yahama u1 new & old

[podracer]

hi all.
i am seriously looking at a 1976 u1 and will prob buy.
my question is though that i looked at my neighbours U1 during week which they bought new about 2 years ago. when i looked at it it was an 8mill serial number but the frame had U1 & Naggin Gakk cast into frame as raised lettering.

now all the u1's i saw in showroom that were 60's models had the same naggi gakki in frame.
but all the 70's on models just had the u1 and a serial number.
the dealer reckoned that the raised NGakki stopped around 1970.

so why is it on our neighbours u1 ?

i'm just trying to rationalise this so that NGakki in frame doesn't mean a uk version versus the serial number meaning a used in japan model thats imported.

can anyone cast any light on this for me.

thanks.

[Bill Kibby]

I mainly deal with the 1800s, but I have certainly tuned Yamahas from the seventies marked Nippon Gakki, if that is what you mean.

[athomik]

Nippon Gakki was the old name for the Yamaha company. This was changed to Yamaha Corporation in 1987 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the company.

The if the serial number is in the 8xxxxx range, the piano was made in 1968/69. 1969 starts at 82xxxx. You can't determine the final destination of the piano by the serial number (The fact that Yamaha in the US can verify whether a piano is a grey import is down to their careful record keeping, not any distinct type of serial number)

[podracer]

Thanks for that. the thing is they had told us they bought a brand new U1.( they must have it 2 years at this stage )
but is it true that for the past 15 years or so yahama dont cast/emboss that nippon gakki on the right hand side of the frame. theres just the main circular emblem in centre and the U1 followed by the serial number.

thanks.