Gray market Yamahas

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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All U1s are made in Japan. If you have a suspicion that your customers =
piano is gray-market, just go to the Yamaha site, type in the serial =
number, and find out.

Kevin.=20
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Piannerman@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 6:33 PM
  Subject: Gray market Yamahas


  Salutations to all,
       In an Asian person's home the other day and tuned a U1.  Nice =
piano but for some reason the tone quality just didn't seem as nice as =
what I am accustomed to.  The serial number was higher than the latest =
one (1996) listed in the Pierce Atlas and the couple had purchased it =
from another individual within the last year or so.  So I was idly =
wondering if the piano could be a "gray market" when I noticed it  - =
"Made in Japan" stenciled on the plate.  Aha!!  Definitely a "gray =
market piano".

      I didn't say anything to the customer but came home to my own U1, =
purchased about 6 years ago from a Yamaha dealer, smugly confident that =
my piano was a bonafide, Made in America Yamaha.  Lifted up the lid and =
there it was - "Made in Japan", right on the plate.  I could have =
croaked.  Does this mean that I have a "gray market piano?"  Surely =
there must be a way to tell by looking.  Do all Yamahas say "Made in =
Japan", even the ones that are made over here?

       Please advise as I have an inquiring mind and would really =
appreciate some insight on this burning question.  (Sorry if this has =
been covered in depth previously.)
  Charles Cron
  Rockfield, KY 
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