[Jen]

Hi, I'd be very grateful for some advice.

I've just bought a new Yamaha Silent upright (V114) and have found several faults since it arrived last week, including a sticking key, several noisy keys and notes which continue to sound after the key is released (can't play staccato at all on them) - these are all in the bottom and top one and a half octaves. Are these faults common in a new piano, or do I have a bad instrument? The piano is guaranteed for 5 years, so I'm assuming all these things can be rectified at no cost to me!!

Thanks very much
Jen

[Barrie Heaton]

At this time of year a few do slip by quality control most of the big dealers are getting their stock of new pianos for xmas. Now what normally happens is pianos arriving form Japan are given the once over at Yamaha UK and then by the shop Howevwer, to save money some shops opt to have the pianos un-prepped and do the prepping them self’s and with some dealers they let the tuners do it on site if there is a problem its all about saving money. I tuned 7 new Yamahas on Friday and one of them I had to eases the keys, this piano had been prepped by Yamaha the week before so problems can be missed or just don’t show up on the shop floor

Your problems are not big ones well they are to you the sticking notes are a common problem on all new pianos that have not been in the UK for long and when the sesons are changing – ringing on dampers that could be the pedals set incorrect or the push rods moved when moving – the clicking could be anything from a loos screw on the whole none of them sound bad I would contact your dealer and get them out to the piano. To make the tuners life easer make a note of the notes that are giving the problems as sticking keys can stick one day and not the next and you can bet the day the tuners comes they are fine


You have a nice piano with a few teething problem


Barrie,
_________________
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

[Jen]

Thanks very much Barrie - you've put my mind at rest!

I did forget to mention that my piano was made in the UK at Yamaha-Kemble (at least I think that's what the dealer said!) and had been in the shop for quite a time. I think I was worried because it had been reduced considerably more than I would have expected by the shop in question, but I think they just wanted to shift it (I believe the V114 is not being made anymore but is being replaced by the P116.)

Thanks again
Jen