Boston GP-178

[tsarchitect]

Hi, everyone --

I just found this site and I think it's wonderful!  I'm so glad to be in the company of such talented and informative individuals!

I've been playing the piano for about 25 years (kind of self-taught).  I really enjoy playing the "American Song Book"  -- you know, standards from the '30s thru the '80s (NO rock or blues out of these hands!)  I can read music fairly well although I normally play from "fake books."  As a challenge, I would like to begin playing some easier classical pieces.  (My favorite composers are Chopin and Beethoven.)

My piano is an almost ten-year-old Boston GP-178.  It's a beautiful instrument but it needs some work.  Since I don't play it regularly (my architectural practice takes precedence), it has gone severely out-of-tune.  (The last time it was tuned was about four years ago by a member of the Piano Technician's Guild here in Albany, New York.)  Also, some of the keys stick and are noisy when depressed and notes "clang" and "buzz!"  Is this a sign of serious repair problems?  (It's very discouraging to play and not be satisfied with the "music" I'm producing!!!)  I know that occasionally I get carried away and play forcefully, mostly out of frustration, not passion!

I would love to hear from anyone who has a comment or advice.  Thanks for your interest!

tsarchitect

[Axtremus]

Well, first of all, what do you want to get out of the piano?

If you say you want to make it back into a good musical instrument, then the answer is abvious: get it tuned/regulated/voiced, have it brought back to spec by a competent piano technician.

Most manufacturer recommends that you get your piano tuned at least twice a year, and that you try to control the relative humidity in your home where you put the piano. If neither of that is done, then the piano suffers.

Get a competent technician to work on it, and see what happens.

Good luck.

[tsarchitect]

Thank you, Axtremus, for your reply.

What do I want to get out of my piano?  That's easy -- more enjoyment!  Since I have so little time to sit down and play, when I do I want to feel like I'm accomplishing something.  Having a piano that seems to need so much work at this time is discouraging.  Maybe if I played more it might cure some of its "ills! "

The reason for my post was to ask if some of the problems (especially keys sticking and making noise) can be repaired.  (Tuning the piano, undoubtedly, is needed.)   My piano is located in a room with a constant temperature of 70 degrees F., although it's a converted "under the residence" garage finished into what I call my "music room."  Do you think that this might be a factor?

I will call my technician in the next few days and I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks again!

tsarchitect
   

[tosca1]

I have a similar piano, a Boston GP 178, which I bought new nearly seven years ago. So far, the piano has been very stable and there is no problem at all with sticking keys. I am careful with its environment, but I have no temperature or humidity control and it is inevitably affected by seasonal changes in the weather.

 Although it is very unwise to leave a piano untuned for four years, the keys should not stick and it would seem that your piano is in an environment which is too humid. That your piano has gone "severely" out of tune would also suggest there are ambient humidity problems for your piano. Even if the temperature is constant, sticking keys will indicate too much moisture in the air as wood will swell in a damp environment.

Good luck with the tuning and regulation.

Robert.

[tsarchitect]

Hi, Robert --

Thanks for your reply.  I really love playing my GP-178, but it's discouraging to have it in such a condition right now.

I don't play it as much as I would like; my architectural practice takes precedence.  Lately I've had a little time to sit down and play, though.  I wouldn't call myself an "accomplished pianist" -- but that's a subject for another thread!

Controlling the humidity in the room may be difficult.  It's located partially below grade, but gets a lot of light.  The temperature is kept at 70 degrees F. by electric heat constantly.  (It used to be my garage!)  I thought the keys sticking was a major repair problem.  Do you know what might be causing the "ticking" noise I hear when the keys are depressed?

Tuning is another matter, simply because of the little time I've spent playing, not from purposeful neglect.  I'm sure that if I devoted more time to piano, the Boston would be in perfect condition!  I'm going to call my technician as soon as I can.

What do you think of your Boston in general?  As I may have mentioned, I also purchased mine new almost ten years ago.  I tried Baldwins and Yamahas, but I seemed to like how the Boston sounded and, in my opinion, it was reasonably priced.  This may sound foolish, but I was thinking about taking advantage of the "Steinway Promise" in which I would receive the full value (?) of the Boston for a trade-in.  I'm thinking about the Steinway Model L.  Do you have any idea about what the price differential might be?  I would appreciate your opinion, as well as the others on this Forum, about this decision.

Thanks again!

Tom

[Axtremus]

Steinway L -- a new (black) one would go for more than 50,000 USD now, I think.

Piano is made mostly of wood, and wood reacts to relative humidity. Relative humidity is key (not temperature by itself). Wood swells when its humid, and shrinks when it's dry. It's the nature of wood. If the wood shrinks or swells too much, it may cause various problems in the piano. Even if you cannot treat the whole room to stabilize the room's humidity, there's something called Dampp-Chaser ( https://www.dampp-chaser.com/ )that's designed to help stabilize the humidity in the micro-climate surrounding the piano. You can give that a look.

