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Piano
Finders Standard
on
Scale of All Pianos (scale's effective
date: 1/7/2000)
Explanatory
Note: The Piano Finders Standard is a set of criteria we use for
rating a specific piano compared to all other pianos, and also compared to
other pianos in its class. The standard is based upon features or
properties of the piano that we have found are important to pianists,
piano technicians, and piano buyers in general. There are five basic
categories:
Quality
of General Construction: There are myriad ways of building a piano.
However, over the years there has emerged a consensus of sorts in the
piano industry as to which types of construction are preferred for the
highest quality instruments. These typically include such features as 1)
Overstrung bass 2) Continuous Rim 3) Solid spruce soundboard
4) Certain standard types of materials and construction employed in the
case, rim, and plate or frame. It will be noted that certain of these
features are only found on grands. The general consensus is that the
highest quality instruments must be of a grand piano type of construction.
An
additional consensus is that generally the larger the grand, the better
the tone, and the better the quality of construction, since the larger
grands are generally built and targeted for the more serious musician. For
this reason the second part of the General Construction category rates
the instrument in question according to size. Note again that the
top two categories are reserved for grand pianos.
Durability:
How long the instrument is expected to last under a specified rate of
usage.
Tone:
How the instrument sounds, and meets certain tone-producing criteria. Some
of the criteria are basic to all pianos. Other criteria are specific to
larger quality grands. Again, the size of the instrument is an important
factor.
Touch:
How responsive the instrument is to the touch, and how it meets certain
performance and adjustment criteria.
Appearance:
The condition of the instrument's case and finish, and whether it meets
certain industry standard finishing criteria.
A piano that receives a rating of 100% in all these categories on the
Piano Finders Standard, would most likely cost over $60,000 used and over
$75,000 new. If you want to convert these test results to a lesser
scale, you will find the conversion formulas at the end of this
test. Click Here if you want to
see this now.
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#R1.11
Piano Finders Standard (PFS) Test Results
on Scale of All Pianos (Scale's
Effective
Date: 1/7/2000)
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This Report shows the weights of the various factors used to
explain the condition that the Yamaha 7'6" High Polish Ebony Grand
DC7 will be in, before it is moved to the buyer's home
from Piano Finders Clayton location. Since this piano will
be custom ordered for buyer, this report reflects the promised
condition the piano will be in after it is selected and then touch
and tone work done in Piano Finders shop in Clayton.
PFS Test Performed
by: Karen E. Lile on Date:
November 28, 2000
Certification for Karen E. Lile expires on
9/2003
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PFS Test:
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Quality of General Construction
1. 10%
: Has
overstrung bass
2. 10%
: Has
88 Keys; 2 pedals; width
keyboard is 3'11" to 4'1" wide; spacing between naturals
is 1/32" to 1/16"
3. 10%
: Has
solid spruce soundboard and a continuous rim, and working sostenuto
pedal in middle (3 pedals)
4.
10%
: Has
duplex scale; aliquot scale; capo 'd astro bar in treble
5.
No
: Pinblock
is mated to the stretcher, ribs notched into rim; has special tone
enhancing features such as: arched (bell shaped) plate, wet or green
sand cast; tension resonator; and/or
hard rock maple used for rim, other high quality materials known for
their musicality and durability in the construction of the piano.
The quality of design, materials and
workmanship for the piano when it was built is equal to or greater
than that which equals the Piano Finders Specifications for the
following size categories:
6.
10%
: 36
to 42 upright or 45 to 5 grands
7.
10%
: 43
to 48 upright or 51 to 56 grands
8.
10%
: 48
to 60 upright or 57
to 64 grands
9.
10%
: 65
to 74 grands
10.
10%
: 75
to 96 grands
90
% of QUALITY
on the PFS on the Scale of All Pianos
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Durability
The following parts:
Soundboard, pinblock, strings, tuning pins, dampers, cabinet
finish, hammers, shanks, flanges, whippens, backchecks, keyframe
felts, key bushings and other miscellaneous action felts would not
need to be replaced before (see * ):
1.
10%
: 0-5
years
2.
10%
: 6-10
years
3.
10%
: 11-20
years
4.
10%
: 21-30
years
5.
