General Piano Knowledge

Today I learned what the Pinblock in a piano is...

A pinblock is the part ofthe piano that holds the tuning pins.
It must:
1. Exert pressure on the tuning pin to keep it from slipping.
2. Allow the tuning pin to be rotated smoothly durunbg the tuning process.
If the above conditions last for years and years, it is a good pinblock.
The experience of piano makers shows that:
1. The best material for pinblock construction is a very dense hardwood (e.g., rock maple)
2. The pinblock must be constructed with a minimum of three layers of hardwood, bonded
together at cross-grains to hold the pin.
3. To hold the tuning pin tightly over the years, the block must also be protected from the
problems caused by daily humidity changes and from low humidity conditions prevalent
in centrally heated homes.

Yamaha's Humid-A-Seal Pinblock

Yamaha created the exclusive Humid-A-Seal pinblock to fulfill all the requirements needed
of a good pinblock.
It uses three thick layers where most of the contact with the tuning pin is made. The top and
bottom layers are multi-ply and serve as a seal to the center core of the pinblock.
In addition, a very special glue is used. This glue is actually a sheet of film impregnated with thermo-setting resin , and is placed between all of the layers. The entire block, while under pressure, is high frequency glued. As the resin cures, a permanent bond and a moisture barrier are created between all layers. This seals the pinblock against humidity changes.
The Humid-A-Seal pinblock is found only in Yamaha pianos.

For more information on Yamaha's amazing piano line-up, contact me at Natural Piano Center !