This is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the finest concert grands ever built — a 1974 Yamaha CSII (249cm) from the legendary Nippon Gakki era, before Yamaha rebranded its manufacturing company in 1987.
This instrument represents Yamaha at the absolute peak of its hand-built concert grand craftsmanship. Serial number 1,903,450 confirms the 1974 Hamamatsu factory origin.
Recent restoration by master technician William Bless:
Complete new German Renner hammers and whippens installed — the same hammer manufacturer used by Steinway and Bösendorfer. Mr. Bless traveled to Maui specifically to perform this work on-site, ensuring zero transport stress to the instrument during restoration.
Original ivory keys in wonderful condition — pre-CITES ban, legal to sell within the United States.
The instrument:
∙ 8’2” (249cm) concert grand
∙ Maple rim construction
∙ Exceptional dynamic range from whisper-quiet pianissimo to full concert fortissimo
∙ Arguably superior in touch and tone to the modern instruments it predates
Custom shipping crate available for inter-island or international shipping.

Notes on why I chose this instrument over a the 9’ CFIIIS or CFX

Materials
∙ My 1974 CSII is made with old-growth Sitka spruce soundboard, these are essentially irreplaceable — the timber was denser, slower-grown, and more acoustically ideal than what’s available today
∙ Same applies to the rim and structural wood — 1970s Nippon Gakki had access to superior raw materials
Hand craftsmanship
∙ The 1970s Hamamatsu factory was smaller scale, more hand-built, with master craftsmen who had decades of experience
∙ By the late 1980s/90s production had scaled up considerably — more consistent perhaps, but less individual attention per instrument
The ivory keys
∙ Real ivory provides tactile feedback and moisture absorption that synthetic keys simply cannot replicate — the CFIIIS has plastic keys
Voicing and character
∙ Many technicians argue that the best Nippon Gakki era instruments have more individual character and warmth than the more standardized later production.

I’ll post photos shortly.