Your Opinion Requested

[Steve Pearson]

Hi, Joel, and list:
For the record, the local music teacher is misinformed.  Young Chang does not make any pianos for Yamaha, nor does Yamaha build any pianos for Young Chang.  Many years ago Yamaha built a factory in Korea with Young Chang for the production of a limited number of pianos for the Korean market only.  That agreement was terminated shortly thereafter for a variety of reasons.  There are no pianos bearing the  Yamaha name made in China for export to the US either.  
The P22, and the T116 share the same scale and action, and are made in Thomaston Georgia by Yamaha Music Manufacturing.  The T116 more closely resembles the U1 in appearance, and is available in polished ebony.  The P202 you mentioned in your email was the Michigan equivalent of the current P22.  There are probably more P22's (and P202's)  in schools and studios out there than any other piano.  Both the P22 and the T116 are very suitable for institutional use, and fall in the price range you mentioned.  
Steve Pearson
Yamaha
>>> <JCSwafford@AOL.COM> 05/26 7:46 PM >>>
Dear List,

One of the high schools in town is going to acquire new pianos.
The choir teacher was told that since Yamaha pianos are built by Young Chang 
they would get a better deal for the same quality as Yamaha to buy Young 
Chang. It is my opinion YC's do not belong in places where serious music is 
studied (for a long list of reasons), but perhaps they have improved under my 
nose within the last year or two. I know Yamaha builds pianos in Japan and 
the US and has some connection with Pearl River pianos, but do they actually 
have Young Chang build some of their pianos? And if they do are they the same 
quality as the Japanese and American Yamahas? Most of the schools I service 
have Yamaha P22 or P202, Kawai UST-7 or UST-8C, Baldwin 243, or Charles 
Walter studio. What one of these pianos would you recommend the school buy or 
could you suggest another piano or model. I'm not talking grands right now. 
The price per piano must be under $5000.00.

Thanks for your input.

Joel Swafford, RPT