Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum and wanted to ask all the other pianists a question about grand piano maintenance.
Has anyone ever used string covers and/or the Dampp-Chaser humidity control system to protect their grand piano? What has been your experience?

I am awaiting the delivery of my new Yamaha Grand at the end of this month and it will be the first grand that I have owned (can't wait!!). Because of the way our house is set out, the piano has to stand in a less than ideal position in terms of temperature changes etc. It will be in a sunny roon (albeit with plenty of blinds) which has lots of glass i.e. large windows, as well as underfoor heating (I am already cringing as I write this!). I guess the underfloor heating gives off gentle heat over a larger area as opposed to a radiator so perhaps this isn't such a problem (??). Unfortunately, this is the only place where the piano can fit in comfortably.

So if anyone has any advice on how to protect my new piano from the ravages of the modern home, I would be very grateful for your input.

Many thanks!

Lucky you getting a grand piano.

I'm not an expert on the care of pianos so can't give you any advice regarding how to look after it apart from getting it tuned regularly. However, I either read somewhere or someone told me that piano manufacturers take into account that their pianos are going to go into centrally heated homes as so use materials/production methods that will help them cope better in these conditions. Unlike older pianos that were made before the introduction of central heating.

Euridice,
presumably you've bought your piano from a dealer who's going to be responsible for servicing the piano under guarantee. Firstly, is it the dealer who's put you onto these add-ons? If not, I suggest you have a talk to them about whether they'd recommend it.
Have you got a tuner you trust? Can you talk it through with him/her - no doubt they see a lot of pianos in all sorts of less-than-ideal situations.
Rahter than messing about with your fabulous new instrument, why not purchase a dehumidifier for the room?
You might also want to investigate putting some kind of UV blocking film on the inside of your windows - my Mum had this done to reduce the amount of sun damage to furniture in her lounge. It's worked pretty well, and is not noticeable - glass looks ever so slightly darkened, but you'd really have to look for it.
As Lucia says, manufacturers are going to allow for 'normal' conditions - yours don't sound too extreme!

Thanks for your responses.

The dealer didn't say anything about it (I will enquire what he thinks, though), but I have been reading up on it and it gets mentioned. I will also ask the piano tuner. I think the problem is not just that you might need a dehumidifier but also a humidifier, i.e. so it doesn't get too dry, especially with underfloor heating.

The glass already has a UV coating on it, but it still gets hot in the room in the summer (well, for the few days a year that we have really hot weather in the UK!). And then the room rapidly cools down when the sun goes down.

I'm just trying to tick all the boxes in advance to make sure my new "darling" is cared for properly :-)

Hi

I have a Yamaha GB1 baby grand and it truly is a superb instrument. I bought it July last year, it was tuned prior to delivery from new, but is now in need of a another tune. You will find that the keys and hammer actions will be a bit on the heavy side to start with, if as I assume, you are buying a new one). You will need to play lots of scales and arpeggios from the very bottom of the key board to the top to loosen the frame up and get it bedded in nicely.

I have had to move mine a couple of times as I have had some extensive re-modelling to my house (a converted barn). I don't think this does the piano much harm but you will be surprised how quickly it knocks it out of tune.

I have normal central heating (radiators) but none anywhere near my piano.

Modern acoustic pianos are built with pre-seasoned woods using modern technology so I don't think the sound board should suffer any drastic changes due to slight temperature and humidity variations.

I've heard a lot about these humidity control gadgets, but honestly I wouldn't bother, just another scam to get you to waste money.

Good luck with your Yammy, I'm sure you will enjoy every second playing it. I know I do.

My Yamaha grand is 25 years old - I bought it brand new in 1980.. It has worked between 4 and 8 hours a day ever since I bought it. It has been moved 7 times in that period and has lived in a variety of (England) environments without trouble.

My tuner explained in answer to a similar question I posed to him soon after buying the piano, that modern instruments are built with the environment they are facing in mind. Materials are seasoned with this in mind, so yours should not be in any danger.

Get professional confirmation, but you should not have a problem.

Steve

Interesting to note :
the main reason why Steinway decided to build a second factory in Germany, (the principal one being in the USA,) was that Europe needs pianos that are adapted to a humid climate.