Natural Piano Center

New, slightly used pianos!!

2010-04-15T14:48:00.000-06:00

Come take a look at some of our new, used pianos.

Click here!

Caring for Your Piano

2010-04-14T14:20:00.001-06:00

Piano News

Caring for Your Piano

I am sure that many of you would be passionate about music and might be having some of the music instrument to enjoy this pleasant joy given to us. There are different sort of music instruments that people usually owe such as guitar, trumpet, drum, woodwinds, strings or piano. Out of these pianos is the one that is not easy to play and also to maintain in comparison to the other ones mentioned.

So if you have a badly stained piano and you want to care for it then it doesn't require any professional cleaner or polisher but all you need is a regular soft buff with a lint free cloth. Any sprays or harsh chemicals will damage the surface of the delicate keys and shall also make the instrument look older and worn than what actually it is.

For cleaning the ivory keys you should not:
1. Immerse in water
2. Scrub with a brush or even a scouring pad
3. Use any type of chemicals or even washing up liquid can damage the previous surface
4. Spray with furniture polish
5. Use air-freshener anywhere near the keys or piano

Ivory should be gently wiped with a soft clean cloth and for stubborn marks or fingerprints you should first wash your hands and thereafter you can use a mild non-colored toothpaste on a damp cloth but ensure that you gently rub and never scrub. Rinse with fresh milk with another lint free cloth and buff well.

You should leave the piano open on sunny days so that the keys stay bleached and don't turn yellow. Keys that are badly discolored or stained should be scraped and recovered by any professional piano cleaner.

For cleaning plastic keys you should not:
1. Use chemicals
2. Leave the piano open for long period of time as this shall cause discoloration of the keys
3. Use furniture polish as this could be very harsh

Dust regularly and wipe occasionally with a soft solution of warm water and vinegar on clean chamois leather. Then buff well for added shine. If you want to clean the casework that usually gets very dusty you can use a vacuum cleaner attachment to get rid of any cobwebs or dust. It can take some time but it will surely be worth and remember not to use any water or liquid to clean the casework. For stains and marks you can consult a professional piano cleaner or tuner.

ULTIMATE PIANO SALE!!

2010-01-20T16:46:00.004-07:00

Please click on the link for details. Inventory up to 50% off!

SALE!

Sale!!

2009-09-03T16:45:00.002-06:00

Check out our latest sale! Starting tomorrow!!

SALE!

New Website

2009-08-24T23:39:00.000-06:00

Please head on over to our website ...We just finished updating it and we are excited to see what you think. Let us know?

What is a Yamaha Clavinova?

2009-04-15T14:39:00.000-06:00

"Bring the joy of playing piano to everyone." That goal, set by Yamaha in 1983, led directly to the creation of the Clavinova digital piano. Building on it's unique combination of skills - a long tradition of acoustic piano production, expertise in electronics, and a proven track record in sound design - Yamaha created an instrument that looked and felt like a piano but offered a wide range of exciting, inspirational new features.

Over the last quarter century, the Clavinova has evolved into the world's most popular, powerful and empowering digital piano. It offers everything you need to play a simple piano piece or compose a complete orchestral score, thus encouraging the beginner and supporting the professional.

The Clavinova, like a practicing musician, keeps getting better. As Yamaha continues to develop new functions, technologies and styles over the next 25 years, more people can enjoy the experience of making music.

For an appointment to see a Yamaha Clavinova in person, please contact "Natural Piano Center in Colorado" today!

Piano Hammers

2009-03-31T12:20:00.000-06:00

During the 1800's, animal hide glue was the only glue available for making piano hammers. This
glue was not very strong as a bonding agent.

To improve the bond, manufacturers clamped the felt to the hammer wood in addition to using the hide glue.

The clamps took the form of a loop of wire inserted into two small holes previously drilled through the hammer and twisted tightly on the other side.

later, an improved T clamp was devised. It was inserted through one hole drilled in the hammer with the legs of the clamp bent back on the opposite side (like a cotter pin).