10%
: 31-40
years
The following parts that affect the cosmetic appearance
of the piano: case parts, veneer, cabinet finish, pedals and other
hardware would not need to be replaced before (see * ):
6.
10%
: 0-5
years
7.
10%
: 6-10
years
8.
10%
: 11-20
years
9.
10%
: 21-30
years
10.
10%
: 31-40
years
* For the purpose of
the PFS, we assume that the piano will receive 1 hour of
standard use per day in a humidity-controlled environment. We have also based our opinion on service record for
similarly constructed and designed pianos. New parts are not always
more durable than original parts because they may not be as well
made, seasoned, etc. Because of the uncertainty in predicting the
future, this particular piano may end up being more or less durable
than predicted in the rating.
100
% of DURABILITY
on the PFS on the Scale of All Pianos
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Tone
1. 10%
: All
keys make a tone when depressed.
2. 10%
: Pitch
at A440. Tuning:
Equal Temperment or as close as possible.
(Includes all of the following:)
·
No intervals are pure except octaves.
·
Octaves may be stretched slightly, but no more than
about 1/2 beat/second
·
5ths, minor 3rds and minor 6ths are narrower than
perfect.
·
Beat speed increases gradually on all imperfect
intervals as you travel up the scale.
3.
10%
: Sound
is free of all squeaks, clicks, rattles, buzzes, false beats and
other undesirable and extraneous noises.
4. No
: Has
adequate sustain time according to PF Specs. (Note
on Yamaha: Usually a yes rating in this category is
found only on more expensive pianos that have a wet-sand cast plate
and maple rim, which tends to produce a longer sustain.
Usually Steinways and Mason & Hamlin grands receive a yes
rating in this category. Rarely does a Kawai or Yamaha get a yes
rating in this category. This does not mean that a Kawai or
Yamaha are not instruments with a beautiful tone, it just means that
on the PFS scale, they will not receive a yes rating in this
category. Tone is very subjective. Piano Finders has
created these ratings to help buyers understand why some pianos cost
more than others and what types of differences there are between
pianos. If your personal preference is for the shorter sustain
time that is obtained by a Yamaha or Kawai or other Asian brands of
pianos, then you may consider a No in this rating category to
be favorable.)
5. 10%
: Sound
is rich in harmonic content, has proper depth and brightness.
Does not have twanginess, tinniness or other undesirable
qualities. Dynamic
Range: capable of
delivering the full spectrum of dynamics from ppp (pianississimo) to
fff (fortississimo)
without excessive effort, distortion or breaking up, according to
Piano Finders Specifications.
Has a tone equal to or greater
than the Piano Finders Specifications for the following size
categories:
6.
10%
: 36
to 42 uprights or 45 to 5 grands
7.
10%
: 43
to 48 uprights or 51 to 56 grands
8.
10%
: 49"
to 60" uprights or 57
to 64 grands
9.
10%
: 65
to 74 grands
10.
10%
: 75
to 96 grands
90
% of TONE
on the PFS on the Scale of All Pianos
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Touch
1.
10%
: All
keys perform the function of lifting the hammer when depressed.
Pedal Height 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" on all pedals. All
pedals rest at uniform height.
2.
10%
: No
cracks, chips, sharp edges or other damage on any key.
3.
10%
: Action
is not a drop-lever style found on most spinets.
4.
10%
: Keys
level, or crowned no more than 1/16" towards center of
keyboard; keys consistently dipped 13/32" ( +
1/64"); Sharp Height: 15/32"
( + 1/32") above surface of white keys and uniform note
to note.
5.
10%
: Keybushings
properly eased, not too tight or too loose.
6.
No
: Ivory
keytops or keytops with similar properties. (Yamaha
has plastic keytops, as do most pianos built after 1960)
7.
10%
: Grand
Piano action with repetition lever and spring; and action design,
materials and construction capable of being properly regulated.
8.
10%
: Grand
Action Properly Regulated (includes ALL of
the following)
·
Let-off: 1/16" to 1/32" from string and
consistent throughout
·
Drop: 1/16" to 1/8" below point of let-off
and consistent throughout
·
Checking: 5/8"
to 1/2" from string and consistent throughout
In no case, however should the hammer be allowed in any way
to brush against the backcheck on the upstroke.
