Imported used pianos

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Jim,
       Thanks for your reply, however you do live in sunny Florida, 60% RH
is probably your extreme low.  It is not uncommon to get indoor lows of 20%
and less in this neck of the woods during winter, in fact we are drier than
the Sahara Desert.
    As I understand from the Yamaha personel, and techs that have
participated in there 5 week C & A grand training prigramme in Japan, they
do in fact have several production standards, to suit the final
destination.  The super dry specs for our climate would give another type
of problem in other destinations, (e.g. Pressure ridges in sound boards
etc.)  The company endevours to use the best construction methods for the
specific areas, that makes the product different not inferior.
   South east Asia in the monsoon season is wet even beyond your wildest
dreams.
therefore fungus and mold is common, termite type insects also very common
in these countries. I believe their story that they have regional problems,
that they engineer solutions for. North America is the largest and most
consumer driven economy in the world. Why would they not cater to us? Three
pedals is the classic example, so if they accomodate here, why not else
where. The most serious problem with this continent for any piano maker is
the great divergents of climatic conditions. Many European companies have
found this out the hard way.   We are talking about the largest exporter of
pianos in the history of piano making, they have technical people stationed
in the primary markets of the world that feed back technical imformation
that is acted upon. 
  We have all witnessed the company's commitment to our profession at
conventions and at dealer sponsored workshops, so if they say that they
have different standards for different regions, I am more than willing to
accept their statements.
  Once we have dried these units down to the point that I think that they
have stabalised, we will rebuild them.
  Its the dishonest dealers and techs that is the real problem, but it is
our job to make people aware, to be very cautious when dealing with these
units, and the type of dealership the are dealing with, and do the get a
written warranty that is worth anything.
  I also think they might be a reasonable buy in Florida, but a definite no
go in North Dakota, unless dried down and refurbished in some way.
Regards Roger  




At 10:38 AM 12/6/97 EST, you wrote:
>Roger, Ralph, list;
>  There being a place to discuss this "problem" better than Pianotech?  I
>don't think so. It is the appropiate place IMHO.
>  That being said I need to put in my two cents worth on the subject.  I
>personally have absolutely no qualms in taking one of the "domestic
>production" pianos and rebuiding it for resale or for a customer. I have done
>so for the past five or six years and have had absolutely zero (0) problems.
>None of the traumatic happenings that Roger is afraid of and certainly
nothing
>that does not happen to pianos made for the "American Market". I have units
>from the mountains of NC to the coast,on the beach, in FL spanning dry and
wet
>climates. 
> I am selective about the pianos I will rebuild and very pleased with the
>results.  No piano, that leaves my shop, leaves with just two pedals. Either
>it has a working sostenuto or it has a bass sustain pedal. Very
>carefully.......let me say that the only major, if thats what it was, problem
>I have had in this period of time is once when I neglected to hand rub the
>underneath of the large portion of the top on a C3.
>  Anyone that believes the Japanese will accept inferior workmanship or
>materials in their own "domestic" pianos is not dealing with the facts.  The
>Japanese people are insistent on quality in their pianos more so than
>Americans tend to be.  In spite of Mr. Hayashidas protestations to the
>contrary the material used in "Domestic" production may differ in drying
>(doubtful) but not in quality.
>  The problems one sees in these "Japanese domestic" pianos are the same
exact
>problems we see in our "domestic pianos", i.e., If you take a S&S or Baldwin
>and put in on the plains of Mantobia, without proper precautions, you will
>experience the exact same problems that you will with a "Jdp".
> I do agree with you, Roger, that there does seem to be an inordinate amount
>of "green" gunk on some of these instruments and, like you, have consigned
the
>cause to be indutrial pollutants.
>  As long as there are dealers willing to foist these, 'used', mostly out of
>production, pianos off on customers, as top of the line instruments, there
>will be a problem with them but the problem is one of dishonest dealers,
>dishonest and/or incompetent techs, and not inferior instruments..........
>Just one more opinion.
>Jim Bryant (FL)
>"just because it is true does not mean that it is absolute"
>Faintly Dull
>  
>
>
Roger Jolly
University of Saskatchewan
Dept. of Music.