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The Importance of Proper Maintenance in the First Year of Your Piano Ownership

piano keys spacing

Proper maintenance during the first year of owning a piano is crucial for several reasons, particularly because certain maintenance tasks can only be effectively carried out when the piano is new.

The brand new piano quality now is not as good as it used to be. I personally encountered many Japan and European pianos have all sorts of problems. According to the trainings from Yamaha and Steinway, these problems usually are unacceptable by their standards.

Key Reasons for Early Maintenance

  1. Preventing Damage to Hammer Alignments: When a piano is first used, it's essential to ensure that the hammers are correctly aligned. Over time, grooves can form in the points where the hammers strike the strings. If you attempt to realign the hammers after these grooves have formed, you risk damaging the flange. This is due to the tendency of the hammers to revert to their original grooves during play, which can lead to further misalignment and potential damage.

  2. Avoiding Long-Term Issues: Inaccurate adjustments made early on can lead to more significant problems down the line. For example, examining a century-old piano often reveals components in a state of disarray, a result of initial misadjustments that worsened over time. Early, precise adjustments prevent a gradual decline in the piano's condition, ensuring a longer lifespan and better performance.

  3. Ensuring Quality and Longevity::The difference between Yamaha's C and S series pianos illustrates this point well. The S series, being handmade, receives meticulous regulation compared to the mass-produced C series. I've observed inconsistencies, such as differing let-off between black and white keys, which can be attributed to minor errors in the production line that accumulate and compromise the instrument's overall quality.

This analogy highlights how initial errors, if not corrected, can accumulate, leading to a decline in the instrument's performance and longevity.

In conclusion, the initial year of piano ownership is critical for setting the stage for a lifetime of enjoyment and performance. By prioritizing proper maintenance from the start, piano owners can avoid future complications, preserve the instrument's condition, and ensure its optimal performance for years to come.

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