The Yamaha U series is one of the most successful model lines in piano manufacturing. It has been the upright piano of choice for decades amongst music conservatoires, teachers, pianists, technicians and enthusiasts alike. Since the first models appeared in the 1960s, the Yamaha U series has gone from strength to strength. At the time of writing in 2019, this equates to over 40 years of continuous production for two specific upright piano models. While such comparisons can be made with other manufacturers in terms of grand pianos, for an upright piano model to be in production for so long is rare and a substantial achievement.
So what is behind the popularity of these two models? There are a number of factors, all of which come together to create a high-quality piano that is value for
money.
All Japanese Construction and Quality Control
Japanese manufacturing is world renowned for its aesthetics, high attention to detail and quality control. For the Yamaha U series there is an exacting demand for the highest quality materials and construction methods. Every Yamaha U1 and U3 will have undergone a series of stringent quality control tests, from the selection of woods, to the construction of the mechanics and final regulation. This is an important point; a piano is a complex construction of thousands of parts that need to work perfectly together. Cost cutting anywhere along the production line will inevitably lead to end results that will not be reliable.
The popularity of the Yamaha U series is largely based upon this quality control. Schools and colleges recognize this factor and will purchase several U1s or U3s without even seeing the instrument, as it is understood that the pianos simply need to be tuned and perhaps regulated on arrival. Everything inside the box, so to speak, has been taken care of.
Yamaha U1 Specifications
A = Width 153 cm
B = Height 121 cm
C = Depth 62 cm
Yamaha U3 Specifications
A = Width 153 cm
B = Height 131 cm
C = Depth 65 cm
High-Quality Raw Materials
All Yamaha U1 and U3s are constructed using a single piece of sawn spruce for the soundboard. For centuries Spruce has been the wood of choice for its acoustical properties, and it is commonly used in the construction of fine-stringed instruments. In the past, cheaper upright pianos used a type of plywood for the soundboards, but the results are never as good as one piece of wood resonating with the string vibration.
The popularity of the Yamaha U series is largely based upon this quality control. Schools and colleges recognize this factor and will purchase several U1s or U3s without even seeing the instrument, as it is understood that the pianos simply need to be tuned and perhaps regulated on arrival. Everything inside the box, so to speak, has been taken care of.
The Yamaha U series uses traditional materials that have long been prized for their qualities in piano production:
- Spruce soundboard
- Beech bridges
- Pine back-posts
- White wood hammers
- Cast-Iron frame
Construction Methods and Design
The Yamaha U1’s longest string height is 118.8 cm
The Yamaha U3’s longest string height is 120.5 cm
The construction of the Yamaha U1 and U3 are, by piano standards, incredibly simple and yet efficient. The design is actually quite traditional with only minor differences, such as an aluminium action rail.
Technician Approval
We asked the opinion of our technical team on the Yamaha U series, to try and understand if there is anything particular that makes these pianos so popular.
The replies were:
- They are easy to work on and well made. This is largely due to the initial efforts of Yamaha to ensure high-level construction methods and consistency.
- Replacement parts are easily sourced thus making repairs much more straightforward. This is one of the advantages of being a worldwide manufacturer.
- Additionally, our technical team noted the piano’s high-quality construction had a huge bearing on its longevity. If the piano has been cared for, it can be kept in good playing condition for decades.
Good Quality to Cost Ratio
The combination of cheaper manufacturing costs with high-quality materials has made Yamaha one of the most competitive piano manufacturers in the market. Every piano has a quality to cost ratio. If you pay next to nothing for your piano, you are usually buying something that has low-quality parts and construction. The resulting instrument will be functional but will not inspire, either tonally or performance wise. If you go to the upper end of piano manufacturers where cost is not an issue, nearly all of those pianos will be handmade using high-quality materials, so you can afford to be picky.
Most people seriously considering a piano purchase will have budgets up to £10k. At this point, you are spending a serious amount of money, on a par with the budget for buying a car. This is an investment purchase and so you are expecting the best quality for your money. Unlike their Chinese counterparts, Yamaha and other Japanese manufacturers can boast a long history of high-quality manufacturing and raw materials. Their labour costs will still allow them to price slightly lower than European competitors, providing a very appealing product.