As better glues were developed, the clamp was eliminated in hammer construction by creating a firmer base to the hammer.

In other words, even though the fastener is no longer necessary to help the glue joint, it is still a valuable feature because it contributes to quality ton production.

Yamaha Reinforced T-Clamped Hammers

All Yamaha piano hammers are made by Yamaha and contain a T clamp in all of the 88 hammers in every piano.

This procedure securely presses the felt against the hammer wood, and at the same time, compresses the felt in that area into a firmer base.

"Natural Piano Center in "Colorado" has "Yamaha" T clamped hammers as far as the eye can see.

What about the Soundboard in a piano?

2009-03-25T14:57:00.000-06:00

Since Stradivari, instrument makers have known that spruce is the best material for the production and amplification of tone. For that reason, the soundboards of the best quality pianos have always been made of solid spruce lumber.

The purpose of a piano soundboard is to amplify the tone created by the vibrations of the tuned strings.

Manufacturers have tried many shortcuts to reduce the cost in building piano soundboards by using other materials or laminating the board in a plywood fashion.

All have fallen short of developing the sound that is possible when using solid spruce. This is proven by the fact that the soundboard in virtually every concert grand has been made of solid spruce.

Yamaha Solid Spruce Soundboards

At the Yamaha lumber mill and wood processing facility, the finest spruce is quarter sawn; and less than 10 percent of the total is selected and reserved for Yamaha piano soundboards.

Yamaha uses only solid spruce for all soundboards.

At Natural Piano Center, solid spruce soundboard demonstrations are given every day for free!

How important is wood seasoning?

2009-03-21T14:22:00.000-06:00

A freshly cut log can contain 80 percent of it's weight in water. Most of this water must be removed to meet the environmental conditions where where the final product will be used; otherwise, the piano or fine furniture will develop cracks or failed glue joints.

The process of removing this water is called seasoning.
While each species of wood varies, the average Equalized Moisture Content (EMC) in the United States, for seasoned lumber, must be in range of 6 to 8 percent.
In the United States, most pianos will be subjected to the effects of central heating and air conditioning.
A piano that is not properly seasoned will likely develop problems. If the air is drier than the piano, the piano will give up moisture, the lumber will shrink, and crack, the finish will deteriorate and the tuning will suffer. "Colorado is particularly difficult on pianos due to it's extreme dryness," says specialist, Charles Daeschner.

Yamaha Seasoned For Destination

Yamaha specifically seasons all pianos destined for the United States market.
Seasoned for destination means lowering the EMC of the wood before manufacture to match
the driest condition the piano will face in that final destination. It does not mean that the pianos are individually seasoned for a particular city, but for the worst condition in the entire destination. (USA)
Yamaha is acknowledged as a leader in the field of wood technology.
Starting with the log, Yamaha is in complete control of all wood processing.
Yamaha has it's own holding lakes, lumber mills, outside seasoning yards, computer-controlled kilns, and air conditioned factories.
This "seasoning" ensures that the final piano product will withstand the climactic conditions during the piano's lifetime.

In Colorado, call Natural Piano Center and discover what quality customer service is all about.

What is Plate Mounting?

2009-03-19T18:29:00.000-06:00

Strings exert pressure on top of the bridge that is called down bearing. The correct amount of
down bearing is vital to produce good tone; too little and the strings' vibrations are not transferred to the bridge, too much and the soundboard will not vibrate freely. The amount
of pressure on the bridge depends on the position of the plate.

Traditionally, plates were supported on wooden dowels. Starting with the dowels too long, the worker would estimate how much to cut off each dowel, remove the plate, trim the dowel, replace the plate, and repeat the process until the plate was in the correct position.

Then screws are fit through the plate holes to press the plate firmly against the wooden dowels.
The pressure has a tendency to compact the wood. Over a period of time the screws need to be
retightened. This results in further compacting and lowering of the plate position.