But seeing that you're having problems with your piano right now, the best course of action really is to get a professional, a competent piano technician, to take a look, assess the situation, and fix stuff and give longer-term maintenance advise accordingly. If anything, getting a technician to bring your piano back up to good playing condition should be much cheaper than buying a new piano. If you learn from the technician that there's something seriously wrong with your piano that will cost big bucks to fix, you can consider a new piano then and weigh that against having your current one fixed up.

Just curious -- if you're not using the piano all that much anyway, why would you want to upgrade the piano? It's not like a Steinway will need any less maintenance than a Boston if you put them in the same environment. In fact, I suspect it'll need even more maintenance than a Boston to stay in good playing condition. After paying the kind of money one needs to pay to acquire a Steinway L, it's natural for one to expect a lot, and that expectation would carry a price tag to match if it is to be met.

BTW, Kawai the Japanese piano manufacturer made many of their action parts with synthetic material (ABS carbon composite) to get around some of the potential wood/humidity problem. Kawai made your Boston too by some kind of OEM relationship with Steinway. But for whatever reason known only to Steinway and Kawai, all the Boston pianos have wood action in them (just like Steinway and most other pianos).

Good luck.

[tosca1]

Hello Tom,
I am happy to respond to your inquiries about the Boston GP 178.
On the humidity issue could you judiciously use a de-humidier or as Axtremus has suggested, you could attach a Dampp-Chaser to your piano.
I have come across a very elegant  Steinway grand that had many  sticking keys and that piano seemed to be in a favourable domestic environment.  Axtremus has clearly pointed out that upgrading your piano will not necessarily solve this problem.

Your piano should still be under warranty and your tuner/technician should be best able to advise what must be done.

If you can play your piano more often you will be able to monitor more carefully any changes or deterioration in its response.  Pianos love to be played and regular playing also helps them in peak condition both mechanically  and tonally.

I bought my Boston GP 178 seven years ago and I am very pleased with it.  I agree with you Tom that it represents good value for money.  The Boston pianos are competitively priced with Yamaha and Kawai pianos.
My independent tuner/technician recommended the Boston piano to me as he considers it a well built, quality product with a better sound than its piano competitors.

He has voiced my piano to my preference for a  warm, rich tone which is round and smooth over the whole piano.

At times I yearn for a more sonorous bass and a more brilliant and powerful treble, but on any 5' 10" grand piano it is not possible to have the full tonal palette and power of a larger grand.
If you are thinking of trading in your Boston on the "Steinway Promise" you will have to act quickly as that contract expires after 10 years. It is possibly not such a great deal either as you will have to pay the full price for a new Steinway grand. My Auckland dealer told me that there would be no reductions on the price of a new Steinway grand should I trade in my Boston. The trade-in of the original purchase price of the Boston is upheld, but then there can be no negotiation at the other end.

I am very interested in the Shigeru Kawai pianos and as mentioned by Axtremus, the Boston pianos are made in the Kawai factory.  The Shigeru Kawai is the hand made version of the Kawai grand piano. Already the Kawai grand piano has an excellent reputation and the Shigeru models offer even more refinements  in quality and sound.
It is a very innovative company  and the hand made Shigeru models represent a considerable compared to buying a Steinway.

All the very best for your Boston and your music.

Robert.

[gkatele]

I am very interested in the Shigeru Kawai pianos and as mentioned by Axtremus, the Boston pianos are made in the Kawai factory.  The Shigeru Kawai is the hand made version of the Kawai grand piano. Already the Kawai grand piano has an excellent reputation and the Shigeru models offer even more refinements  in quality and sound.

I am just beginning the hunt for a new piano, and I have a short list. I have not been impressed with the sound of the Kawai RX series, or the action that I have seen. Please understand that this is a VERY SUBJECTIVE concept. I understand that many people love them, it's just not for me.

The Shigeru blew me away. Amazing instrument. Like a sports car. Precise, fast, limber and nimble. It sang to me.

Now if I could only afford one!


George

[tsarchitect]

Thanks, Axtremus and Robert for your very insightful comments.

As Axtremus suggested, I looked into the Dampp-Chaser via the web last night.  I'm going to mention it to my technician to see what he knows or thinks about it.  I'm certainly going to contact him in the next day or two.

To be honest, the reason I had for perhaps trading my Boston for a Steinway was just for the cache of the Steinway brand name.  I know it doesn't matter because of the current environmental conditions the Boston is in --  a "piano is still a piano! "  Seeing there really isn't any valid reason for this decision (up until now) I'll put that idea on the proverbial "back burner."

I'm eagerly waiting to hear what my technician has to say or recommend.  I'll let you know if my Boston has more serious problems and what my technician suggests to repair them.

Thanks again!

Tom