[pianotech] Grey Market Yamaha

[chip tuthill]

I inspected a Yamaha 44" console made in 1971. According to the Yamaha website, 
this instrument was not manufactured for the US market. It spent the last 4 
years here in the SW corner of Colorado. Prior to that it was in Florida. I took 
out the heating rod, which was thankfully unplugged. How long it has been in the 
piano is anyone's guess. There was a stencil on the back stating "Completely 
conditioned for Florida- Hale Piano & Organ Company". Zehme Piano Service, RPT 
last serviced the piano in 1994. Owners have not had the piano tuned in several 
years.

Piano is in good condition needing the following, regulation, including moderate 
hammer shaping and key leveling. Strings good- no rust, dampers good.  Bass 
 bridge good, upper treble has a suspect glue line. It appears a little wide, 
but I could not get a needle nose tweezer to catch crossing the glue line. The 
soundboard has 3-4"  and one 16" hair line cracks. No buzzing or other sounds, 
ribs firmly attached.

The  butt string cord is broken (cut?) on every hammer butt. The action is a 
little sluggish, but that could be due to needing regulation. Any estimate on 
how long it would take to replace the cord? Should I replce the cord?

Owner wants to sell. Any idea as to the value of the piano as is? What concerns 
should a buyer have with this grey market piano? 

Thanks,

Chip Tuthill
Tuthill Piano Service
Associate Member PTG 


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20101113/a6149dc0/attachment.htm>