Thanks for the information John. I'll be the one taking the heat if this instrument is is shambles in 10 years. -- Jay > >This is the most thorough and accurate explanation of bootleg/gray market >pianos I've ever seen. --John > >FAQ'S ABOUT "GRAY MARKET" OR "BOOTLEG" >JAPANESE PIANOS > >Q: "What are bootleg pianos?" > >A: Bootleg pianos are pianos that are transshipped into a geographic >region other than the one for which the piano was specifically designed and >manufactured. > >Q: "Why are they in the United States?" > >A: Because there is a great demand in this country for used, >Japanese-made pianos, while there is an almost non- existent availability >of >legitimate, U.S.-used Japanese pianos. > >Q: "How do they get here?" > >A: It started about 10-12 years ago as an experiment in getting rid of >excess inventories in Japan. Most of them are shipped in by companies that >had previously been in the business of importing other Japanese products. >Bootlegging has gained in popularity as the Kawai and Yamaha names have >become the brands of choice. > >Q: "Why are there so many of them available overseas when I can't find >any here?" > >A: Well, first of all it is important to understand that "overseas" >refers specifically to Japan. This distinction is made because for many, >many decades, Kawai and Yamaha have dominated the Japanese market with >virtually no competition from competing nations or manufacturers. >Conversely, Kawai and Yamaha pianos have only been sold in the U.S. since >the >early sixties with a tremendous amount domestic and foreign competition. >It >stands to reason that far more Kawai and Yamaha pianos are bound to become >available in Japan with the kinds of numbers they have produced through the >years in Japan.. Other contributors to the glut of used Kawai and Yamaha >pianos available in Japan include: > 1) . . . the resistance to buying a used piano in Japan >by Japanese families. Unlike in other areas, the selection and purchase of >a >family piano is one of the most vital purchases a Japanese family makes -- >far too important to condescend to buying a used one. > 2) . . . damaged pianos. If selling a used piano to a >Japanese family is difficult, try selling a damaged one. While Americans >might welcome these discounts, Japanese families often don't consider it an >option. > 3) . . . trading up. Their success with and dedication >to musical studies as a country is far greater than almost anywhere in the >world which leads to more trade ups, even if it requires dedicating more >space in their small homes than most Americans would ever consider >allocating >in their living rooms. > 4) . . . universities. Unlike in the U.S., practice >rooms in Japanese conservatories are open 24 hours a day, seven days a >week. >The fierce competition amongst the students along with the limited number >of >practice rooms available require the practice pianos to be used up to 24 >hours a day, seven days a week. This kind of wear is exponentially greater >than a residentially-used piano. These pianos get traded in every five to >ten years for identical new ones. This process keeps the university's >maintenance down and also helps in the recruiting of new students (with the >promise of there being new pianos in the practice rooms). > There are few takers for these pianos in Japan, despite the efforts >to sell them by reducing their costs to a fraction of a new one. So they >get >a makeover and get shipped to a market where they can be sold more easily >-- >the U.S. > >Q: "Who buys them?" > >A: Most often it is the piano stores who are not Kawai or Yamaha >dealers. Kawai and Yamaha are powerful names in the marketplace who >represent a large portion of all new pianos sold in the U.S. The standards >by which Kawai and Yamaha use to determine who is granted a dealership >limits >the number of candidates out there. Since it is difficult for a piano >store >to attract customers into their showroom without the promise of having one >of > these brands available, bootlegged pianos become attractive to these >dealers. Compounding this, the availability of legitimate, used Kawai and >Yamaha pianos is so scarce that competing dealers are almost forced to >carry >bootleg pianos -- even if their business ethics might have encouraged >otherwise. > >Q: "Why don't I want one?" > >A: It is important to realize that by purchasing a bootlegged piano, you >are not buying the same quality instrument that a new Kawai or Yamaha would >offer, for half the price. Technological advancements and dedication to >quality have continued to improve Japanese pianos to reach new levels in >musicality and durability. You are also not buying the same quality >instrument as if you would have purchased a legitimate, U.S.-destined Kawai >or Yamaha, on account of construction differences and due to the likelihood >of greater wear and tear, depending on the environment from which the >instrument came. > >Q: How are they different?" > >A: For starters, the pianos that are coming in from Japan were >specifically designed and manufactured for use in Japan's own domestic >market/climate. Pianos are extremely environmentally-sensitive instruments >and in many cases are not capable providing trouble-free service once >shipped >into a geographic region other than the one for which it was designed. > > The wood that is used for the soundboards, rims, pin blocks, actions >and other case parts is specifically dried down to 5% moisture content in >the >pianos that are destined for anywhere outside Japan or Hawaii. Pianos >designated specifically for Japan or Hawaii are only dried down to 22% >moisture content -- a significantly shorter kiln