Anyone Know Anything About Grey-Market Yamaha Pianos?

**Brian R.** · 12 October 2003, 11:57

Bump

**Chrono_Wanderer** · 12 October 2003, 14:13

IIRC the dry weather part is kinda true. I had a relative who brought her piano from Hong Kong (a very damp place) to Toronto (very dry, relatively). I think she does have problems with the piano's wood (don't quote me on that). IIRC it was also a Yahama.

How much are you getting it for anyways?

I also play piano, and I have a 49" upright. Me and my parents were searching everywhere in the town for a good and relative "good deal" brand. We found this brand called "Rieger-Kloss". For its quality and size, its much cheaper than the Yahamas. The 49" i got is the best upright in Rieger-Kloss, and costed ~7000 Canadian Dollars for a brand new one! Considering piano with this kind of quality, they usually cost 10000+, if they are more famous brands like yahama. I think the reason for this is because they are not famous yet.

I believe all Rieger-Kloss are assembled in Czech Republic, but their parts are all made in Germany. The paino I got definitely high quality with an excellent finish. My parents want me to learn with a European piano first, because generally speaking, their keys are "heavier", so when you later go play Japanese pianos its much easier because its keys are much lighter. But of course, if you start out with a Japanese, its very herd to play European pianos.

Good luck! If you need more info about Rieger-Kloss, just see here:

http://www.riegerkloss.com/

**KvHagedorn** · 12 October 2003, 17:23

Chrono, does your relative have radiators for heating? Those things really suck moisture out of the air, and a decent humidity level (~ 50%) is needed for good human comfort and health, as well as for maintaining wood furniture. Wood doesn't need high humidity to maintain itself, but very low humidity can be bad.. your furniture needs to be oiled in such an environment, but a wooden musical instrument can be really messed up in very low humidity. If there is just normal humidity, any piano should do fine. High humidity can actually attract mold and such..

If you want the stiffest touch, usually Steinways are like that.. Other German pianos are a bit softer. I kind of like the positive touch needed to play a Steinway, but others find it difficult, especially if they learned on something softer. Not that I really play the piano, but I did take an interest in them at one point.

**GT98** · 12 October 2003, 18:09

LOL Its pretty amazing what you learn on this place at times

**ALBPM** · 12 October 2003, 19:18

My wife's Grandmother used to keep a small pan of water down in the base of her upright piano. Kept it healthy in the New Mexico climate.

**Brian R.** · 12 October 2003, 19:56

I paid $2400 for it. It was the top of the line upright for Yamaha in Japan when it was new. 52" tall. I paid $800 for shipping from Manhattan. They shipped me 3 pianos and I kept the best one and shipped the rest back.

I have a central humidifier in my heap pump air handler. A Yamaha dealer said that that is enough here in Maryland to prevent problems in the winter. Hope he's right. He said the people in the desert and really cold midwest have the potential for problems.

Someone sells humidistats for pianos that sit behind the bottom panel in uprights. The dish of water sounds like a good idea for New Mexico...

I think Rieger-Kloss is a relatively new name. There is some information on them in the Piano Book by Larry Fine.

**Chrono_Wanderer** · 12 October 2003, 20:09

Actually, they went back to Hong Kong lol after 3 years living here, along with the piano. But I think before they left they did have a humidifer for the heating system, but because the Canadian winter was so dry, it wasn't enough. So I think they did have an extra humidifier, eventually.

Seriosly, don't quote me on this because it was years ago, but I seem to remember they did said about this problem... (or maybe it was my mind playing tricks with me)

Trust me though, Yahama is extremely light in comparison to a few other European pianos (I have played Petrof (both uprigth and grand), Seiler, and of course the Rieger-Kloss. Also, Yahama has a much "sharper" pitch than any of these. I know coz I have many friends who also play piano, and I entered into numerous piano exams. So I get to try many different pianos

But hell ya, Stainway, I can imagine they are very stiff! (Never had a chance to try them tho) After all, they do make THE BEST pianos (concert grands) IMO. Their sound quality are definitely not found in any other brands. Excellent piano, but not-so-excellent price tag

Hack, those things can buy me a condo flat LOL.

@GT98 you also learn some of the strangest things on MURC too

@ALBPM: That's a pretty cool idea!

**Chrono_Wanderer** · 12 October 2003, 20:23

Yup, Rieger-Kloss is a pretty new name, but they are >100 years old I think. I think they were state own (not anymore) before, that's probably why they didn't get famous.

But darn, 2400 USD is an excellent deal! And we are talking about a 52"! And its a yahama, which are very expensive especially at that size. Excellent deal!

Oh ya. Maryland should be fine. Its just that all the way up here, the winter is quite a bit drier I guess.

**KvHagedorn** · 12 October 2003, 20:31

LOL actually there are some German brands that are better now. The New York Steinways have gotten variable in quality of late (Don't know about the Hamburg Steinways.. supposedly better there.) Bösendorfer, Blüthner, and Bechstein are extremely nice instruments. The latter two I know only by reputation, but I got a chance to play with a Bösendorfer full concert grand (not the Imperial) at Strait music in Austin once.. the action isn't stiff like a Steinway, but very precise, and the finish was absolutely gorgeous. Sweet instrument! (it should be for $100,000 or so..)

**SpiralDragon** · 12 October 2003, 21:55

well i am not one to advoate buying any yamaha Piano tobegin with..... they sound to tiny...... i would add Hofman to KvH's List of great pianos....

**Chrono_Wanderer** · 12 October 2003, 22:35

lol :droll:

LOL too bad those will cost me my kidney + leg + brain

**Brian R.** · 12 October 2003, 23:06

Affordability is my first concern. It doesn't matter how good it is if it stays in the showroom. This was the best piano I could buy for the money. With Yamaha bad-mouthing the used pianos from Japan, they have driven the price way down.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2559430358

On the ProPiano website, it's a $5000 piano. Can't complain. No one around here can touch that price ($3200 counting shipping).

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/pro-piano/music-musical-instruments.html

**SpiralDragon** · 12 October 2003, 23:13

i can imagin that... wish they where that cheap here.... could use a new piano.. even if its a yamaha... fixing my curent one.. a hofman... would coast me a fortunne....... btw... iwent to one of bierut's old sound stages (barly used now adays due to lack of cinema industrie) they had one prety nice stienway..... but it was in poor decay... had some parts broken and was way out of tune.... pluse the humidity has eaten well into the finishing......

but it still felt great to the touch

**Brian R.** · 12 October 2003, 23:15

Never played a Steinway. Probably better that way. I am easily dissatisfied.

Anyone Know Anything About Grey-Market Yamaha Pianos?

Anyone Know Anything About Grey-Market Yamaha Pianos?

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