Warning!

Beware of Gray Market Pianos, Wood Not Seasoned For USA Distribution

Yamaha Pianos Seasoned For Destination.

What is "Seasoning For Destination"?

"Seasoning for destination" is the process by which the wood is used to make Yamaha pianos is cured. This "seasoning" is the critical step that makes the wood suitable to withstand the dirtiest possible conditions that the piano may face. Wood is seasoned differently for each of Yamaha's three world markets: Asia, Europe and North America. North America pianos are seasoned to the lowest moisture content, enabling Yamaha pianos to hold up beautifully despite the dry air that is the result of the heating and air conditioning systems prevalent in the USA.

Why is this important?

Without this additional seasoning process, the piano wood would continue to dry out while in your home. This "drying out" can cause significant damage and even destroy critical piano parts within a period of a few years. The results can be devastating to your piano and costly to repair.

How does Yamaha know this?

Yamaha manufactured pianos for Japan and the Asian market for more than 50 years before it began exporting pianos to other continents in the 1960s, Yamaha began exporting pianos to the United States and Canada. At a result, some of the Yamaha pianos that were sold in the U.S. market in the early 60s developed dryness-related problems.

After researching the problem, engineers discovered that North America homes are significantly dryer then those in Japan. This research led Yamaha to develop computer-controlled drying kilns, which, when incorporated with other manufacturing procedures, created pianos that would be properly seasoned for the North American market.

What about used Yamaha pianos?

Many of the used pianos sold in North America are pianos that were manufactured for the Japanese market. The pianos are purchased by brokers in Japan and sold to dealers in USA. The wood used to create these pianos is not seasoned for the North America market. Additionally, these pianos have spent most of their lives in a very moist environment. When brought here, these pianos can develop problems that can be expensive to correct. We know this because of the numerous calls reporting dryness-related problems that we have received from the individuals who have purchased them. These types of problems do not occur in pianos seasoned for the North America market. As a result, we strongly discourage the purchase of any used, “made for Japan” Yamaha pianos.