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shoppingforapiano

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SHOPPING FOR A PIANO 购买钢琴


The key to making a good buying decision is information and the best way to gain the knowledge you’ll need is to begin by visiting piano show rooms. Learning what pianos cost will help you establish a realistic budget. The internet can be a good source of information as well but be aware that a pianos true value can only be established by an inspection by an experienced piano technician. The most important rule for buying any piano is to have it evaluated by a piano technician.


做出一个好的购买决定的关键是信息的获得,获得你所需要的钢琴知识的较好办法是参观各个琴行.获得各种钢琴的价格有助你制订一个实际可行的购买预算。网络也是一个获得知识的很好渠道,但你要清楚,一架钢琴真的价值只有通过一位有经验的钢琴的检验才能获得。购买任何钢琴很重要的法则是让一位技师对其进行评估。


SHOULD YOU TAKE YOUR PIANO TEACHER? 你是否应该带你的钢琴老师去买琴?


Having a piano teacher evaluate a piano is a little like having a driver send teacher to look at a used car. Neither one can tell you what you really need to know. A teacher may notice problems with tone or touch or may even have rudimentary knowledge of the inner workings of a piano, but they are not piano technicians and are simply not qualified to render an opinion as to a pianos true condition. Only an experienced piano technician can tell you what you need to know. Also, it’s not uncommon for piano sellers to offer a commission to teachers (and some technicians for that matter), so be sure the person you hire is working only for you.


让一位钢琴老师对一架钢琴进行评估就有点好像一个驾驶员让一个老师去看一辆二手车。他们都不能告诉你什么是你真想知道的。老师可能会特别留意音色或手感,或者可能会有钢琴内在做工的初步知识,但他们不是钢琴技师,他们无法能够提供一架钢琴真价值的建议。只有一位有经验的钢琴技师才能告诉你什么是你要去了解的。同时,商家给老师提成也不是一件什么新鲜的事(许多技师的建议只是就事而论),因此一定要确认你所雇佣的人是为你工作的。



DOES A PIANO’S AGE REALLY MATTER? 钢琴的年龄真的很重要吗?


“How old is it?” is often one of the first questions asked and although it can sometimes be an issue, it usually is not. Why? Just like cars, pianos may have ‘low mileage’ or ‘high mileage’ without regard to age. Let’s suppose there are two identical pianos. One is twenty five years old and was used by a beginner for three or four years and not touched again after lesson ended. The other is only five years old but spent those years in a music department practice room being played twelve hours a day by college level players. Which would be in better condition? Age is simply never a reliable predictor of condition and is why you should always have a piano evaluated by an experienced piano technician.


“这架钢琴是什么时间生产的?”,这是许多购买钢琴的人经常首先要问的一句话,尽管钢琴的生产时间有时会很重要的,但它不是评价一架钢琴真价值的标准。为什么?就好像汽车一样,钢琴可能会有和生产日期没有的关系的“低里程数”和“高里程数“。让我们打个比方有两架同样的钢琴,一架是25年的历史了,只是在刚开始由初学者弹了3或4年,后来课程结束就再也没有被碰过。另外一架只有5年的历史,但这5年里,它放在一个音乐系的练习房里,大学水平的练习者每天都弹12个小时。你设想一下,哪一个的状态会比较好?年代并不是评价一架钢琴好坏的可靠的因素,这就是你应当让一位有经验的钢琴技师来评价一架钢琴的原因。



UNIVERSITY SALES - ARE THEY AS ADVERTISED?


大学销售——真的如他们所宣传的那样吗?


The perception is that these sales are an opportunity to buy a piano from a university loaner program that is virtually new, in excellent condition and available at a substantial saving over the dealer’s best everyday prices. The reality may be quite different. In fact, these sales may contain few if any of the pianos actually used by the university. Often it’s just the dealer’s regular inventory which has been moved to the sale location and creatively re-priced. These sales are usually held over a weekend at the school or at an exhibit hall which helps create a sense of excitement and urgency. Pianos at these events are priced to create the illusion of “tremendous savings” but in fact may be only a few percentage points off the normal retail price. The piano business is really no different from any other business; there has to be a reasonable profit in order to remain in business and for many dealers university sales have become one of the most effective sales methods yet devised. Can you get a good piano at a fair price? Of course, but you can do just as well by shopping carefully at other times too.


