<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19298"></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" id=role_body bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial> <DIV>I can think of two issues concerning these pianos.</DIV> <DIV>First, the Japanese do not want to buy used pianos. So, the institutional pianos that have been beaten to death are sent here, at half-price they may be seriously over-priced.</DIV> <DIV>Second, I've seen different 'grades' of pianos, some with new pinblocks. (They are actually sold this way wholesale.) Some of the blocks weren't that bad, but you are probably better off new and with a warranty.</DIV> <DIV>Of course, walking into someone's home for the first time, you have no idea what you're up against until you see it. </DIV> <DIV>And yes, Yamaha usually checks the serial # for anything you're ordering and they do not support the grey pianos. </DIV> <DIV>Also, remember the G series wasn't all that great to begin with.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Michael </DIV> <DIV>Chicago</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 8/30/2012 8:31:30 A.M. Central Daylight Time, jim@grandpianosolutions.com writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>The Grey Market is new to me...it is a price point that reflects some of <BR>my current client's attitude towards spending money, even though some of <BR>them have plenty of bucks they are sitting on.<BR><BR>I Did some research last night on what grey market means, and I must <BR>say, that the info that seems the most credible,  matches my original <BR>gut instinct.  That is, with the exception of the very first yamaha <BR>introductions to the US in the early 70's, that the line about RH levels <BR>at the fabrication being inappropriate to RH levels in this country <BR>(wherever in this country's wildly varying climate you mean) is more <BR>about protecting piano sales for new dealers (and of course the <BR>manufacturer) rather than a degrading functionality issue.<BR><BR>This especially as all manufacturers worldwide, including Kawai, (with <BR>the exception Yamaha I think) only run one RH level at their plants <BR>manufacturing for worldwide distribution.  RH control is an end user's <BR>concern, to dealt with as you would a new US made or anywhere made <BR>instrument.<BR><BR>So, my question for those of you who have been around here longer than <BR>I, and have seen more of the "in-the-field" track record on these pianos <BR>is, particularly in the Northeast, but not exclusively, what is your <BR>experience about the actual functionality of these post 1970's grey <BR>market yamaha/kawais. Do the RH concerns create function issues beyond <BR>normal in service RH effects we would expect to see in any piano, or is <BR>it mostly or all manufacturer/ new piano sales inspired fear mongering.<BR><BR>Jim Ialeggio<BR><BR>-- <BR>Jim Ialeggio    <BR>jim@grandpianosolutions.com<BR>978 425-9026<BR>Shirley Center, MA<BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>