Yamaha U1s and U3s have long been associated with maintaining high-quality output comparative to the amount of money you spend. There are cheaper upright pianos out there and there may be slightly more expensive pianos with more preferable tonal qualities, but ultimately the U series have excellent tonal balance and responsive keyboard actions that are built to last. They are working tools for advanced pianists who don’t have space for a grand piano and excellent pianos for beginners who need to develop a solid technique.
Players’ Approval (with caveats)
This next point has caveats because piano ownership and favourite brands are hugely subjective. For example, some people would say that the tone of new Yamaha pianos has been described as too bright, with preference given for warmer sounding pianos from European manufacturers. However, this a gross generalization that any amount of demos on other pianos will soon reveal. There are warm sounding Yamaha pianos and there are bright European pianos. A piano can be voiced to sound brighter or warmer by any good piano technician. Age can also affect a piano’s tone, with older pianos sounding warmer than newer ones. More importantly, no two pianos sound the same. It is virtually impossible to create uniformity of sound in a production line. Wood is an organic material subject to natural variation that will inevitably have some bearing on the final product.
The following points are based on the experience of a piano teacher and professional pianist, so the author is happy to agree that what is stated here might not be the same experience for everyone. However, the following observations have been made over a number of years:
- Many professional pianists have a Yamaha U1s and U3s have been for decades the upright piano of choice for high-level music institutions. This is because the U series models offer a clear and resonant tone, coupled with an excellent responsive action. The pianos are hard-wearing and easy to maintain and tune. They are built to last and sound good even after years of bashing the keyboard. Yamaha’s renowned consistency in manufacturing is a big selling point. For this reason they represent an excellent investment.
- Many professional pianists have a Yamaha U3 as their practice piano if they do not have space for a grand piano. Not all professional pianists are multi-million selling artists with a Steinway concert grand in their living room for practice! Most are hard working, passionate individuals who cannot afford the space of a bigger property.And yet they still need an upright piano that has an excellent responsive action, and tonal depth. They need a piano that will provide tonal and performance qualities as close to a grand piano as possible. Owing to its cabinet height, the Yamaha U3 has a larger soundboard and even longer bass strings than some baby grand pianos. Larry Fine noted in his best selling publication The Piano Book, that in some cases it is better to purchase a large cabinet upright piano rather than the smallest baby grand, as the tone will nearly always be superior. The Yamaha U3’s price and performance qualities make it the practical choice for many pianists.
- Many piano teachers will advise parents to purchase a Yamaha U1 or U3 over other manufacturers. As an impartial piano retailer, we can safely say that many teachers are now purchasing and also recommending Kawai – another excellent Japanese manufacturer – and a few other European manufacturers. But the Yamaha U series, new or secondhand, still represents a sound investment for children learning the piano. On the proviso that the piano has been checked and cleared by a qualified piano technician, the U1 or U3 piano Larry Fine, The Piano Book, p14 can be used for all levels of piano music, right up to advanced level studies. It will also have few if any technical problems during a child’s years of study, again making it a good investment.
Good Resale Value
Yamaha U series pianos have an intrinsic market value that holds well, simply because it is such a well-known and respected series. Many smaller piano manufacturers make very good pianos, but depreciation on the piano will be variable and depend on prior knowledge of the brand by the customer.
At the time of writing this article in 2019, a new Yamaha U3’s approximate RRP is just below £10k. It is very common to find second hand Yamaha U3s from the 1980s onwards selling between £3k and £5k, depending on age and condition. There are also considerations to be made over whether you buy from a respected independent showroom or privately. Although privately you may find one cheaper, from a showroom it will be difficult to find a U1 or U3 for less than £3k, which is an excellent resale value for an upright piano. By comparison, smaller name English manufacturers made in the same period will have a markedly lower market value.
FAQ’s
This section will try to address common questions posed about the Yamaha U1 and U3 models. They have been compiled from years of being in the trade, while also keeping an ear to the online forums minefield. This guide is designed to be an active publication, with regular updates to keep it relevant. If you have a query or topic that you think worth publishing here, please do get in touch.
What are the main differences between the Yamaha U1 and U3?
The main difference is the size, the U3 is 10 cm taller and 3 cm deeper. This allows for longer strings, particularly in the bass, and a bigger soundboard. The result is a richer overall tone that gives more tonal options to the pianist. However, the U1 is usually significantly cheaper than the U3 but still has the high quality, all-Japanese construction of the U series. If your budget can stretch to the U3, it is usually preferable to purchase this model for the increased tonal range.
