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Openwood

Hello. I’ve been advised to buy a dehumidifier as the strings on my 1980 Bechstein grand are beginning to rust. Part of the problem is that the piano is at one end of the room and the kitchen area is about 15ft away, so lots of steam etc. There’s no other place to put the piano, sadly. Is there a pa...

Openwood

Is there some remedial action we can take to stop a crunch to the lacquered finish on our upright Samick piano? I’ve attempted to attach a photo but not sure if it’s worked. We are on offshore and not able to have anyone come across to view it under C-19 restrictions. I just don’t want it to get wor...

Openwood

This piano in Guernsey is due to be dumped on Friday. It’s nothing to do with me other than I was asked if I wanted it (I don’t). It’s barely playable and a local technician estimated it would need around 10k of work. The case is beautiful and keys are in good condition. Nobody has expressed any int...

Openwood

Hello, I'd like to know how to remove a Yamaha decal from the side of a black polyester finish C7 without damaging the finish. I bought the decal from Yamaha and put it on the the treble side of the case to jazz up the rather bland appearance of the case (It consists of the name and logo). It looks ...

Openwood

We bought a CLP 430 last year and I've noticed a fault: When I play, the volume cycles through loud (and tinny sounding) to soft (and muffled sounding) regardless of how loud or soft I'm aiming to play. Fortunately, the instrument is under warranty and our local Yamaha-registered technician is comin...

Openwood

Can I buy and install a life saver myself (if so, where from?) or do I need to get my technician to do it?

Openwood

Thank you for the advice. I'll look into the life saver option and hopefully we can keep the piano serviceable until the new building is ready. It would be a great shame to replace it with a digital instrument if that can be avoided.

Openwood

Thank you for these prompt replies. To be fair to the school they are about to launch a major fundraising project with the aim of building a permanent base for the Music Department. We've been in the huts since 2003, so it's not a day too soon! The YUS1 was purchased before the oil-fired central hea...

Openwood

A few years ago we bought a new YUS1 for the music room at school. I say music room; it's basically an upmarket portacabin with thin metal walls. The piano is tuned twice a year; in September and in March (before the GCSE and A-Level coursework recordings). The pitch has got progressively less stabl...

Openwood

Ah, I see! Many thanks. It makes sense now.

James

Openwood

I was talking to a colleague who's interested in getting a Yam C7 or similar. She was wondering why so many dealers put 'Price On Application' on their websites for the larger instruments. As a propsective purchaser she found it frustrating and I wasn't able to give her an answer for why it's done l...

Openwood

Yes, I've tried the Avant Grands and they're impressive, but I can't imagine a time when I would choose a digital over an acoustic as my 'first' piano (finances permitting!). I think I'll always be in love with 'proper' pianos, however good the alternatives are. The sound's the main thing, of course...

Openwood

Thanks for this, Joseph. I have a humble Yamaha CLP 220 at home right now and even this makes a fairly good practice instrument, albeit it in a kind of 'last resort' sort of way! We went for a Yamaha CLP 430 for the school music room in the end and, well, to be honest I'm a little disappointed. The ...

Openwood

Thank you for your replies. I was especially interested to hear about Terry's experience because, as well as getting one for the practice room, I'm also wondering about getting a digital piano for myself at home. I might be about to ask a really daft question, but here goes; has Yamaha designed them...

Openwood

Agreed. The thing is that I haven't yet found anyone who stocks the Kawais. Yamahas are all over the place like a rash so it's easy to try them out. Anyone know where I can get my hands on a Kawai CE220?

Openwood

I need to get a digital piano for a practice room. I've tried a Yam CLP 430 and 440 and liked them both but a few people have told me they like the Kawai CE220 better. Does anyone have experience of both and if so, what are your thoughts?

Cheers now!

James

Openwood

You do not want an easy fit one if if the floor is uneven as they give no support to the legs. As a school you have a duty of care to fit them anyway All school pianos should have safety castors fitted including A frams on grands by a competent person. Barrie, I was also going to ask if you can poi...

Openwood

My piano took a good 18 months to settle - had it tuned three times during that period. It's very stable now, but it did take its time. It also needed some notes voicing early on as the tone was very variable in the middle of the treble register when it arrived, but I think that had more to do with ...

Openwood

Yeah, I think I would definitely go for rosewood or another wood shade next time. It's not that I don't like black, but the polyester finish used on just about every piano these days is rubbish. It scratches easily and even if you polish it lovingly with proper piano polish you still get whirl marks...

Openwood

If you're up at 4:13 worrying about it, you need help, poppet...

Oh, where to start, Gill; where to start...

Openwood

Closure is a great thing! I bought the new Stephen Hough in Recital CD this week and the Steinway he uses zings away like a pig on crack from start to finish. It's mostly the second D above middle C that sticks out but generally the whole tritone from the B-natural upwards has that metallic edge. I'...

Openwood

Well, like I said, if we have to declare names I'm out of here. As a teacher I don't want pupils looking at what I say online; so far this has been one of the great benefits of the forum - ironically I can 'be myself' here to a far greater extent by remaining anonymous. Anyway, you guys thrash it ou...

Openwood

Well, about this anonymity thing. I accept I'm in a minority on this, but I think it should be up to each member to decide whether they want to disclose their name. I'm not a dealer - I just prefer not to use my name on the public forum. If there was a requirement to do so I would simply stop postin...

Openwood

What a wonderful and unexpected development in the life of this piano! And full marks to David for having the balls to take it on. I appreciate it must have cost a shed load of cash to achieve, but seeing that piano back in mint condition? Priceless!! If you ever do any sound files of it I'd love to...

