Japanese Yamahas

[John Musselwhite]

At 08:46 PM 4/2/97 -0600, James wrote:

>	I am asking for your opinions or experience with imported used Yamahas
>made originally for the Asian market.  I have been told and believe that
>these pianos are built with a different moisture content in the wood before

I've been having a running battle with a few of the participants in
rec.music.makers.piano about this for at least two years now. B-})

>the pianos are assembled.  I have also been told that these same
>instruments , now subjected to our warmer, drier homes will have problems
>such as cracked soundboards, loose pins, etc.  I have also been told that
>Yamaha frowns on them coming here but does nothing to stop it.  I normally

I think you are basically correct. The wood is apparently dried to a higher
moisture content for "domestic" use (14%?). When the pianos arrive on our
air-conditioned and centrally-heated continent they dry out excessively. The
manufacturers don't really want them here because they are not particularly
good for their piano's reputations. However, they are powerless to stop it.

>	Do any of you have first hand knowledge of what to expect from these
>pianos in the future and will share that knowledge with me so I can be more
>direct in my vague answers I give to my clients asking about these pianos

Here in the frozen north we may have different problems than you might see
in the south, but the principle remains. These "Asian domestic" pianos are
not designed or built for the North American market because of the way we
heat and cool our homes. Some may do perfectly well, but the majority are
not suitable to be sold at a competitive price to a "real" Yamaha (or Kawai
or whatever), even with a lot of work.

Some problems I have seen can be rectified, however there is usually a
dried-up shrunken soundboard underneath all that and sometimes even a
dampp-chaser won't bring that back to life. Putting new boards and blocks
into them is hardly worth it either IMO. These are not "instruments of the
immortals", but plowhorses that should be retired or recycled when they're
used up. Rebuilding them is the equivalent of rebuilding a Trebant or
refilling a Bic lighter or pen. They should not be given a "Mexican Rebuild"
and resold as the genuine article, but often that's exactly what happens.

That's not to say that they won't be "OK"... they just might. But the price
should reflect the fact that even the factories don't want them on this
continent. I value them here at about a half to two-thirds of what the
comparable model would if the factory stood behind it. If they're going to
be sold the customer should know exactly what they're getting... a
grey-market piano that was not meant to be used in North America.


John Musselwhite, RPT
Calgary, Alberta Canada
musselj@cadvision.com