这种认识是,这种销售是通过一个高校贷款计划获得一个机会来购买钢琴,而且这些钢琴很新,状态相当不错,并且可以得到一个相当优惠的价格。现实的情况可能会大不一样。实际上,这些销售的钢琴当中可能会有几架真是大学使用的钢琴。经常的情况是,这是经销商的正常库存,这些钢琴只是被运到那里,然后再创造性地重新定价。这样的销售经常是周末在学校或展厅里举行,通常会造成一种令人兴奋的、迫切的感觉。这些钢琴的定价给人造成一种“相当便宜”的错觉,实际上它只是给你了正常销售价格上的很小优惠。钢琴的生意实际上和任何其它的生意没有什么不同,他们必须要有一个合理的利润才能维持生意,而且,对于许多的经销商来说,大学销售成为他们较有效的销售方法。那么你是否还能够得到一个比较公平的价格呢?回答是肯定的,但你一定要在其它的时间里逛逛琴行,好好做好你的“功课”。



THE TRUTH ABOUT GREY MARKET YAMAHA PIANOS “灰色市场”雅马哈钢琴的真相


Grey market is a term that was first used in the ‘70’s by Mercedes dealers to describe cars purchased by vacationers in Germany at a substantial saving and shipped home where they were modified to meet emissions standards. Sometimes the conversions were trouble free but often they were not, so grey market became a pejorative term which has now been adopted by the Yamaha Corporation to label pianos originally sold in Japan which are now being exported to the U.S. and other countries.


“灰色市场”这个单词很早用于70年代,是奔驰轿车的经销商对那些由度假者以相当低的价格在德国购买、并运回家中进行改装来符合当地的排放标准的汽车的一种称呼。有时候这种改装并不会产生问题,但经常的情况是麻烦不断,因此“灰色市场”变成了一个轻蔑的称呼,现在被用于雅马哈公司那些原来起初只在日本销售的、并重新贴牌、现在正出口到美国和其它国家的钢琴。


Yamaha has devised a campaign to try to convince prospective purchasers of these pianos that because they “weren’t built for the American market” and weren’t “specially seasoned” to withstand the demands placed on them by our climate they won’t hold up. Apparently, they would have us believe that climate changes and humidity in Japan are somehow different in this country and pianos built for their market are unable to withstand these changes. If this is true, why then is Yamaha the only company in the world having this problem and wouldn’t they then have to produce pianos for our arid states and others for our humid states? How could they offer a warrantee if simply changing climates would adversely affect them? In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Woods response to changes in climatic conditions is predictable regardless of where in the world it is and all piano makers use the same kiln drying method to control woods reaction to the world’s climate changes.


雅马哈曾经发起一个运动,尽量劝说那些潜在的雅马哈钢琴购买者不要购买这些“灰色市场”上的钢琴,原因是“这些钢琴并不是为美国市场生产的”,“并没有经过特别干燥”来适应美国的气候,这些钢琴经不起使用。很明显,他们是想让我们知道气候的变化和日本的湿度和我们这个地方是不同的,为日本市场制造的钢琴并不能适合这些改变的。如果他们所说的是真实的话,为什么雅马哈是一个出现这个问题的公司,那么如此说来,他们还得必须为那些干燥的州和气候湿润的州生产不同的钢琴。如果是简单的气候变化就能影响到这些钢琴的话,那他们是怎样提供保修的?事实是,真相相当简单。木材在不同气候条件下的变化是可预见的,不管它在这个世界的哪个地方都是一样。所有的钢琴制造商使用同样的干燥窑干燥方法让木材适应世界上的不同气候。


Yamaha also claims that replacement parts for their ‘grey market’ pianos are not available in this country. This simply is not true. Parts suppliers have always stocked replacement parts for every piano brand.


雅马哈还声称,灰色市场钢琴部件的更换件在美国是没法得到的。这当然也不是真的。部件供应商们经常为每一个钢琴品牌储存一些替换件。



The simple truth is that the high quality and attractive price of these refurbished pianos is one of today’s best values and has had an impact on the sale of their new pianos, hence the “grey market” story.