Yamaha Plate Mounting System

The engineers at Yamaha created platforms for their plate to set on that are made of metal, not wood. These platforms are on the top of screw type bases that fit into the holes in the inner rim.

If this fixture is turned clockwise, the platform is lowered, and if turned counter clockwise, the platform raises.

With all of the platform fixtures in place, and the plate resting on them, the proper plate setting
can be regulated by a tool placed through the holes in the plate into the fixtures.

Once all of the fixtures are correctly adjusted, machine bolts are fitted through the holes and tightened into the fixtures to secure the plate.

Come and see this brilliant design at Natural Piano Center!

Casting The Iron Plate (Frame) ...

2009-03-17T14:15:00.000-06:00

Traditionally, the iron frames (plates) have been cast by a process that uses wet sand.
An impression made in the wet sand by a pattern leaves a cavity which is filled with molten
iron to form the plate.
Certain problems inherent with this method are:
1. The exactness of measurements and contours of the cavity
are compromised by the crudeness of the grainy, wet sand that attempts to duplicate
the pattern.
2. Uneven cooling caused by the extreme temperature differences between the molten
metal and the wet sand create structural weakness.
3. Any decoration cast by this method looks crude and imperfect.

Yamaha Vacuum Shield Mold Process (V-Pro)

Yamaha eliminated these problems by developing the Vacuum Shield Mold Process (V-Pro).
1. A mold is created by utilizing the vacuum principle to hold fine grain dry sand firmly in place
which exactly duplicates the pattern.
2. Molten metal is then poured into the mold, and because the sand is not wet, the metal
cools evenly rather than unevenly from the outside in as in the case with wet sand.
This improved cooling minimizes the problems of internal stress.
3. Decoration and surface smoothness are greatly improved.

Remember, in Colorado, Natural Piano Center is the place to be!

Tuning Pins

2009-03-13T13:55:00.000-06:00

The importance of quality Tuning Pins in a piano...

Tuning pins must create enough friction in the tuning pinblock to keep the
pin from slipping when the tension of the string tries to unwind the pin.
Obviously, the surface of the tuning pin is part of the solution.
It has been proven that a smooth tuning pin (without any surface treatment) is notably
slippery and will not hold the pin in place.
All tuning pins must use some method that creates more surface area.

There are two procedures to do this:
1. To use extreme pressure and roll grooves (or threads) into the pin.
2. To place each pin in a metal lathe and cut the threads into the surface.

Yamaha Cut Thread Tuning Pins

Yamaha creates cut thread tuning pins in Yamaha factories.
In that manner Yamaha controls the quality and precision of the entire process.
The Yamaha tuning pin is very uniform and the lathe cut surface is ideal for gripping
the pin.

The process used by Yamaha to make the cut thread tuning pins in precise. Each pin is uniform
in diameter and surface consistency from end to end and from pin to pin.
Yamaha pianos are easy to tune.
The tuning stability of Yamaha pianos is unsurpassed in the piano industry.
Ask any piano technician which brand of piano he/she prefers to tune.

Do you live in Colorado? If so, call me at "Natural Piano Center" and we'll talk some more
about the incredible world of Tuning Pins!

General Piano Knowledge

2009-03-11T13:07:00.000-06:00

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 !

General Piano Knowledge

2009-03-09T11:39:00.000-06:00

Today, I studied Yamaha's Duplex Scaling technology. This is what I learned:

With modern audio components, tonal character can be changed by simply turning
a knob. Pianos were developed long before electronics, and must produce the sounds naturally.
Early in the development of pianos, the tone was weak and somewhat dull. Originally,
any portion of a string not struck by the hammer was muted by the insertion of felt strips.
Improvement came with the advent of the duplex scale, located in the upper two octaves of
the keyboard. Pianos can now be designed with the treble strings divided into three sections.

1. The speaking length struck by the hammer.
2. The two other sections not struck by the hammer, but designed to be free
to vibrate to enhance the upper harmonic structure of the note.

Call me at Natural Piano Center so we can discuss this subject a bit further...