Is it a grey market?

[Mark Bolsius]

G'day Frank,

In Australia the Yamaha U1E came after the U1A...late 80's early 90's, I
can't be real sure.

They were a scaled down version, lighter pressure bars, less backposts and
less cabinet mouldings etc (read  cheaper!) and a different scale. It was at
the same time as the WX1 was released...maybe that dates it better for
someone else to have a stab at it.

Your dealer is making up stories...all the Japanese yamahas had a letter
prefix to the serial number until a couple of years back.

In answer to your question, I'd say it is a grey market piano. At that age
and if it's in good shape, right price and all that...can't be too bad, but
the U1A was my preference.

Cheers
Mark Bolsius
Bolsius Piano Services
Canberra Australia

>
> I recently saw a Yamaha U1 that I was considering for my own. On the
> plate was stamped "U1E".
>
> What is the "E"? I'd never seen this before. Maybe it's a grey market
> paino.
>
> The piano was at a Yamaha dealer, and he says that the "E" means that
> there was a slight engineering change and that it was stamped on the
> plate to keep track of that manufacturing run.
>
> Any thoughts on this?
> - --
>
> Frank Cahill
> Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
> Northern Va