Which one is better?
The Yamaha U3 has a superior tone and Yamaha themselves do not play down that the U3 is the superior model. This does come at an additional cost. The U1 and U3 have almost identical actions and either one would be good for advanced piano studies. A piano cannot improve your playing but it can help you focus on your playing, so that you’re not having to worry about whether the piano will perform the same way every time. We usually recommend buying the largest piano you can afford, as you will appreciate the larger tonal depth, especially if you continue to develop as a player. Both are high-quality upright pianos and you may actually prefer the tone of a U1, so try a few and let your ears decide.
New U3 versus old U3?
If your budget permits a new piano, we would always recommend going with that option. A new piano automatically has a longer life ahead of it, which will increase its value to you and also to any potential future buyer should you wish to resell. It will have the latest design features too. while these won’t make or break your playing experience the new Yamaha U series features soft fall lids and long music stands, which are not found on older models. The design differences between older and newer Yamaha U series pianos are not substantial enough to have significant impact on the quality of the tone and performance.
When we talk about secondhand pianos, there are many options worth considering. For instance, if you find a U3 built in 2007, at the time of writing that would be only 12 years old, which in piano terms is still relatively new. At this point you would want to make some enquiries: how often was it played? What was the proficiency of the current owner? Was the piano regularly tuned and kept in a correctly humidified room, out of sunlight? If the price is good and it has seen minimal use, you could be onto a bargain. Your next step should be to call a respected piano technician for a second opinion and take it from there.
Can I buy a U series piano from the 1970s or 1980s?
The short answer is yes, but as with any piano you need to make a couple of checks.
It all depends on the condition of the piano, whether it has been properly maintained and how much play it has seen. We have come across some pretty spectacular examples which look like they have hardly been played and these pianos will go on performing well for years to come.
You will also find that older U series pianos will sometimes sound more mellow than newer counterparts. This is due to a combination of older strings, more worn-in hammer felts and an older soundboard. When choosing a secondhand piano, you will want the right balance of tonal qualities that you like (bright or warm), coupled with a minimal amount of wear and tear from playing.
You can do a few initial inspections yourself. Inspect the piano under the lid and check for rust on the tuning pins or strings, check to see how worn the hammer felts are. Hammer felts can be refaced by a qualified technician but rusting parts are potentially more serious and will require replacing at some point.
If you are satisfied with your own initial checks, then it is time to call a qualified and recommended piano technician for an impartial assessment. They will charge you a small fee, but this is nothing in comparison to the potential work bill you could be faced with if you unknowingly purchase an instrument that needs repairs.
Where are U1s and U3s made? Are some models made in other countries?
All Yamaha U series pianos are manufactured in the Hamamatsu factory in Japan. Although Yamaha manufacture other piano models outside of Japan, in China and Taiwan, the U series are reserved exclusively for manufacture in Japan. This is because a big part of the U series’ branding is based on exclusive manufacture in Japan.
Can I buy a Yamaha U3 or U1 online without seeing it in person?
The answer is yes, but with caveats. If you buy a new piano it will come with a manufacturers’ guarantee and protection from faults. Modern online retail has a 14-day refund period as part of all purchases and that includes pianos. In the case of Yamaha, you will have peace of mind knowing that the instrument you order will be of high-quality construction with a good action and a clear, resonant tone.
However, if you buy direct you are completely in the dark about the tone of the piano and how the action responds. These aspects of piano preference are so subjective and personal that you can only understand them by playing the instrument for yourself. Both of these features can be adjusted by a technician post purchase, but ideally you would want to avoid this extra cost. This is why we always recommend playing the piano before you purchase it.
In the case of schools, trying a piano before purchase is simply not practical or even desired. Many educational institutions simply need to get the pianos in so their students to can start to practice. In this case they will look for a brand and model that is well established and known for its excellent construction and performance. This is where brands like Yamaha can come in and provide peace of mind with their guarantees.
What if you are a private individual who is interested in a piano but cannot get to the showroom for whatever reason? First, ask lots of questions over the phone with the showroom. You will get a good sense of their knowledge and customer service. Second, some showrooms will be able to offer you a trial period for your piano, something usually arranged on a case-by-case basis. Failing this, you can arrange to have a technician assess the piano for you and any credible showroom will accommodate this.