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I am a beginner with a new Kawai K-3 (3 months new).

How much "quality" should I expect from this piano?

I ask because in the weeks since I bought it (it was tuned before they sold it to me) some of the keys have lost their proper sound.

The E and F above middle C have a sharp metallic ringing (what I am told are overtones) that the other keys do not.

I have excellent hearing, so this is really noticeable to me.

The piano is on an inside wall, away from windows and vents, and I have the humidity at 45, what kawai recommends.

The seller (a reputable local store) has told me to be patient, and that the overtones may eventually "go away" with playing. They are not refusing outright to send someone to fix it.

Should I demand that they send out a tuner to fix this...or should I call the Kawai company...or should I wait 6 months?

Thanks.

Mac

I'm no expert on acoustic pianos. But, have tried to educate myself a bit of what to look for and what to avoid as I've recently gone through an acquisition myself. The new instrument in fact is being delivered as we speak.

"The E and F above middle C have a sharp metallic ringing (what I am told are overtones) that the other keys do not."

You've articulated this well. I believe that is one of the issues I have with my current (soon to be prior) Samick. If it is the same thing, it hasn't gone away for me as I've had the piano for several years. It is not the reason I am off of this piano now, as it otherwise has a fabulous tone. But one more drop in the bucket along with a few other issues.

In the case of my Samick though, it is not always the same note that does this. It is always the same area of the register, but could happen out of the blue on any note within a few actaves above middle C.

Suggest do some google searches about the issue. Or, perhaps bring this topic up on the Piano Tuners-Technicians forum where I believe the real experts reside.

Best of luck to you, Pianomise and welcome.

I wonder if a tuning will fix this up? Usually piano dealers will give a "free" tuning as part of the package but that's negotiable and perhaps you didn't get that?

My K3 has had a couple of issues that just went away with tuning; also they did have to adjust slightly the mechanism for the "practice" bar because I did get odd buzzes with that. But that was only when the practice pedal was on.

Once a piano is in a new environment it is recommended to tune it after a couple of weeks. Sounds like you are over due.

Also a new piano should get tuned 3-4 times the first year (every 3 months) or two while it stabilizes.

And the K-3 is a fine piano...

+1
A tuning some weeks after a piano has moved is standard.

Besides, the seasons have changed. Springtime is Tuningtime for most acoustic pianos anyway.
And if the piano has been brand new and you have played a lot since delivery, the felt on the hammers might have become a bit compressed which will make the sound more harsh, too - the keys you mentioned are among those most frequently played.

I'm no expert, but I have enjoyed learning to tune and service my pianos about as much as I've enjoyed learning to play...

With that said, acoustic pianos, especially new pianos, can go out of tune very quickly; particularly after a move to a new environment, or hard playing. Plus, the new strings on a new piano will stretch and need frequent tunings before they stabilize.

I wouldn't panic if I were you... the symptoms you describe sound like tuning issues. As far as it getting better as you play, I disagree; at least not unless you have it tuned.


Congratulations on your new piano!!

Rick

I had the same problem with my Petrof. It was only tuned before delivery. I had asked for a free one after delivery but the sales guy said that this was not necessary since the piano is very sturdy (yeah right).

Anyway, I was a bit disappointed with the sounds of some chords as well after delivery and had the piano tuned a few months later and now I wish I had done it sooner. It was not out of tune much but the sound has become much more harmonious. I'm only a beginner, so I can't really describe the difference in it in proper terms but I think it had to do with the beatings being too slow with some intervals.

New pianos are like this. I have Yamaha G2 when I bought it brand new some notes have metallic sound like it is resonating with some objects in the room, but i cant pinpoint what it is. I believe it is an acoustic problem. A couple years later I don't notice it much anymore. maybe after several tunings it has stabilize itself. I wouldn't panic for now.

If you already had the piano for 3 months, it's due for a tuning. Brand new pianos should be tuned 30 days after its home delivery. I'd tune a new piano 4 time before its first anniversary (not counting the tuning before delivery), then maybe twice a year from then on.

You may also want to look around for a good tech and build a relationship with him/her, and not depend on just anyone from the store. Ringing could be dampened by several techniques, but it also comes and goes and changes with voicing. I once complaint about ringing and my tech damped it completely by inserting a piece of leather, which actually I didn't prefer, so I asked him to remove it and worked on voicing instead.

The secret is having a happy piano is having a good tech.

It sounds more like a voicing problem to me. You know, you should post this question over on the "Piano Tuner" forum. They would have some good ideas for you.

Hi, congrats on your new k3! Mine arrived mid november.... i had it tuned 6 weeks later and now am thinking of getting it done next month...

I play over an hour a day, the enviroment the piano is in isnt stable but me and the k3 are gelling very well.... i moved it off the wall after a couple of weeks to about 5 inches and moved a couple of ornaments and audio issues dissapeared....

Thanks to all who posted.

I will post this to the Tuners' forum.

It sounds like maybe I need to demand that the seller provide a full tuning.

Mac