People are always arguing about if the Gray-market Yamaha and Kawai pianos are suitable for the North America market. I have better idea now.
My technician is in my house and tuning pianos for me right now. He told me that the last piano he just tuned was a Gray-market Yamaha. It was very difficult to tune, because the tuning pins are very loose. He also said it was not an isolated case.
The problem is because of that the pin block which holds the tuning pins was not seasoned for the US or Canadian climate. It fits what one of the Yamaha engineers told me about, when I was visiting Yamaha’s plant in Hamamatzu, Japan. He said the wood used on the pianos was seasoned differently for three different regions, which are North America, Europe and Asia.
A friend of mine, a cellist, bought a Gray Market Yamaha grand a few years ago. When it was delivered, it sounded fine. However, a year later, I played it again. It sounded harsh and dry. It was also wood seasoning problem.
I though some of you might be interested in the information. Happy New Year!