较简单的真相是,高质量和有竞争力的价格使这些钢琴的性价比特别高,而且影响了他们新钢琴的销售,这就是“灰色市场”的由来。



SHOULD YOU BUY A REBUILT PIANO?你可以买一架翻修的钢琴吗?


There are compelling reasons to consider a good rebuilt piano. Rebuilding allows the incorporation of modern technological advances such as computer aided re-design of the original scale (the arrangement of string tensions) as well as improvements in action and hammer design. This can help to create a piano that may perform beyond the limits of its original design and can be played with more finesse, greater clarity of tone and more power. Many vintage pianos may have carvings or rare woods simply unavailable today so buying a re-built piano may be the only way to get something special. We sometimes help clients find good pianos in bad condition that can be bought inexpensively and restored to their former glory. Piano dealers often do this and make a nice profit. Our clients do it to get a fine piano wholesale. A piano that has been correctly restored will often be a better value than some new ones at the same price point.


有许多理由让你来考虑选择一架好的翻新钢琴。翻新钢琴让现代技术比如说计算机辅助重新设计原始弦列在这些钢琴上的应用、还有对击弦机和榔头设计的提高成为了可能。这能够帮助创造一架演奏性突破原始设计限制的钢琴,演奏起来更有技巧性,音色更清澈,声音更有力。许多古钢琴的雕刻和稀有木制件在今天几乎无法得到,因此,购买一架翻新的钢琴是得到一架很“有特点的钢琴”的一个渠道。我们有时候会帮助客户寻找好的、但状况比较糟糕的钢琴,购买价格非常便宜,然后进行翻修让它重现往日的光芒。钢琴经销商经常这样做,而且利润可观。我们的客户这样做为的是把批发给带动起来。同样价格的钢琴,经过很好翻修的钢琴往往比一些新琴的购买价值要高。



SHOULD YOU REBUILD YOUR PIANO?是否需要翻新你的钢琴了?


The answer to the question can only be provided by the owner. Although there may be many compelling reasons, “It was our family piano” may simply be reason enough. Many pianos we rebuild are from the pianos ‘golden era’ of the early part of the last century when many builders produced instruments of very high quality. Often the casework included fancy veneers, elaborate designs or hand carvings simply unavailable today. These pianos are often well worth the time and expense involved. Today, the rebuilding process allows the incorporation of modern technological advances such as computer aided scale re-design of the original arrangement of string tensions as well as advancements in action and hammer design. Rebuilding may often create a piano that performs beyond the limits of its original design and produces a piano with more power that can be played with greater finesse and clarity of tone.


这个问题只能够由所有者来回答。尽管有许多很好的理由,但“这是我们家族传下来的的钢琴”会是一个非常简单而足够的理由。许多我们翻新的钢琴都来自钢琴的“黄金时代”,那就是上个世纪初,那个时候造出了许多高质量的钢琴。许多的琴壳使用非常昂贵的木皮、精心的设计、手工雕刻,而所有这些都是现代无法做到的。这些钢琴经得起时间的考验,而且价格非常贵。今天,现代技术比如说计算机辅助重新设计原始弦列在这些钢琴上得到了应用、击弦机和榔头设计也得到了提高。许多钢琴的演奏性突破了原始设计的局限性,演奏的技巧性更强,音色更清澈,声音更有力。



OUR CERTIFIED USED PIANOS 我们翻修的钢琴


Because we are primarily piano re-builders rather than piano sellers, our approach to marketing is a little different from the ‘big dealer’ piano stores. Our focus tends to be on enhancing the technical aspects of a piano as well as its appearance. Every piano we sell reflects this commitment to quality. You’ll find each one in tune, voiced, regulated and ready for its new home. Our certification process begins by taking the piano apart, cleaning, inspecting and repairing as needed. Some may need replacement parts such as hammers or felts. Sometimes a piano must be completely overhauled in order to meet our ‘certified’ requirements. Our pianos carry warranties of from one to five years.


