New P22 versus "grey market" UX

[Lynae]

Hi! I am wondering if anyone has advice on two Yamaha uprights I have the option to buy, both for $6,500 CAD, tax inclusive. One is a new 46" walnut P22 from a local dealer, with a full 20-year warranty, US made. The other is from the "grey market" Japanese shipments and is in Vancouver, about a day's drive from here. The used piano is a Japanese-made 30-year-old 52" black UX, serial number 2728711, all five components "A" rated (little wear), and a respected technician is willing to look it over for a few days before I would bring it home. This piano comes with a limited 5-year warranty and would have to be bought sight-unseen by me, but checked by a very well-respected teacher there, whom I trust very far. I am a piano teacher with my degree being BMus in Piano Performance, but I am hoping for this to be the family piano and not to have to buy another one in the next 45 years. I give my pianos a lot of daily use and am a strong (vigorous) player, so I'm hoping the age on the used one would not be a problem, though most people seem to find the UX inherently a better piano than the P22. I also wonder if anyone knows what kind of music rack is on the UX (large vented like the UX30BL, or small conventional flip-down that music is perpetually falling off, like the U3 or U1)? Thanks for any information or advice!

[joseph]

well, the fact that you have to buy the UX sight unseen is enough to put me off, I don't know what a P22 is but perhaps you should cast your net a bit wider, unless you desperately need to buy a piano in the next month. Maybe you could rent something until you find the right instrument?