imported pianos

[JIMRPT]

Roger;
  I was not fussing at you, I was to a certain extent agreeing with you and
the reference to inerior relates to what Mr. H.H. said, i.e.;

"Mr Hajime Hayashida the general manager of the Yamaha Corps. Engineering
Group, that states in no uncertain terms that production for North America
has and tightest engineering and climatic control specifications, as well
as superior construction materials."
  This can be read a number of ways to include NA production gets "superior"
materials and other production doesn't; and it could be read that NA
production gets "superior" materials as well as all other production.  I
suppose that it is all on how you take the implications and inferences, huh?
  Any instrument that spends time in an extreme of any climate will exhibit
dramatic changes when moved to an equally extreme but opposite climate.  The
Marque of the piano will have little to do with this reaction to climate
change.
  Quite often I am called to tune a piano for someone who has moved here from
the Midwest where the climate is markedly different from Floridas and the
usual state of pitch is to be high and for things to be relatively sluggish in
general.  I would expect the opposite to be true if a piano were to be moved
from Florida to the Midwest.
  As to the "monsoons of South East Asia" I am all too familiar with those
suckers.  Japan is a very minor participant in the monsoon season and their
climate, in some respects, is much like that of Mass. But the climate changes
dramatically over the country as the islands get smaller and larger and
elevations change equally dramtically.
  I have no argument with Yamaha or their products but I realize that each
instrument must be taken for what it is and handled accordingly.  Interesting
note is that some manufacturers, when sending pianos to desert climates, will
screw down the perimeter of the board as well as place screws through the
board into the ribs......Yamaha at one time participated in this practice, I
don't know if they still do.......perhaps their customizing for markets has
taken care of this for them.  Anyone out there know the answer to this?
  As for the unethical practices of dealers/techs foisting off these units to
an unsuspecting public as "top of the line" I say castrate them or at least
cut off their casters :-)
Jim Bryant (FL)