因为我们主要是钢琴翻新者,所以我们介入市场的方式和“大的钢琴经销商店“有一点不同。我们的重点更倾向于提高钢琴的技术方面和它的外观。我们销售的每一架钢琴都经过我们高质量地翻新。你将发现,所有的钢琴都被很好地调音、整音、整理,你的工作是只需安排它要去的地方。我们专业性的工作是把钢琴拆开,清理,检查和维修所有有必要的部件。有些部件可能需要更换,比如说榔头和呢毡。有时候一架钢琴经常需要被彻底地检查,这样才能符合我们的专业要求。我们钢琴的保修期为1-5年。


We usually don’t have ‘starter pianos’ for a few hundred dollars, but may sometimes have a piano that’s “used and as is” which will be serviceable as a starter instrument. Although these pianos are sold without warranty we do offer a full value trade in.


我们一般没有很便宜的几百美元的“初学者”钢琴,但经常有一架“已经使用并保持原样”的钢琴,作为一个初学者来说,这样的钢琴是可以用的。尽管这样的钢琴没有保修期,但我们能够提供一个全值的置换保值



WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR NEW PIANO


对于你的新钢琴你要了解的几个方面


The most important time in the life of a piano is its first five years and the care it receives during this time. During this time, the strings will stretch and seat on bearing surfaces, the hundreds of pieces of felt and buckskin in the action will pack down causing a slight change in their dimensions which will affect the regulation. Without attention, this will affect its performance during its lifetime and affect its ability to perform as it should.


一架钢琴生命较重要的时间是在钢琴刚购买的5年内,它在这期间究竟是怎么被呵护的。在这个时间内,琴弦将继续发挥它的张力并作用于弦枕的表面。击弦机上几百片的呢毡和麂皮将会收缩变实,尺寸上会有一些轻微的变化,这样会影响到它的调整。如果不注意维护的话,钢琴的生命期内钢琴的性能将会受到影响,削弱其本身应有的表现力。



We often find new pianos that have had no regulating or voicing before delivering, so it’s important to have an experienced technicians help during those early years. A new piano should be tuned at least three times a year for the first two years and twice a year for the next three. Doing so will stabilize the piano and extend its life.


我们经常发现新钢琴发货之前没有调整和整音,因此在起初的几年里找得到一位有经验技师的帮助是非常重要的。一架新的钢琴在起初的两年里至少要调3遍音,以后的三年每年两次。这样做将会提高钢琴的稳定性并延长其生命的期限。



CARING FOR YOUR PIANO (WHAT THE DEALER MAY NOT HAVE TOLD YOU)


维护您的钢琴(什么是经销商可能没有告诉你的)


Proper care of a piano is not difficult and following a few simple rules can have a positive effect on its performance over its life.


正确的维护其实并不难,遵循几个简单的原则,就能对钢琴产生一些正面的影响。


Keep your piano out of direct sunlight – it will bleach the color out of a natural finish very quickly and will also cause the piano to get much warmer than it should for a few hours every day, especially if it’s black. The warming and cooling can cause it to go out of tune more quickly.


把钢琴远离阳光直射的地方——阳光会让你的钢琴非常快地失去它本身的颜色。而且,每天有好几个小时钢琴处在高温之下,特别是黑色琴。冷暖的变化会很快让钢琴失去音准的稳定性。


Never place anything containing liquid on your piano. A potted plant that leaks or sweats or a spilled drink can easily cause hundreds or even thousands of dollars in damage.


不要在钢琴上面放置任何盛有液体的物体。可能会有渗漏液体的盆栽植物或不小心碰倒的饮料很容易会造成几百美元、甚至上千美元的损失。


Caring for the finish of a modern piano is different from that which was recommended a generation ago. Those polished black finishes that are so beautiful are not lacquer, as many believe, but polyester which has its own set of rules for its care. Dust only with a soft cloth of pure cotton or a special cloth available from the dealer or your technician. Smudges or sticky fingerprints can be easily removed using the cloth slightly damp. A small paint brush is ideal for getting dust out of hard to reach places like the tuning pin area (in grands) and crevices or corners. The keys may be cleaned with a slightly damp soft cloth. Damage such as scratches or chips may be successfully repaired by someone with special training and equipment. The dealer may be the best source for this. We highly recommend string covers for grand pianos. They protect the entire area under the lid from spills or dirt and will keep the piano looking new all its life. Over the years pianos protected with string covers will appraise for more than ones without them.


