[pianotech] Grey Market Yamaha/Kawai

[Ron Nossaman]

On 8/30/2012 8:16 AM, Jim Ialeggio wrote:
> The Grey Market is new to me...it is a price point that reflects some of
> my current client's attitude towards spending money, even though some of
> them have plenty of bucks they are sitting on.
>
> I Did some research last night on what grey market means, and I must
> say, that the info that seems the most credible,  matches my original
> gut instinct.  That is, with the exception of the very first yamaha
> introductions to the US in the early 70's, that the line about RH levels
> at the fabrication being inappropriate to RH levels in this country
> (wherever in this country's wildly varying climate you mean) is more
> about protecting piano sales for new dealers (and of course the
> manufacturer) rather than a degrading functionality issue.

I *have* had real world experience with enough grey market pianos to 
disagree with your gut instinct. Here, they don't do well. Humidity 
control is more critical, and the results less certain. They tend to 
fall apart with seasonal RH swings. Put them in high RH% areas of the 
country, and they do much better.


> This especially as all manufacturers worldwide, including Kawai, (with
> the exception Yamaha I think) only run one RH level at their plants
> manufacturing for worldwide distribution.  RH control is an end user's
> concern, to dealt with as you would a new US made or anywhere made
> instrument.

A 20+ year old instrument from any source will be a crap shoot as far as 
it's physical integrity, and predictable reaction to local climate 
conditions. I'd expect any decent quality new piano to fare better than 
a pre-abused one structurally. Never put an older piano in your mouth. 
You don't know where it's been.

The conspiracy theory is, naturally, *the* popular story among those 
selling grey market pianos and probably to some degree true. Also true 
by my experience is their need for relatively high and stable RH 
conditions or the soundboards start looking like a corn crib pretty 
quickly.

Ron N