·
Aftertouch: 1/16"
to 1/8" or about the thickness of a nickel
·
Repetition spring tension: must neither "jump" nor be too slow to rise, but
may be anywhere from "slow" and steady to
"brisk" and steady, as long as it is uniform from note to
note. Pianist must not
feel a "kick" in key when key is released.
·
Strike distance or hammer height:
Nominally from 1 7/8" to 1 5/8" from string and
consistent throughout. In
all cases the key dip shall always be set properly first, and then
the strike distance adjusted to accommodate the key dip.
·
Damper Timing: Damper
should start to rise when hammer is 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to the
string, and no later.
·
Hammer shanks traveled so they dont hit each other
when lifted several at the same time.
·
Action centers properly pinned: 3 to 5 grams on hammer
and whippen flanges, or capable of delivering results of 4 to 6
swings on hammer swing test.
9.
10%
: Key
length is typical of 6 or larger grands.
Action design, quality of materials and functionality is
equal to Piano Finders Specifications for a grand over 6 feet long.
10.
No
: Grand
Action Touchweight is 50 grams ( + 5 gram variance) uniform
from note to note. May taper from bass to treble. ($700
of Work by Piano Finders can be performed on this piano to reach
this standard. However, this is not included in the auction
price. Most new pianos do not have this type of refined
adjustment done to them. So this is considered something that
is a personal preference and usually fits in the category of
customizing a piano to your particular preference. )
80
% of TOUCH
on the PFS on the Scale of All Pianos
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Appearance
1.
10%
: External
wood surfaces of cabinet are protected with any of the following
agents: nitrocellulose lacquer, polyester, or other equivalent type
of finish.
2.
10%
: Hardware
shall intact and free from the following:
stripped, wrong size, or type or missing screws;
non-standard, wrong size, non-matching or inappropriate replacement
parts; broken, damaged or non-working
locks, non-aligned locks
3.
10%
: Hardware
shall be in good condition and free from the following:
tarnishing, worn-through plating or material; substandard
quality replating, cleaning, polishing or recoating.
4.
10%
: Case
parts shall be intact on piano and free from the following:
missing, damaged or broken parts; non-standard, wrong size or
style, non-matching or inappropriate replacement parts; customized,
modernized or adapted case parts; appliquι', antiquing, or any
other post-factory reliefs, carvings, decorations or additions.
5.
10%
: Case
parts shall be in good condition, properly installed on piano and
free from the following: stripped
or missing screws, stripped screw holes in non-hardware joints;
broken or loose leg locks; frozen, sticking or rubbing parts (such
as fallboard or music desk); missing or damaged knobs, rubber
buttons; broken glue joints; wobbly
legs; loose broken or stripped pedal lyre; warped lid or other
parts.
6.
No
: Finish
is free from the following: dirt,
dust, smoke, nicotine, or any other
residue; crazing, cracking, sun bleaching, fading; fisheye
peeling or other adhesion problems; chipping, blushing, scratches,
water spots, swirl marks, sinking into pores, nicks, gouges, burns,
dings, or other blemishes; excessive touchup of finish defects or
rubthroughs. (Because the cabinet is
used, there may be some minor imperfections, not usually visable in
standard home lighting. However, there are no obvious or major
cabinet imperfections)
7.
10%
: Finish
applied evenly and uniformly, and hand-rubbed or satinized if
nitrocellulose lacquer. If
polyester, shall be polished to a high gloss.
8.
10%
: Finish
is closed pored; finish
surfaces are smooth and flat without obvious ripples or depressions
when viewed under average household lighting.
9.
10%
: If
ebony, hue and shade shall be uniform. If wood grain:
wood grain veneers shall be matching, stained to a uniform
hue & shade and appropriate for type of veneer.
10.
10%
: If
ebony, wood grain patterns shall not be seen through finish.
If wood grain: wood grain patterns shall be readily apparent through clear
finish.
90
% of APPEARANCE
on the PFS on the Scale of All Pianos
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PFS
Test Results On Scale of All Pianos
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Quality
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90
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Durability
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100
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Tone
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90
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Touch
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80
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Appearance
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90
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For
more information on the Piano Finders Standard, see the following
Link:
Piano Finders Standard Overview
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Piano Finders #2914
2121 North California Blvd., Suite 290, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925-676-3355 fax: 925-945-8806
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