'Grey Market' Yamahas- again

[harvey]

Gee Del, you could have done a 'compleat' version, so others could get a
couple
strokes in! 8-}

For the record, here are a few real-time references from my neck of the woods:

The imports seem to consist of Yamaha, Kawai, and Atlas products, with
occasional lesser known brands.

Local dealer, while not advertising as a =new= piano dealer, does not counter
such thoughts when they are initiated.

Local dealer's sell-through has caused me unecessary grief in mediating
complaints, never mind that I was not part of the process at =any= point. I
just get the complaint calls, always after the fact, and only because the
client suddenly gets educated =after= the sale and then expects recourse.
Right!

(Possibly) as a result, local dealer no longer is.

I have only one client with a grey-market piano.  Except for this particular
piano, this instance would be on both lists -- favorite clients and favorite
pianos.

The unit is a 1967 Kawai Model 600. Note nineteen and sixty-seven. It was
restrung, obviously stateside, and obviously very poorly. It suffers a cracked
soundboard, running the length of the long bridge (and sometimes underneath).
Yet, at times it will have pressure ridges in other areas of the board. The
sound is sectionally, and seasonally dead. Case part warpage is evident, as
are
the ivory keycovers(!). The piano makes strange noises, but only when I'm not
around to hear them [If a piano dies in the home, and no one is around...]. On
the last trip, the entire lyre assembly was separated -- top and bottom.
Keeping the action working, at all, is a matter of diligence, since dimension
parameters are (still) in a state of flux.

Normally I don't buy into the crown and bearing thing, because I'm jaded by
techs jumping on this bandwagon at the slightest provocation. In this
instance,
there are no measureable signs of either. Obviously, the piano does not sound
like it's namesake -- that is, when it sounds like anything at all. On some
trips it sounds tolerable at best. On others, I rather try to tune and play a
cardboard box.

Is it any wonder? It's over 30 years old, was apparently well-used, has had
only new wire hung on it (likely with resulting trauma to a tired board), and
has been yanked out of it's former 'comfortable' home. It's really
difficult to
tell whether the client (1) thinks Kawai makes a bad product, (2) thinks the
dealer ran a scam on them, (3) thinks I should be a better technician than
I am
for not being able to cure all these ailments during a service call! BTW, the
owner is a brilliant Yankee, not one of us stupid Southereners (sp. on
purpose). Conversely, I believe the dealer previously sold aluminum siding to
folks with brick homes -- so he must be from around here.

On a positive note, and like square grands, this piano sure is pretty! As an
aside to a recent thread, I wish the domestic versions had the service record
holder nailed to the edge of the rim or other convenient place.



Jim Harvey, RPT
harvey@greenwood.net
________________________
I'm glad it's not my piano!
              -- Richard Davenport (date unknown)