'Grey Market' Yamaha pianos

Carl Root rootfamily@erols.com
Fri, 24 Jul 1998 09:37:39 -0400


This is a legitimate problem, in my experience.

1)  A few years ago, a woman bought a birthday present for her husband
from a storefront near here which appeared, then disappeared.  She
thought she was buying a new Yamaha grand for $10000.  Turned out to
have been built in 1969 and needed a new pinblock. 

2)  A customer bought a Kawai grand for $5000 from a local, uh,
'tuner/dealer' who seems to have access to a steady supply of these
things.  The soundboard went bang in the middle of the night.  She now
has a Baldwin grand that stays in reasonably good tune, indicating that
severe humidity changes was not the problem.

There are grands and consoles.  Kawais (but mostly Yamahas). 
'reconditioned' and 'as is'. . . . . . 

Why is there such a large supply?

Carl



This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC