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Compare the main brands Yamaha, Kawai, Kemble, Weber and Steinmayer together
Very few showrooms in the UK can offer this
Thinking of buying a second hand Yamaha U1 or U3?
Are you attracted by the idea of buying a secondhand Yamaha U1 or U3 for around £2,500 from one of the many dealers on the internet selling ‘grey’ imports from Japan, and are not sure whether this will represent good value for money compared with a new piano?
What is a ‘grey’ import?
This term refers to Yamaha U1 and U3 models imported mostly from Japan after they
have finished many years of use usually in Japanese music schools. They are sold
by many different dealers a number of whom have quite high profiles on the internet
or ebay for example. They are often described as restored with terms such as new
strings and re-
New Strings?
This almost always refers to the little string loop to which the hammer butt spring attaches which stops the hammer resting on the steel strings (which make the sound) and helps the hammer to return for fast repetition. Do not be mistaken into thinking that the steel strings in the piano have been replaced. The main steel strings in a piano cost around £1,500 to replace and this is almost never done to a ‘grey’ import.
Re-
Sounds good doesn’t it, as if a major job has been carried out. No. Re-
Manufacturer Re-
This seems to be a menu choice on ebay which a seller may choose to ‘best’ describe his or her item for sale. Yamaha do not allow any third party website advertising so any of these pianos being sold on ebay are most likely not being sold by Yamaha Authorised Dealers and will not have been refurbished by Yamaha, as implied.
What’s the answer?
There are some secondhand U1 and U3 models available which have been sourced and
supplied to authorised dealers by Yamaha. These pianos have had to pass Yamaha’s
own stringent quality controls. The ones that we have seen so far appear to have
been very well selected and have hammers that have not been worn and therefore have
not needed to be re-
So should I buy a secondhand U1 / U3 or a new piano?
Pianos deteriorate from the day they are new. The soundboard is made from wood which swells and contracts with climate changes and eventually loses its ability to sustain sound and tone. The steel strings are under great tension and gradually become work hardened with successive striking of the hammers making them stiff and less flexible thereby losing their ability to vibrate with sub divisions along their length with the exactness required for good harmonics. This is why older pianos often have strings which appear to beat or have a ringing, out of tune quality to their sound even when they have just been tuned. There is much about this subject in the chat forums on the internet and there is no doubt that a good secondhand U1 or U3 can be a good buy for light domestic use. A new piano will have a new soundboard and new steel strings as well as everything else being new. The best way to decide is to visit a showroom (preferably Yamaha Authorised) with secondhand and new pianos, and make your own critical comparison.