Openwood

Wont be posting anymore

Oh well, every cloud has a silver lining. Perhaps he's found an anger management course that will take him.

Openwood

whereas muting that string section with felt or a wedge or super glue kills the harmonic completely and, usually kills the tone. I think I read on the forum earlier that Bluthners don't have duplex scaling - I used to play a 2005 Bluthner Model 4 which I disliked intensely all for all sorts of reas...

Openwood

It is highly unusual for a Yamaha C series to have a real fault in its tonal quality - for TWO Yamahas in one small location to have the same fault is extraordinary. Often, on a large grand and a powerful one such as a C7, the pianist hears imperfections which the audience doesn't. - Just a thought...

Openwood

then you can sue him when you get it home and complain about the zing from the capo bar! (only joking!)

ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!

Openwood

Anyone come across this piano? http://www.uk-piano.org/pianos-for-sale-trade/detail.php?siteid=5202 I'm thinking of getting something bigger than my C3. It costs an arm and a leg to fly oop North from the Channel Islands but obviously I'll have to go at some stage; just wondered if anyone had been t...

Openwood

Mr Piano Heads, Why SHOUT? And in stereo He does seem a tad grumpy. Serenity comes with the dawning acceptance that Yamaha is going to take over the world, flattening everything in its path like a giant wall of black polyester propelled ever onwards by discount merchants in SE England. You don't li...

Openwood

Well done, David! Will you post pics when she's finished? Would love to see it. What a fantastic project - how much is she selling for?

Openwood

Mindbender: It's nice you can't believe none of the techs I've tried have been able to fix it; good for you. Maybe you'd like to have a go? It could be like excalibur - all the techs in England can have a go until someone manages to do the thing I've asked and paid them to do.

Openwood

I've been looking online at how I can mute these capo scale strings (or duplex scale strings - whatever the set nearest the keyboard end is called; I've got completely confused over the terminology). Bearing in mind that the notes I want to mute are: the B above middle-C and the neighbouring, C, C-s...

Openwood

Well, I'm steaming at the ears about this problem yet again. The tech I got to look at the nasty tone on these notes put a small strip of felt under the middle of each set of three strings (i.e. one strip per note) in front of the capo bar (is that the CAPO SCALE rather than the DUPLEX SCALE? Maybe ...

Openwood

but this forum seems to being used as a platform for dealers to promote their own self interests I'm not a dealer and I have no interest in promoting any particular dealer over another; I don't think the comment above is a fair reflection of what goes on on this site. It's an open discussion forum,...

Openwood

Otto,

Maybe these would be suitable?

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-accessori ... tail&p=176

Openwood

Gosh, just think of all the air miles used to make just one Kemble piano. I expect that's why Yamaha is closing them down - for the good of the planet. I don't know how I could ever have doubted their motives.

Openwood

You're absolutely right - as I suggested to you in an earlier thread regarding the zing sound on your C7 at school. Curses, I was hoping to get the credit for that idea and I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you pesky kids :wink: Steinway invented the duplex system over 100 years ag...

Openwood

A while back I was asking about ways of getting rid of nasty zings on the first few notes of the capo bar of a Yam C7. I had a Steinway-trained tech come and look at it and he basically put felt around the front duplex strings of notes 51-56 (B-E) which has helped. A few people here have pointed-out...

Openwood

Kemble's plight features in this month's 'Music and Musicians' column in Private Eye. It doesn't say anything new but I guess anything that might help find a buyer is good.

Openwood

What the dealer is telling you (and not very well ) is that the Zender is only 85 note and some Grade 7 pieces use top C so you will need an 88 note piano In that case the wording of the advert is strange indeed. The effect on the 'phrasing and dynamic expression' created by non-existing notes is s...

Openwood

I don't think it's possible to say a certain type of piano can only get you to a certain grade. I had to make do with whatever my parents could afford right up until Grade 8 - in my case it was a Bentley upright of ineffable crappiness. But you can only afford what you can afford (as we are all now ...

Openwood

i always assumed you were a guy! I am; but if medical science made the necessary advances, I could have a baby in nine months. Er, upon reflection, perhaps that wasn't my finest analogy 8) Yeah, I think celeste rails are pretty much obsolete with the advent of the silent system. But maybe some peop...

Openwood

I don't know how many different ways I need to find to say that I have no intention (for good reasons) of buying from a dealer or retail.

Well, you haven't set it to music in the polyphonic style of Lassus, have you, eh? Get cracking

Openwood

I have a Yamaha U1 with the SG Silent option, and still believe I made a good choice Hell, yes. Apart from the nine months it took to repair a faulty sensor rail (I could've had a baby in that time, you know) we've never regretted getting the YUS1 in our music room. The silent function is a massive...

Openwood

With your budget I think it comes down to the individual pianos as you find them rather than aiming for a particular make. So much will depend on how the piano has been maintained. I'd be looking for an upright by a good English maker from the 70s onwards such as Chappell or Knight. Yamaha if you're...

Openwood

Joseph's suggestion sounds interesting, or you could just visit a few dealers and see what they can offer you. A reasonable preowned upright for £1500 should be a possibility. Check out the 'pianos for sale' links on this site too.

Openwood

If they could find a secondhand Yam P114 or something of similar height, the accompanist could see the conductor perfectly well. Unfortunately the chances of finding a good one for 700 squid are not great. I hate to say it but digital might be the answer in this case. Make sure they get one with a p...

Openwood

Tryer, Please be patient; this is a forum, not a shop. Some members check the posts several times each day whilst others are too busy to check more than once or twice a week. You may have to wait a while for a response, or members may feel that they have nothing more to add; that's the nature of any...

Openwood

Here is a link to info about the U Series:

http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product ... s/u_s.html

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