time, thus a great cost >savings. Japan and Hawaii are the only two markets where Kawai and Yamaha >can be certain their pianos will exist in significant levels of year-round >humidity, therefore they can forego the additional costly drying time that >would be needed for all other markets. The 5% moisture content pianos are >suitable for all other regions including areas as dry as the Arizona >deserts. > > The effects of improperly seasoned wood are certainly not limited to >pianos; however their effects are often far more profound and critical on >pianos than on say, furniture. Most wooden products don't have the need to >be, nor the luxury of being, kiln dried. There is no other product that is >required to withstand 40-60,000 pounds of constant pressure while allowing >many of its 10,000 parts to move within 1/1000ths of an inch to each other. >When tolerances like these are disturbed, the problems can grow from >ill-fitting and warped case parts, to intermittent buzzes, squeaks and >rattles, to cracked or separated soundboards, bridges, pin blocks, and >rims. > > You should also be aware that many of these pianos have been >reconditioned or rebuilt and/or refinished or touched up. > >Q: "But the dealer said he will guarantee it for many years . . . " > >A: Of course there will be a warranty offered, but you will never know >the extent of the warranty until an expensive repair is needed -- a pretty >risky endeavor for such a large purchase. Any warranty offered is coming >from the dealer, not the manufacturer, regardless of the age of the piano. >The fact that the dealer knows the potential hazards of these pianos yet >continues to offer them should be the first clue as to the extent of the >warranty. Furthermore, many of the repairs would constitute an entire >rebuild or refinish job in order to match the standards of the original >craftsmanship. Cosmetic repairs such as repairing a bubbled or cracked >veneer are especially challenging, considering that there are strict >governmental regulations against the spraying of polyester in the U.S. >(Polyester is the durable material responsible for the glass-like finish >found on Japanese pianos -- much unlike the lacquers used on American >products.) > >Q: "The dealer said it was traded in to him . . . " > >A: . . . or that it was bought from an estate sale or a little old lady >. . . anything besides the less-appealing truth. It is unlawful for the >dealer to misrepresent where the piano came from, yet this frequently >occurs >because the dealer certainly doesn't want to tell you it came from a >Japanese >conservatory -- that is if he even knows where or how it was used in Japan. >It is more likely that you will here a story about how the piano was traded >in to the dealer for whatever reason or that they purchased it privately >(thus limiting his liability to have known its prior history in case its >origin is discovered ex post facto). The idea of asking the dealer to >produce a proof of origin is futile, because any dealer who is going to >carry >these instruments, might not hesitate fabricating an invoice showing a >favorable background. > >Q: "How do I know if the piano I'm looking at is a bootleg?" > >A: For starters, if the instrument in question is a two pedal piano, it >is almost a dead giveaway it came from the Japanese domestic market, as >Kawais and Yamahas sold in the U.S. for the past 30 thirty years have had >three pedals. That does not mean, however, that a three pedal piano is >immune from being a bootleg. The endless faxes and e-mails U.S. dealers >receive listing the serial numbers of available bootleg pianos often show a >column titled "number of pedals", geared toward the dealers whose customers >erroneously believe that three pedal units are "safe". Additionally, if >the >piano in question is coming from a dealer who does not have the Kawai or >Yamaha dealership in their area, that is also a sign of a bootleg, as these >dealers have continuous access to "the real thing" and are less likely to >jeopardize their reputation with these questionable products. > >Final word of caution: > >Bootlegged Japanese pianos are available to any dealer who wants them in >the >U.S. at prices no different from one another. Dealers with high standards >typically stay far away from them for many reasons -- not just because of >the >questionable longevity of the pianos. The manner in which these pianos are >gathered abroad, bought and sold, and distributed is undesirable to say the >least. One of the columns in the above-mentioned e-mails and faxes >received >by dealers citing availability is titled "Grade", as in "B+", "A-" or worse >yet "C" or "D". > >Such whimsical lettering is the primary means by which tens of thousands of >dollars change hands. Importers and resellers of these pianos are often >buying these instruments sight unseen, from this "grade" scale that has no >international or common standard. If you have any question as to the >potential dilemmas and horrors that can be introduced by a wholesaler >purchasing sight unseen from abroad, let alone a reseller and subsequent >merchant and (heaven forbid) end- user purchasing the same piano sight >unseen, please consult qualified piano technicians (preferably Piano >Technician Guild certified) to gain some insight. There is an adage in the >piano world that "the more severe a problem, the less likely a layperson or >even a player can detect it".. If the price sounds too good to be true >(meaning significantly under market value for other similar used pianos), >it >probably is. > _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
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