Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum yamaha C3, grey market

Yes, but it doesn't hurt to look. I'd recommend the have a tech check thing, but it seems as though you're on top of that.

Very important points, and is in large part one of the reasons that responsible piano dealers (new or used) have a sufficient service department to bring the pianos back to optimal playing condition.

This is only a guess but I suspect the Steinway O is going to need considerable work. If you found one that didn't at 15K, it would be an incredible find.

I do not know what space heaters are, but it is true that most Japanese houses are not central heated. According to a white paper, more than 90% families in japan own kerosene　heaters, which produce a lot of water molecules.

In most cases, upright pinanos are placed close to the walls where the temperature in winters is lowest than other part of the room. I guess relative humidiy in such rooms in winter in Japan is nealy 100%.

According to a used piano exporting compay in Japan, they buy used pianos in Japna, send them to Vietnam to recondition(or restore) and then ship to the world including north america. Used Japanese pianos are not always shipped from Japan direct to North America. Some(or most) of them stay in tropical countries for several weeks.

C3 is considered, in Japan, a minimum model for students in Japan.
unwealthy families generally use kerosene heaters in winters and own ebony C3s. A little more wealthy families use non-kerosece heaters(e.g., conentional air conditioners) and own C3 in mahogany or Kawais which are less durable than Yamaha and need more maintenace costs than Yamaha.
If I buy a low-end pianos used in Japan, I would avoid ebony C3, and would never buy ebony Yamaha uprights.

You can better understand the grey market thing with Yamaha if you remember that Yamaha USA is a separate corporation form Yamaha. Yamaha USA buys pianos from Yamaha & resells them. A piano sold by Yamaha in Japan that winds up in the US made Yamaha USA no $$$. That's why they offer no support for these pianos. When you order a part for a Yamaha USA sold piano, you must give a ser #. They keep track of what was ordered for which piano. They can't be expected to have all of the Japanese numbers in their data base. Bottom line, Roger Ransom is right, they're just used pianos.

masaki, I don't understand.. is there really so much difference in price between mahogany finish and ebony finish that families in Japan who buy the mahogany have a significantly more affluent lifestyle? would you avoid the used ebony C3 from Japan because it's likely to have been put to harder use, or because it would be kept in non-optimal conditions?

　I tried to find a Yamaha grand full price list that includs Mahogany and Walnut modes, and learned no such list available on the web.
Yamaha, Japan says Mahogary and Walnut modes are availabe on made-to-oder bases, but they do not mention about the prices. In the past, as I remember, Mahogany modes are approximately 15% more expensive than ebony on list-price bases.
Ebonies are ready-made and discountable 7-20%, but
I guess made-to-order models are not discountable as in ready-made modes.

Significantly more affluent families in Japan would not buy any Yamahas regardelss of the body finishes. They would by Bösendorfer or S&S. Walnut or Mahogany Yamahas are for only for families whoare little wealthier than average, restaurans or bars.
Both.
Ebony C3s are mainly used by college students and enthusiastic amateurs and are heavily used.
An attribute in which, considered at least in Japan, Yamaha is superior than Kawai or any other manufacturers is durability. Yamaha users in Japan are believing their instruments can survive in high humidities(e.g., 70 or up) and voicing is virtually unneccessary.

By the way, I didn't get the C3; my heart was just not in it. I'm holding out for a Steinway. Thank you all very much.