对现代钢琴琴壳的维护不同于几十年前。现在这些黑色亮光的琴壳很漂亮,但不是硝基漆。聚酯漆有它自己的维护方法。去除灰尘你用柔软的纯棉或者经销商给你提供的特殊布就可以了。污迹和油性的手印用湿布可以轻易地去掉。一个小的油漆刷可以清理弦轴、边角和缝隙等比较难以清理的地方的灰尘。琴键的清理你用微湿的布就可以了。划痕找个人用特别的机器就可以很好地修复,经销商那里你可以找到你所需要的一切。我们强烈推荐三角琴使用琴弦罩。顶盖下面整个琴弦区域的保护可以防止液体的溅泼和灰尘,让你的钢琴光亮如新。多年后带有琴弦保护罩的钢琴比那些没有保护的钢琴价值要高。


If your piano has just been re-strung or re-built it should be treated like a new one. See what you should know about your new piano.


如果你的钢琴重新上过弦或被翻修过,那你就应当把它当成新的一样来看待。具体内容请见“对于你的新钢琴你要了解的几个方面”那一节。



HOW OFTEN SHOULD A PIANO BE TUNED? 多长时间来调音?


Any piano, regardless of its location, needs regular maintenance. Usually, tuning twice yearly is sufficient given the seasonal climate changes in North Carolina. Voicing and regulating which determine how the piano sounds and feels should be checked with each tuning and adjusted as needed.


任何钢琴,不管它放在什么地方,都需要经常性的维护。通常的情况是,每年2次便足够了适应北加利福尼亚州的季节性气候变化。整音和调整则要根据钢琴的具体情况而定,每次调音的时候检查一下声音和手感,如果有必要的话,可以做一做。



WHY DOES A PIANO GO OUT OF TUNE? 钢琴为什么会失去音准?


Because a piano is made primarily of wood, it’s affected by changes in temperature and humidity which cause the soundboard to expand or contract slightly during these changes. This movement changes the tension of the strings and over time causes the piano to go out of tune. This process usually takes some time, but certain conditions such as exposure to direct sunlight could cause it to happen more quickly. Sometimes when intervals between tunings is measured in years, the pianos overall pitch can drop enough to require two or more tunings within a short time to restore and stabilize the piano to the correct A-440 pitch. Having your piano tuned at regular intervals is the best and most cost effective way to be sure you get the most your piano has to offer.


因为一架钢琴主要是由木材制成的,木材受到温度和湿度影响会引起音板轻微的膨胀和收缩。这样的变化会引起琴弦张力的变化,这样钢琴就会失去音准。这个过程通常需要经过一段时间,但在某种特定的条件下,比如说直接暴露在阳光下,会引起音准的快速变化。有时候,长时间不调音,比如说整年不调一次的话,钢琴的整体音高就会降低,那你就需要在很短的时间内调两次以上的音,这样重新让钢琴本身得到稳定并把音高拉到标准的A440。有规律地让你钢琴得到调音是稳定音准较好和较有效的方法。


WHAT ABOUT AURAL VS. ’ELECTRONIC’ TUNING?传统调音(耳朵)和电子调音。


For many years electronic tuning devices have been used by some (usually inexperienced) tuners. The results were almost always less than satisfactory because of the devices inability to create a tuning that sounded good. Although technically correct, perfect in fact, it was artfully inferior and produced a tuning devoid of the harmonic characteristics, warmth and tonal coloring produced by an experienced aural tuner. Today, however, there are computerized tuning programs that not only mimic the best aural tuning techniques, but can do so with a precession that is beyond human ability. Many of today’s tuners are turning to these devices to help them create tunings that sound better. For more information about computer aided tuning, visit: www.reyburn.com/innovations.html


电子调音设备已经被有些调音师(经常是那些没有经验的)使用了许多年了。结果是大多数情况下都无法得到满意,因为设备无法把音调得很准。尽管从技术上来讲是正确的的,但往往现实的情况是,这种高科技掩盖下的低劣做法造成调音缺乏和声的特征。温和、优美的音色只有一位有经验的传统调音师才能创造。然而现在又出现了计算机化的调音程序,它不仅模仿很好的传统调音技术,而且能够做一些人类能力无法达到调音动作。许多现代的调音师使用这样的设备来让声音听起来更好。关于更多的计算机辅助调音的资料,请登陆www.reyburn.com/innovations.html


本文的英文部分来自国外网站,翻译部分非经本人同意,不得转载。


2009年3月16日于文德隆

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