[pianotech] Grey Market Yamaha/Kawai

[Ron Nossaman]

On 8/30/2012 10:48 AM, Jim Ialeggio wrote:
> Ron said:
>
> < 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.
>
> This raises a fair question, regarding wholesale judgments.  A 20+ yr
> instrument is a 20+ year instrument, new US made or import.  I take care
> of a number of 20 yr old S&S rebuilds that have structural issues, and
> they were built in this climate.

Were they? I watched a piano at Steinway, with that new high compression 
board sitting in a big room with all the windows open and the RH% at 
what felt like 80%+, as the guy was setting bearing with his saw and 
string. The rest of the factory was no better humidity controlled than 
that room. I remember envisioning how that piano would be likely to fare 
in Phoenix.


> Does the fact that an instrument is a grey market instrument
> automatically cause one to place the blame for the usual CC belly
> destruction, and pinblock wear we see on the grey market, rather than on
> normal wear,the usual deferred maintenance, or combination of all of the
> above?

There shouldn't be any automatic anything on that level. For instance, 
what evidence do you have for CC construction in grey market pianos, or 
even what the soundboard is made of? Also, I did say that a 20+ year old 
piano is a crap shoot whatever it is. Is there an absolute guaranteed 
100% binary grey/not bad/not indicator? No, no more than there is an 
absolute no fault binary anything else that is so relentlessly wished 
for. Sorry, there isn't a no fault guarantee either way. There is too 
much you can never know about any piano for that. Statistically, I find 
the grey market stuff doesn't do well here and don't recommend that my 
customers buy them. Some follow the advice, some don't.


> Sounds like a case by case inspection could be a way to proceed, if one
> chose to... but I'm just thinking out loud, as I'm still working the
> question and reading the "in-the-trenches" reports from this list.

Again, how could you tell if the grey market piano will spontaneously 
render down to splinters in two years in the customer's home when it 
hasn't done so in the month it's been on the showroom floor? I can't. If 
you pass it, it has your name and reputation on it, so be sure the price 
is worth the cost.

Ron N