Yamaha/Miki Gakki Serial Numbers

[Drew]

Hi everyone
I have recently purchased a 'gray' Yamaha G2, having researched the issue of
the Japanese market imports and decided that the price and circumstances
warranted any risks associated with this.(you guys have had fun with that
issue in the past I see) :-)

While pleased with the piano and having had it inspected by an RPT there is
still a question of the age of this piano.
The dealer was saying about 15 years, while the serial number indicates more
like 50. The RPT says there is no way it is that old and estimated around 20
up to 30 Max.

I have noticed that the plate inside is labeled Miki Gakki, which I believe
from previous posts on this NG is/was the name of a prominent music store in
Japan. Does anyone know if these pianos used different serial numbers? I
have spoken with Yamaha and they do not show my serial number as belonging
to a G2 and are trying to research it for me, just wondered if any of you
have come across this before. or have any more info on the pianos labeled
Miki Gakki

Many Thanks

Drew

[Keith McGavern]

--
Keith McGavern
kam...@earthlink.net
Registered Piano Technician
Oklahoma Chapter 731
Piano Technicians Guild
USA

[Keith McGavern]

Drew wrote:
>
> ...there is
> still a question of the age of this piano...the serial number indicates more

> like 50. The RPT says there is no way it is that old and estimated around 20
> up to 30 Max.

What is the serial number?

[Drew]

serial number is 36585

Keith McGavern wrote in message <36507A91...@earthlink.net>...

[Rick Clark]

Is there a chance there is a sixth digit which has faded off? Look
carefully. If so, this puts the instrument around 1964. Gakki is the
word for Musical Instrument. I believe Miki will usually be a proper
name. So the theory may be correct it is a store name.

Rick C;lark

[Keith McGavern]

Drew wrote:
>
> serial number is 36585

Pierce Piano Atlas, 10th Edition says 1942.

Yamaha's name was Nippon Gakki S.K.K. Co. long ago.

Searched Deja news...no mention of Miko Gakki.

[Kazuo Yoshizaki]

Miki Gakki is a big Yamaha dealer in Kwansai (Osaka) area and they were
selling Miki brand Yamaha instruments until about 20 years ago
(http://www.miki.co.jp/), I guess.
Miki and Yamaha pianos are basically identical but Miki uses slightly better
parts (i.e. chrome plated tuning pins vs. blue).
I don't know if 1942 is a correct model year as it is during the
W.W.II and Japan must have been suffering from shortage of materials to make
grand pianos then.
I'm not sure either when Yamaha switched the hammer flange rail material
from wood to aluminium, but my sister's 1974 C-3 already has an alumimium
rail, so if your piano has a wood rail, it is quite possible it was made in
60's as Rick says.

yosh...@erols.com

Rick Clark wrote in message <365095e6...@news.mindspring.com>...

[Drew]

Thanks for the info.

Kazuo Yoshizaki wrote in message <72qdkc$q4h$1...@autumn.news.rcn.net>...

>I'm not sure either when Yamaha switched the hammer flange rail material
>from wood to aluminium, but my sister's 1974 C-3 already has an alumimium
>rail, so if your piano has a wood rail, it is quite possible it was made in
>60's as Rick says.

If by hammer flange rail you mean the rail that each individual hammer is
screwed to (excuse my ignorance) then it is aluminuim in this piano.

>Miki and Yamaha pianos are basically identical but Miki uses slightly
better
>parts (i.e. chrome plated tuning pins vs. blue).

Hmmm this is interesting having waded through all the old posts and
arguements on gray imports using inferior material <grin>

Thanks
Drew

[Drew]

Rick
Nope ! definitely not another digit, the serial number is very clear.

[Keith McGavern]

Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 16:31:05 -0600
From: Keith McGavern <kam...@earthlink.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.piano
Subject: Re: Yamaha/Miki Gakki Serial Numbers

Keith McGavern wrote:
>
> Searched Deja news...no mention of Miko Gakki.

Searched again under MIKI GAKKI (not MIKO). Found three references:
http://www.dejanews.com/[ST_chan=art]/dnquery.xp?QRY=Miki+Gakki&defaultOp=AND&LNG=ALL&ST=QS&svcclass=dnold&DBS=1

[Drew]

Thanks for the effort there, I tried this yesterday and only found two
references , went back to see what the third was......it was my post ;-)

Keith McGavern wrote in message <3650DB7D...@earthlink.net>...

[Drew]

Thought id let you all know what I found out from Yamaha on this issue.

Although the woman I spoke with was a little sketchy - still waiting for
the specialist to call me back, she did confirm that she had 2 separate
lists of serial number -> age. She confirmed these lists were "one for the
2 pedal and one for the 3 pedal" versions. Though I am sure its a little
more complicated than that the important thing is that using the serial
number on my piano against the published list on the Yamaha web page gives
me an age 20 years older than using the list she had for "2 pedal" pianos.

So maybe that importer that swears the piano is of a certain age isn't
trying to con you....well not as much as it would first appear anyway ;-)

Drew

Drew wrote in message <72psaq$ijp$1...@nntp.gulfsouth.verio.net>...

>Hi everyone
>I have recently purchased a 'gray' Yamaha G2, having researched the issue
of
>the Japanese market imports and decided that the price and circumstances
>warranted any risks associated with this.(you guys have had fun with that
>issue in the past I see) :-)
>
>While pleased with the piano and having had it inspected by an RPT there is
>still a question of the age of this piano.

>The dealer was saying about 15 years, while the serial number indicates

more
>like 50. The RPT says there is no way it is that old and estimated around
20
>up to 30 Max.
>

[mohama...@gmail.com]

74546 miki 1