grey market?

[Jay Mercier]

I don't completely understand the term "grey market pianos."  Is it 
referring to any piano sold from a wholesale warehouse?  I was recently 
asked to find a "decent piano" for an older lady who wanted to donate it to 
the local retirement home.  To make a long story short, I ended up with a 
1990 Kawai CA-40 Grand, purchased through a local dealer who purchased it 
from a dealer in Chicago.  It was listed with hundreds of pianos out of the 
Chicago dealer, but shipped from California.  Took 3 weeks to ship to the 
local dealer  - they didn't touch it - and immediately delivered it to the 
retirement home.  I was a bit nervous but to my amazement this "A" listing 
of a piano impressed me.  Absolutely flawless for about $11,000.  It needed 
no regulation and I told the home that the tuning could wait for a month.  
The local dealer mentioned that he too was surprised on the condition and 
said it arrived in better shape than some of his new YC's and Webbers.  This 
piano had not one flaw that I could see ------- Now.......is this a grey 
market piano?

Jay Mercier
Piano Technician
Glenwood, MN

>
>I tuned a kawai KG-1 today. It's a gray market piano...two pedals.
>There was very little let-off and in some cases, no let-off.
>
>Anyone hear of possible "growing action brackets" in Kawais in a manner
>similar to Webber action brackets?
>
>This women paid $6,000 for this piano. It needs regulation and has very
>marginal tuning pin torque. We have a tech around here who sells these
>gray market pianos. Unfortunately, most of them that I service need
>work...especially the grands.  I'm sure the women is none too happy.
>She's had the piano one year.
>--
>
>Frank Cahill
>Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
>Northern Va


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