Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum What's this red cloth with my new Yamaha for?

Because those fallboards are SOOOOOO heavy??? LOL

Yeah, it's just a key cover. It's a really inexpensive way for Yamaha to make your initial experience with the piano to seem extra special and luxurious. It's just a dust cover. I've seen lots of people go out and actually spend a tidy sum of money on a covercloth for the keys. Maybe it grew out of the old days where the fallboards were really somewhat heavy, and more importantly, didn't have soft-close features... so throwing down a little felt cover was less likely to result in a loud BAMMM! as the lid accidentally slams closed.

I think they may just like a splash of color. Some of my customers have really come to expect it even on pianos that don't come with one. Some brands respond to that expectation and others keep it as a tradition. I don't know what benefits such a thing can give, but if it were critical to the preservation of the piano, a string cover would be standard as well.

I have a drawer full of unused piano keys and a drawer full of unused dust covers just in case a customer asks. I'd be tempted to put them in the same drawer but I'd feel worse about having a drawer labeled "useless items" in my office.

For Grotrian pianos, they have a felt cover that is light gray and has a lovely quote that I've forgotten.

I don't know if fallboards in the old days are really that much more heavy than modern fallboards, unless they used much heavier woods in the old days or something. But anyway, new or old, they don't have to be that heavy. Apparently heavy enough to justify the soft-close feature to avoid causing black fingers on accidental slams.

Volusiano... I was really just joking about them being sooo heavy. The old pianos, before the soft-close feature I meant to say, were at least heavy enough that if you closed it by letting it drop, it made a pretty loud bang... and if anyone did that to my piano, they would be escorted off the premesis immediately!

It's absurd to think that fallboards are "too heavy" to open and close. And, if the new soft-close mechanisms are going to fall apart from opening and closing them, then they need to be redesigned.

Nah, cloth isn't particularly hygroscopic, it's porous, which allows air--which includes gaseous water--to go through easily. The cloth isn't sealed against the keys, so air can flow through it and under it. Honestly, it does nothing for humidity, but can keep some dust off the keys and look nice (sort of).

It may be intended as a key cover, but I use it to prevent the fly-lid from scratching the top of the piano. Otherwise, little scuff marks show up! (This was recommended by my tech.)

Sunlight will whiten ivory keys. Covering them with the felt prevents that.

Wool felt string covers prevent condensation of humidity on metal strings as the temperature falls at night and the dewpoint rises. Polyester felt doesn't work as well.

The real purpose for the red felt is so your flute accompaniest has a safe place to put her flute down on top of the piano.

--Cy--

It's subliminal advertising

I always thought it was something one could throw in,in negociating the deal along with the key,polish,polishing mitt,artist bench.....