<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Hello down there Brian! A grey market product is manufactured in = the same place (typically) as a non-grey market item. There often are some = differences in the final product. With Yamaha Pianos, the two types have wooden = components that are seasoned/dried differently. Several years ago I drove a "grey = market" Mercedes Benz automobile. It did not have the big funky bouncy bumpers = that are required on all cars sold in the USA, it had the 1960s-type smaller = bumpers that are OK in Europe. Same thing as pianos.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also, what may be confusing is that some people do not realize that = the USA is the center of the universe. So much common English word usage = originates here in the center of the universe, and may not have application in some other areas of the universe. I'm not sure, = but "grey market" may only apply to items manufactured outside the USA that = are made in different versions - those for the USA and those for satellites of = the USA. Therefore, it may well be that no grey market Yamaha pianos exist in New = Zealand, which is perhaps why you might not be familiar with the term! = Do you have grey market Mercedes Benz down there?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell<BR>Piano Tuning & Service<BR>Tampa, Florida<BR><A = href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A></DI= V> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:bholden@wave.co.nz" = title=bholden@wave.co.nz>BH</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>Pianotech Forum</A> ; <A href="mailto:john@musselwhite.com" title=john@musselwhite.com>john@musselwhite.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 06, = 2001 10:56 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Grey Market</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To John and List</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Grey Market is a term that I am not = entirely familiar with here in New Zealand.  I have always assumed that it = applies to an item that bears the name of a certain manufacture, = but has actually been made (even under license) elsewhere and is often a lower = quality and cheaper item.  E.G. I have a Fender guitar, but it is not a = "genuine" USA model - it's made in Japan.  It does not quite have the = bite of a USA Fender and is around half to two thirds the price, but = it is a Fender nevertheless.  I would class the guitar as a grey = market model, but when I bought it, I was aware of this.  If an = instrument bears a name, but the quality falls well short of that name, then = I would consider the marketing of that item to be very grey indeed. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Perhaps other New Zealand techs are = able to enlighten us (or correct me) on this.</FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Brian Holden</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>