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| Thank you for Visiting Our Web Site!! I'm not a pianist or piano technician.... But last 12 years, I had been working at piano industry. I would like to share fascinating piano mechanism, function, brilliant invention and many other stories thru my eyes, technician's eyes and customer's eyes. ---Kaoru Muramatsu | |
| ***Come to Visit East Harlem *** Vol. 5
10 years ago, East Harlem is one of the places you may want to avoid to visit. Well, Since we have been opened our store early 2005, East Harlem had changed a lot.
Recently opened 24 Hour Open Mexican Restaurant is the "Must Try". The service is little slow and casher may not understand what you saying but their Burritos are so good and we eat several times a week. Our favorites are BEEF BURRITO and Chicken Tacos. Be aware with their SUPER spicy green sauce!!! This restaurant is corner of 116th street and Lexington Avenue. Burritos are $5.99, Tacos are $2.50 each. (Plus Tax)
*** Deal-Deal-Deal? "Craig's List " Pianos *** Vol.4 Under the tough economy time, more and more people purchase piano from "Craig's List". But is "Craig's List" is the best deal in town? Answer is yes and no. I find great deals there but often those deals were going quickly. Or it is not a good condition. "It's great shape." "It may need tuning. But all keys are working." The owners often say comments like this. Is that so? We had been ordered tunings for these pianos. They need DIFINATELY more than tuning. The tuning won't change the piano. Sticking keys, hash sound, making noise, inconsistency of action mechanism, pedals........ A Piano is very complicated musical instrument, combined mix material such as wood, metal, wool, leather, silk, felt.... They are swell and shrink diffidently with humidity. Over the past many years and many seasons, it has been deformed. We estimate it cost them minimum of few hundred dollars to fix it; we get answers like "Ridicules!!! It cost more than piano!" Well, I understand the point but we take same amount of time to fix $20000 piano or your $200 piano. As matter the fact older pianos are harder to fix.
*** Carbon Fiber Action*** Vol. 3 Traditionally, the piano action was made with wood and wire, leather and felt. There are quite Organic. But Kawai company start using plastic action parts in 1975. It calls ABS composited plastic. It was very strong material at the time. In few years it was used tennis racquets and golf clubs. The benefit to use the plastic parts in action especially places that change climate, such as Japan / NY. While wood action parts expanded and shrank about 5% in the year, the plastic parts' change only 0.5%. It avoids sticking key and provides faster motion. Now, Kawai uses "Carbon fiber Action" which is even stronger that ABS composited plastic. It has used for airplane / boat bodies. I am sometime skeptical about technologies but this make a sense. *** Upright, Console and Spinet *** Vol.2 Stand up style pianos are called vertical pianos. But there are categorized by three major type by mechanical parts. Upright, console and spinet piano. From outside, spinet is the smallest, usually 38" ~41". It has "dropped action", where hammer label is almost same height as keys. In order to fit a smaller cabinet, the action mechanism is attached to wire below the key where connect to hammers. When the technician needs to work on these pianos, he/she has to detach 88 wires from keys. Because of this most manufactures are stop producing spinet in 1970's. The Console piano has "Compact" action, same principle that to fit smaller cabinet, it has smaller action. But keys are directory connected with hammers. Console pianos are usually 41" ~44". If piano is taller than 45", it has full size direct action. If you want to purchase a piano from individual, try to avoid spinet pianos. And I recommend to by newer pianos to prevent future cost. 
*** New Trend? *** Vol. 1 We are getting more and more adult customers. Some are just retired and some have a dream to play the piano since their childhood. Pianos are big and complicate instruments that often hesitate to have it without thinking twice or more. But it is exceptionally capable music instrument for all ages. It has 7 octaves, no skill needed to play note, not only play many notes at same time but play two melodies (both hands). Once you have it, it has very low maintenance and you can share with all the family members. You can sing along. Maybe it becomes new trend of hobby.
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