and splitting of wood. As well as excessive dryness, placing your piano in an area where there is extreme temperature fluctuations is bad also. Instability can cause serious damage to the structure of the instrument; not to mention the piano will go out of tune frequently.

REGULATION

A piano should always be properly regulated. Once a piano is regulated properly, small adjustments made on each tuning appointment can keep it in good shape. A poorly regulated piano can cause RS injuries that can cripple a serious artist for life. Also, artists that are new to the piano will be easily frustrated on an instrument that does not perform properly, and may decide to quit as a result. This happens a lot with small children who play pianos that have not been regulated sufficiently. They will become frustrated with certain notes that don't play properly and think that it is their own fault for not playing the part properly when it is actually the piano action itself that is at fault.

Piano players should always play on a finely regulated instrument. There is nothing more pleasing than playing a finely adjusted piano that is tuned nicely.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD A PIANO BE TUNED?

This is a subjective question to an extent. A piano should be tuned a minimum of twice per year in order to keep it in top shape, even if it is not being played. This will keep an even amount of tension on the structure and greatly extend the life of your piano, not to mention it will also be more enjoyable to play if it is in tune.

WARRANTY

All Strike Point pianos are backed by a 5-year warranty. Warranty covers major structural parts of the instrument like pin-block, soundboard, cabinet, plate, bridges, and any other abnormal problems with the instrument. All things to do with regular maintenance - like regulation and tuning are neither guaranteed nor included in this warranty. After a sale has been finalized, it is up to the owner of the piano to make sure the instruments is properly taken care of. Warranty becomes void if any technician other than a Registered Piano Technician has done regular service to the instrument.

INFORMATION ON THE WEB

Here are a list of websites in case you want more information.

www.dampp-chaser.com
Prolongs the life of your piano.

www.pitchlock.com
Helps your piano stay in tune.

www.bosendorfer.com
Beautiful German instruments with incredible finishes.

www.bluthnerpiano.com
German pianos made with unique Victorian designs.

www.schimmel-piano.de/e/home.html
The first company to manufacture the acrylic grand, a la Alicia Keys. To those that are unaware of this piano? Well, basically you can see right through it! Schimmel makes incredible pianos at an affordable price.

www.fazioli.com
This guy uses wood from Stradivarius' forest to make his piano soundboards, one of the finest pianos in the world.

www.bluebookofpianos.com
A good site for information about pianos. If you have the serial number of your piano you can find out how old it is, and perhaps do some research on a piano that you are thinking about buying.

www.ptg.org
The official website of The Piano Technicians guild. Some very good resources on this site, and good promotion for the P.T.G.

www.kawaius.com
I love this company because they are the leading innovators. Its an absolute pleasure to work on these pianos and they have a very clean sound. Kawai makes the fastest and most responsive action in the world (ABS), the Millennium III action; I love this thing!!

www.airfast.ca
Distributors of everything to do with finishing and finishing equipment. I get all of my finishing stuff through these guys; they also give really good free seminars for companies involved in finishing. I love that attitude!

www.busybeetools.com
These guys set me up with some great smooth running shop equipment. I was impressed with their staff who were very friendly and helpful. They carry a wide variety of machine tools for a variety of different applications, and they have excellent prices!

www.signmaker.net
They do signs...lots of em.

www.producedbybond.com
A good friend of mine, a wicked song writer/recording artist, and an awesome producer. We played in a band together back in the day and had lots of fun. Now working in the recording industry.

ADDITIONAL PIANO QUESTIONS

If you have any additional questions you would like to ask, please contact us. E-mail is checked several times daily and will be answered promptly. Thank you.