The way the pinblocks and other wood in these 60's vintage Yamahas were seasoned may actually have been only part of the problem, or not as big a problem as it initially seemed. Over the years, many piano technicians have observed that Yamaha tuning pins seem to be somewhat looser than what they have come to expect in new U.S. pianos (especially ones made by Baldwin , which in recent years have had a reputation for having very tight pins). It is possible that this contributed to the initial complaint, as this may have been many technicians' first exposure to Yamaha pianos at the time. Unfortunately, we are not told how loose the the pins were in these first Yamaha pianos to be shipped here. Many assume they were not tight enough to hold the piano in tune, but this may not have been the case at all. They may simply have not been tight enough  for the U.S. technicians, who very likely would have been the ones to first bring the problem to Yamaha's attention.] 

To listen to some of the opposition to the "gray market" instruments, you might get the impression that these pianos would literally fall apart upon arrival here or shortly afterward, with soundboards caving in, pinblocks delaminating, and cases warping. Such has not proven to be the case. Incidentally, Yamaha's warranty relief for these pianos brought over in the 60's, that developed loose tuning pins, (and according to Yamaha there were thousands of these pianos) was simply to replace the tuning pins with oversize ones, a job that might take a technician or competent factory worker a day to complete. -No mention of soundboards or pinblocks being replaced, or pianos being sent back to the factory. Are these pianos still here? Yes. Are they still being played? Yes. Are they in any worse condition than pianos later "specifically seasoned for the U.S. climate?  Not from anything I have seen. ]  

Overall, my sense is that, based upon what I have seen from appraising, repairing, rebuilding and playing numerous pianos of both types over many years (both "gray-market" as they are called, and pianos originally intended for sale in the U.S.),  the different seasoning processes are simply not as great a factor in the overall longevity of the piano as some dealers of new Japanese pianos would have you believe, especially given the fact that we have so many different climates here in the U.S.  While proper seasoning is very important in the building of a piano, I truly haven't seen any of these so-called "gray market" pianos that has simply "fallen apart" upon arriving here; or, for that matter, any that have shown any problems other than what are common to used pianos everywhere.  The major factor in how pianos survive, in any climate, seems to depend much more on how owners take care of them after they have left the factory.

Sincerely,

Kendall Ross Bean, PianoFinders

18 Nov. 1999

I have not heard back from Kawai yet about this issue of different seasoning methods for pianos intended for different destinations, so I think I need to send them another e-mail or place another phone call.

20 December 1999

Well, here I am, back again to report, after talking to Kawai. It seems that, like Yamaha, Kawai in the past had different seasoning procedures for pianos intended for different world "climates" (at least 2 different lines, it was reported to me). I was also told, however, that Kawai has recently decided to discontinue the different seasoning procedures and have only one seasoning process, the same as most of the world's other piano manufacturers. If this is so, it casts some doubt on Yamaha's insistence that pianos need to be seasoned differently for different destinations, because Kawai, also, targets its pianos not only for Japan but for all the world, and is a maker of some of the world's highest quality instruments.

1999 Copyright Piano Finders.  Reprinted with by permission of copyright owner.   Complete articles can be found at:  http://www.pianofinders.com /techtalk/seasoning.htm  and http://www.pianofinders.com /techtalk/graymarket.htm ."

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