Disklavier

I really don't want to belabor the point, but Yamaha pianos are manufactured 
in different factories all over the world.  Some are made in Hamamatsu, some 
in United States, some in China. The definition of a gray market piano in 
the United States is one that is manufactured for a different climate zone. 
For instance, it is cheaper to manufacture a piano for the Asian market 
because the wood does not need to to kiln dried to 5% moisture content to 
survive a winter in a centrally heated home in North America.  Gray market 
pianos will often not hold a tuning during heating season, the finish will 
crack and fall off the cabinet, and the soundboard flattens out and loses 
its crown and tone.

As for the electrical connections, I have personally tried to service gray 
market Disklaviers only to find that many connections are soldered.  Any 
electrical appliance in the U.S. must bear UL approval to be considered 
safe.  Anyone who sells non UL approved parts risks a product liability 
lawsuit should there be a fire.

Buy what you will, but for my advice, I would not consider a gray market 
piano a good investment or a trouble free relationship.

Carol Beigel

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rondisklavier" <setiawansr@...>
To: <disklavier@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 10:37 AM
Subject: [disklavier] Re: gray market disklaviers (was owners manual)


> Carol,
>
> I used to have my practical training in Yamaha factory for my
> internship.
> I asked the workers there whether they make different pianos for
> different destination, they told me that they DID NOT make piano for
> specific destination, all pianos were made the same. Regarding the
> electronics connection, all connections are not soldered, everything
> is connected by connectors. It cost too much to have technicians to
> solder things...The chance of them making mistake is also high.
>
> I am not a piano sellers or have anything to do with piano industry,
> I just do not believe that Yamaha makes pianos differently for
> different market. It will cost them too much monies, in addition,
> Japanese manufacturing is very very automated so doing different way
> for different market is utterly impossible.
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "Carol Beigel" <thecarolb@...>
> wrote:
>>
>> Would be nice maybe, but that is not how it works.  It is
> extremely
>> difficult to get Disklavier parts in the US for graymarket units.
> The piano
>> parts are often different as their dimensions are not always the
> same.  The
>> pianos will not hold up very well in dryness caused by central
> heating
>> systems.
>>
>> The electronic parts are not UL approved and therefore can create
> a
>> liability for the supplier.  On a gray market Disklavier, many
> connections
>> are soldered and not easy to repair; but their made-for-the US
> counterparts
>> have nice little connectors on both the circuit boards and the
> wires.
>>
>> Mostly people who import gray market pianos are smaller operators
> and
>> wholesalers.  They are not bound by Yamaha's service bonds with
> their
>> dealers.
>>
>> And lastly, Yamaha is not just one big corporation.  The U.S.
> Division, the
>> Canadian, the Japanese, etc. divisions are completely independent
> from one
>> another.  They do not have a central supplier.  Pianos are made
> differently
>> for these different markets because it costs a lot more money to
> make a
>> piano for a country that has homes whose moisture contents is very
> low
>> during winter.
>>
>> In my opinion as a piano and Disklavier technician, I would never
> recommend
>> purchasing a graymarket piano or Disklavier.  Those up front
> supposed
>> savings can be a huge headache if the piano ever needs servicing.
> One good
>> thunderstorm can wipe out your investment.
>>
>> Carol Beigel
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "rondisklavier" <setiawansr@...>
>> To: <disklavier@yahoogroups.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 1:46 AM
>> Subject: [disklavier] Re: gray market disklaviers (was owners
> manual)
>>
>>
>> >I really believe people also can get gray Yamaha parts easily from
>> > abroad. If they can import such a humagous piano, importing small
>> > parts should not be a problem. Therefore, I really do not think
> that
>> > people need to worry about buying gray pianos, especially if the
>> > price is very reasonable. I myself just bought MX100II made for
> US.
>> > I personally do not want to have unnecessary hazels if my piano
> is
>> > broken and need to get parts from outside of the US. But for
> those
>> > who have bought gray pianos, I do not think that it is the end of
>> > the world if their pianos are broken. The chance of Yamaha
> pianos go
>> > bad is very small.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "George F. Litterst"
>> > <PianoBench@> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Good evening, everyone.
>> >>
>> >> I don't know the details about how parts are controlled.
> However,
>> > my
>> >> local piano technician tells me that he is required to produce a
>> >> serial number when he orders a part from Yamaha.
>> >>
>> >> Regards,
>> >> PianoBench
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Aug 27, 2007, at 11:51 PM, rondisklavier wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "George F. Litterst"
>> >> > <PianoBench@> wrote:
>> >> > I have another question "How does Yamaha know whether they are
>> >> > selling parts to fix a gray market piano?". Does Yamaha only
> sell
>> >> > parts through their dealers?
>> >> >
>> >> > >
>> >> > > If you purchase a piano that was not made for North America,
>> > you
>> >> > > cannot get parts and service from Yamaha Corporation of
>> > America.
>> >> > And,
>> >> > > it is advisable to keep up the relative humidity in your
> home
>> >> > year
>> >> > > round.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > Regards,
>> >> > > PianoBench
>> >> > >
>> >> > >
>> >> > > On Aug 26, 2007, at 11:57 PM, rondisklavier wrote:
>> >> > >
>> >> > > > I always have question regarding the statement below. How
>> > Yamaha
>> >> > > > manufactured for special market, for example US. US
> climate
>> > is
>> >> > not one
>> >> > > > climate. There are as many climate as those of in Asia
> (from
>> >> > South
>> >> > > > East Asia to Japan). In addition, when I was in my senior
>> > year in
>> >> > > > college, I had a practical training in Yamaha factory in
>> > Jakarta,
>> >> > > > Indonesia, and I was not aware that they make different
>> > pianos
>> >> > for
>> >> > > > different climates.
>> >> > > >
>> >> > > > --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "Carol Beigel"
> <carolrpt@>
>> >> > > > wrote:
>> >> > > > Their
>> >> > > > > products are manufactured specifically for different
>> > markets.
>> >> > The
>> >> > > > pianos in
>> >> > > > > particular are not interchangeable!
>> >> > > > >
>> >> > > > >
>> >> > > > > Carol Beigel
>> >> > > > >
>> >> > > >
>> >> > > >
>> >> > > >
>> >> > >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@...
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>> > -- 
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> 8/26/2007
>> > 9:34 PM
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>> >
>>
>
>
>
>
> To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@...
>
> To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and 
> moderator, send it to:
> disklavier-owner@...
>
> To reach our group's web site go to:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
>
> THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much mail, 
> go the the web site and change your email delivery option instead.  That 
> will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to the group.  If you 
> insist on leaving us completely send a blank email to:
> disklavier-unsubscribe@...
>
> Know someone who wants to join?  Have them send a blank email to:
> disklavier-subscribe@... or give them this link:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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> 6:20 PM
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>