The Yamaha HQ100 is a so-called “gray-market” upright. A gray market piano is one that’s authentically manufactured by Yamaha, but is not intended for sale in a specific geographic region or country. Instead, it’s sold as “gray market” — a market that exists outside the official distribution channels and is not authorized by the manufacturer. In this case, the HQ100 is the Japanese version of the Yamaha MX100II, an upright Disklavier, with a few small modifications.
Like all Yamaha Disklavier uprights, Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems cannot be installed inside the cabinet. There isn’t any room. Instead, a backside system is installed between the support posts behind the piano. The back is then ensconced in a light fabric to keep the humidity-controlled air inside.
Modifications for the Yamaha HQ100
The Yamaha HQ100 has one significant oddity: There are only two support posts. The double bucket system usually installed just doesn’t fit. So in this case, after communicating with Dampp-Chaser, I opted to install a full-size bucket on the rear of the system.
I added a thin layer of foam or neoprene need to the sound-board side of the bucket. Similarly, I added a full-size baffle. And I used two feet of two inch wide Velcro, with the male side backed with a strip of neoprene. Otherwise, the system is installed like a typical back-side system. The dehumidifier brackets did require some bending to get them to fit properly.
The picture is below:
Please see my Dampp-Chaser FAQ for more information on the Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver System. I highly recommend these systems, and have accumulated data over the years to support that decision! You can view my graphs and charts on that FAQ page.
See also my article on determining whether your HQ100 can play MIDI files, and my article on repairing a failed solenoid in the HQ100.