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Maybe you can do a new pinblock for that kind of money if you are sloppy with the fit and the drilling, maybe burning a few holes. In that case, you would be better off with the old one.

First time around it may be OK to use oversized pins (#1or#2) in that the Japanese use .69 pins originally. Now if there is this pintite, CA glue or ? used in the interim, forget it,

I will agree that an original pinblock with #5 pins is better than a new badly fitted substandard block which is quite common in the industry.

Hi Friends

I simply LIKE the sound of the Kawai upright pianos, which is somewhat mellow but bright enough for strong definition...

I do not own one but would take one for myself any day.

Regards,

Jeoehdn

OK BDB, it's been a few years since I have discussed the cost of restringing with other friends that are techs. There really aren't that many sources of pinblock material. I typically use the maple from Schaff. The cost of a double plank is around $160 plus shipping, so figure $200 for a double plank which will make two pin blocks. The cost of Delignit is more of course and will be around $300 shipped, so $150 per plank. All of my holes are transfer punched so that I am always centered up and it likely takes me a couple of hours to drill carefully. The jig is infallible and the bit is always fed with around 40psi compressed air to keep the drill bit cool. As for fitting the block to the plate, I have yet to have ANY instability issues after fitment, and I guarantee that my fit is better than the last Baldwin I pulled apart with the gaps filled with an epoxy matrix that in some areas was beyond a half-inch. The first block I fit was on the piano I play daily. It has been 22 plus years and it still tunes like it did when first installed. The cost of bass strings is around $300 plus or minus, the cost of pins $60, wire maybe another $40. That adds up to $500 in materials which still leaves $1500 for your time. What am I missing? For me it's a hobby not a business, and yes it's a lot of work, but $1500 labor is still not chump change. I'm in the process of checking locally on the cost of this. I may be out of date..who knows.

Actually a new pinblock and restringing alone for 2K is kind of doable though there will always be those other costs that are compounded along with doing the pinblock and restring. You gotta pull the plate first of all.We've never done a new pinblock and restring without refinishing the soundboard and reguilding the harp,prepping the harp (understring felt,agraffes etc.)new damper felt,refinish the damper heads, installing and regulating the dampers, pitchraise and MULTIPLE upon MULTIPLE tunings. But if one is sourcing out the job exactly just the pinblock and just restringing, 2K is possible. You guys know this stuff already.
Discrepancy is what exact work is entailed for 2K.

It also depends on the piano. It is easier on a Baldwin, where the block comes out with screws, than on a Steinway or Mason and Hamlin, where it is screwed, pegged and glued, and those are easier than a Bösendorfer or Bechstein, where it is all that, plus multiple layers and exposed top to be fitted. I do not like someone coming along and dictating what the price of someone else's work should be, particularly for a vaguely described job.

BDB, I thought we were talking about Kawais here, which unbolt as you describe. I am not talking esoterica here, just mainstream. That was the original topic after all. I have done Steinways and others that also require mortised blocks etc, but that is not what the OP was discussing nor what I was quoting. As far as Baldwin goes, I have had those that unbolt and also those that are glued in like Steinways across the strecher as well. It just depends on the vintage. I have two torn apart presently a Mason and a Lester. The Lester is just bolted in, the Mason CC is bolted to the plate and then the whole shebang is bolted to the case.

Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but given the info here I thought it better than starting a new one.

About six months ago I rented a Chinese Yamaha upright from Keyboard Concepts in Fountain Valley, CA.

While I was there, I briefly played this Kawai 350 baby grand and immediately connected with it. It made everything easy, and it sounded great.

I don't really have the room for a grand, so I ended up renting the aforementioned upright, but the Kawai has been on my mind ever since. They say it's a 1968, and asking price is $6000 or so.

I have been toying with the idea of putting a deposit down on it, so I can buy it at some point in the future. But I wonder whether or not it is a fair price, and how to tell if it needs any of the work done mentioned in this thread.

I'm not adverse to buying a new Chinese grand when the time comes, I'm not sentimental about brands or nationalities. So the advise to just go with a brand new Chinese one seems sensible. It's just that I instantly connected with this particular instrument. I did play the brandnew Bosendorfers they had there as well, but those didn't give me that feeling.


Your feedback is appreciated, thank you.

These are, in my mind, very important criteria in choosing a particular piano.



The only way to tell if this is a "fair price" is to know the market in your area and to have an independent technician check the condition of the piano to tell if it needs any work done. If the dealer is reluctant to let you have an independent technician examine the piano, then I would suggest you try to forget about that particular piano.

Nor do I think I would put a deposit on it to hold to "some point in the future." If that future is not immediate, you may not want to make a long-term commitment to this piano; something else you may like even better could turn up in the meantime.

Regards,

An opinion...

Put your money back in your pocket. Start saving and after six months or so, start considering. Or maybe even save some more, depending on whether you want to finance or pay cash.

Fact is, there are a lot of pianos out there that you are really, really going to like, if you search hard enough.

You'll find one, I'm sure.