Yamaha C3 -Reply

[Steve Pearson]

All Yamaha grands are manufactured in Japan.  As to the $15,000 price;
such a price should be viewed with suspicion if it is indeed a new piano. 
A call to Yamaha should clear up any questions about its pedigree, as all
serial numbers can be checked against a list.  It is hard to imagine how
any dealer could sell a new instrument at such a price and stay in
business, since  selling at a profit, however small, is required to pay the
bills.
The C3 is a tremendous instrument, and much sought after by pianists for
it tone, response and durability.  They have a long and impressive track
record.  There are tens of thousands of them in homes, studios,
churches, colleges and universities all over the world, and it would be
difficult to find a better testament to the quality of these instruments.  My
own  experience as a piano tech in the Los Angeles area  for 23 years
-prior to joining Yamaha in 1996- confirmed  this opinion.  My tenure with
Yamaha has done nothing to alter that.
We all have preferences.  Some like Fords, some Volvos, some Chevys. 
My advice to potential buyers is and has always been; buy what sounds
and feels good to you.  Buy what you like.  If it is a Yamaha, you can rest
assured we will be here to back our product.  
For the record, the C3 inner rim is laminated Beech and  Mengkulang
(comparable in hardness with European Beech).  Having rebuilt some
older Yamahas, I can testify to their solid construction and "rebuildability".
Steve Pearson
Yamaha piano service.

>>> Cheeto LD <CheetoLD@aol.com> 04/24/98 05:29pm >>>
Dear list,
     I have recently been looking into purchasing a new Yamaha C3...I just
wanted to ask you all a few questions about it. One, is 15,000 a good
price
for a new one? Is there room for negotiation? Two, Are there other
grands in
the same price range that are superior or of equal value to the C3? I also
had
another question about the Yamaha company...I've heard of a plant in
Georgia
that assembled uprights, but are any of the grands produced in the U.S.
or are
all the grands shipped overseas?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Sincerely,
Caleb McVey

BTW...haven't we all heard enough about that dreaded subject perfect
pitch by
now? My original question has been answered a hundred fold!