On 9/22/2014 11:20 AM, Jim Ialeggio via Piano Technicians Guild wrote:
> Hey...what's with the Yamah GP-1. Usually I look forward to tuning
> Yamaha pinblocks as they are usually so freindly to work with. But this
> 2005-ish GP-1- 5' something had one of the popping-est, creaking-est
> blocks I've seen..every note. Not overly tight, but the pins just jumped
> to beat the band.
I haven't had the pleasure with the GP-1 (I don't think), but pianos
coming out of Thomaston during it's last two or three years were
miserable things to turn pins in. We had a chip tuner from the plant on
the old list at that time who had a right arm that looked like a thigh.
He didn't have much nice to say about the tunability of those pianos The
Chinese products that followed apparently learned that lesson really
well too, and fitted pins in a similar manner or tighter. Torques near
the shear point, and Rice Krispies action when they finally did move.
Studios too tall to tune comfortably seated at those pin torque levels,
and too short to tune standing without uncomfortable back depreciation.
Painfully bright even with earplugs, and a pronounced low tenor quack.
Miserable things.
> And the tenor break...holy mackerel...the rest of the piano was
> reasonably close to pitch, while and the tenor break and a full half
> octave above was wild with full 35c differential. I deal with a bunch of
> G1's and GH1's but this put them to shame...what gives? Where are these
> made?
>
> And then there's the bass scale...geesh. I can tune a real nice small
> piano bass, and I got this one there, but it took some serious doing,
> more so than any awful spinet I tune...really...
I'd have thought they had perfected hideous scaling with the GH and GA
pianos, and the strut breaks of the P-22s. It seems to me that they are
providing their own bad examples. Keeping it in the family, so to speak.
Big expensive pianos will sell to those looking for a big expensive
piano to occupy that decorative patch of sunlight in the living room,
which pianos can be compared to acceptable pianos to highlight their
superiority. To make an acceptable piano sound good enough to sell, you
need a poor piano to compare it to. But then to sell the poor piano, you
need a double bad piano to compare it to so the customer can make a
discerning choice in buying the poor piano. Someone will always by
double bad pianos in any case because they're cheapest, so they can sell
the entire line with a sales valid rationalization for each. No need for
the customer to look at any other brand to find what they want unless
they're after pure mythology and mystic cachet. In that case, they buy
the desirable name board, and it comes with a piano behind it.
If you want a real thrill of the engineering kind, take the scale of
that GP-1 and see what the break% and Ih is on that lowest tenor unison.
In the break% pool, I'll take 19% break for a nickel. That bass ought to
be interesting too. I know there are a half dozen folks who would also
love to have the data on that scale for their own education too, if
you're willing to share. Maybe a trade.
Ron N
Original Message------
Hey...what's with the Yamah GP-1. Usually I look forward to tuning Yamaha pinblocks as they are usually so freindly to work with. But this 2005-ish GP-1- 5' something had one of the popping-est, creaking-est blocks I've seen..every note. Not overly tight, but the pins just jumped to beat the band.
And the tenor break...holy mackerel...the rest of the piano was reasonably close to pitch, while and the tenor break and a full half octave above was wild with full 35c differential. I deal with a bunch of G1's and GH1's but this put them to shame...what gives? Where are these made?
And then there's the bass scale...geesh. I can tune a real nice small piano bass, and I got this one there, but it took some serious doing, more so than any awful spinet I tune...really...
Jim Ialeggio
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Jim Ialeggio
grandpianosolutions.com
Shirley, MA
978 425-9026
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