They are both Yamaha products, so the manufacturer is indifferent as to which of the two models we sell.

The N3 and the GB1KS are both Yamaha products, so the manufacturer is indifferent as to which of the two models we sell

I don’t know about sales in other markets but I probably could find out.

If silents can't make a dent in NYC where high-income groups live in cramped close quarters, they're not going to make a dent in other US markets.

What I would be interested in is knowing the sales to restaurants, hotels and churches

If, as Irving stated, both the N2 and N3 outsell their silent counter parts but if at the same time the silent pianos do not make a dent, the sales of the AvantGrand series will still not be a big success!
Let take an example where a dealership sells 2 silent pianos per year and now the AvantGrand outsells this by a factor 3, he will then sell 6 AvantGrands per year, which for a big dealership is nothing to be excited about!?
schwammerl.

But... why don't you post this in the digital section!

In my next post, I'll talk about the types of customers who buy AvantGrands and all-acoustic silent pianos.

I had a great train ride down to Philly (and great hosts and a great concert when I got there). Our Beacon Chris is a giant talent; our Rich Galassini is a giant person (and no, I'm not talking about his size ). During the train ride, I had the expected two or three "urgent" phone calls, but also nearly an hour to put some descriptions on paper about people who have purchased or will be purchasing AvantGrands. Here they are:

Ten scenarios in which customers buy AvantGrands:

1. A small performance venue is busy all day long, doesn’t have the time, money or patience for tuners, and showcases pianists at night who want to perform on a piano that feels and sounds as good as the establishment can provide. They want a silent feature so that the pianists can practice during the day without bothering the day crowd, and the owners can’t be bothered with strict temperature and humidity control. The N3 is the perfect choice.

2. A church wants an attractive baby grand for the chapel that can be used for piano and harpsichord performances and also for organ music for services. They don’t have the budget for frequent tunings. Temperature and humidity fluctuations destroyed their last two pianos and their pianists are always complaining about performing on the church’s digital piano. The N3, with a moderately priced sound module for the organ voice, is the perfect instrument for them.

3. A pianist prefers an instrument that has the touch of a real grand piano and also silent capability so that he can practice late at night. A GB1K would have been acceptable, but he prefers the sound through headphones of the AvantGrand, he enjoys that it is always perfectly in tune and that he doesn’t have to fuss with a humidity control system. The N3 is just the right piano for him.

4. A pianist needs as much piano as he can get in a very limited space. The GB1K is too big. He actually prefers the sound of a U3, but not so much that he’s willing to give up the practicality of super-low maintenance and the silent feature that he uses on occasion. The N3 fits his space and his needs perfectly.

5. A piano playing family wants a good, moderately priced piano for their country home that’s not well heated in the winter. Arranging tunings prior to vacation stays (especially when the stays are just long weekends) is a nuisance. They thought that a digital piano would be a good solution, but couldn’t find one with an acceptable touch. The N3 proved to be the perfect piano for them.

6. A piano playing composer needs a piano with computer ports, so he’s been using a Clavinova. As soon as he experienced the real piano action in the AvantGrand, he upgraded to an N2.

7. A family wants a piano on which their beginner children can learn but that can also be used as a player piano. They don’t have the budget for a Disklavier and the children’s teacher insists that the children practice on a piano with a real action. She loves the touch of the AvantGrand and gives it her full endorsement.

8. A homeowner desires a moderately priced piano for his three talented children. Among the three of them, the piano is used four or more hours a day. It often gets to be a bit overbearing. But there is no remote place in the house to place the piano. A piano that can be played normally at less than full volume and also sometimes in silent mode, is just what they need. The terrific look of the N3 is icing on the cake for them.

9. A music school is tired of all the complaints about how their practice room pianos are so often out of tune – especially since they keep paying fairly large sums for tunings. Between the heavy use that the pianos get and the never-ending fluctuations in humidity, the tuners just can’t keep up. Digital pianos don’t have these tuning problems, but they are not acceptable to the piano students. The teachers and students love real grand piano actions in the AvantGrands. N2’s are the perfect solution for the school.

10. A music school is planning an essential expansion. They require 25 new practice rooms, but don’t have the budget to build them. If they could build the rooms, Yamaha P22’s would probably be the pianos that they would acquire for them. Instead, they’re going to build one giant practice room that will house 25 N2’s that will be used almost exclusively in silent mode. For silent use, most of the teachers and students prefer the N2 to the U1 Silent. Students will each buy and own their own headphones. The money that the school saves on construction costs will practically pay for the pianos. The teachers and students will enjoy the bonus that the pianos are always perfectly in tune. The school will enjoy the bonus of regular direct savings in tuning costs as well as indirect savings in administration costs.

My N3 purchased in the US came with a full 5 year new Yamaha in-home warranty included.

And why don't the schools get a decent airconditioner to solve the tuning issues and save their pianos?=

The digitals' actions probably are just as sensitive to the humidity fluctiations so they keep part of the problems with their current approach?