grey market?

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Jeannie,
            I was just in the Yamaha plant in March and saw no 2 pedal
pianos at all. I am fairly sure that they have rationalised production in
this area to make all product with the same pedal configurations.
Use of composite wood products and hard woods for different global climatic
zones is a whole different story.
The term different quality that is frequently used is not quite fair. They
build the best quality for specific regions. As Jim has mentioned, some of
the units that he has seen in Florida have been very good value for money.
(High humidity just like Japan) The units we get on the Praries need very
major work after about 1 year. Some of the Japenese Universities that I
visited have a policy of replacing the pianos after 10 years, including
their Hamberg D's. These pianos are not traded but sold to the used broker
companies.
I have no doubt that I was only shown the show case institutions, as many
of the institutional pianos that I have seen here are 30yrs old.
Some one mentioned 20% moisture content, this is not true, 5% for North
America and Europe 8-9% other destinations.
Now if I can only learn to string a piano in 1 hr. I can start to make some
real money.
Having been in several piano factories, I was very impressed at the
dedication of all the workers, the factory floor was as clean as their show
room instruments.
Regards Roger



At 10:11 PM 5/4/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi Jay,
>I have a client with a CA-40 Kawai, nice piano.  He bought it from a
>local Kawai dealer.  I also have two clients with CS-40 uprights, also
>very nice.  The dealer told me that he ordered these at NAMM.  They
>were intended for the German market (all wooden parts) but nothing
>prohibited him from ordering them.  So he decided to get a few.  They
>are definitely NOT grey market pianos.
>
>Not all grey market pianos have just two pedals, as someone mentioned.
>The newer ones coming out of Japan all have three pedals, and yet they
>still qualify for that category.
>
>Jeannie Grassi, RPT
>mailto:jgrassi@silverlink.net
>Bainbridge Island, WA
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >Jay Mercier wrote:
>> > >
>> > > 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
>> > >
>
>
Roger Jolly
Balwin Yamaha Piano Centres.
Saskatoon/Regina.
Canada.