For Sale- Yamaha U3 Piano ?2,500

[Betrick]

Another reluctant sale due to house work and renovations.

I'm currently selling my beautiful U3 Yamaha piano. I've owned it personally since 1993.

It's a beautiful instrument with a beautiful sound as well as a lovely piece of furniture.

This particular U3 was manufactured in Japan as was made in 1975, you will be able to see online or by contacting a piano dealer that this is a well known generation for its quality of manufacturing.

If you'd like to research online prices of the U3 upright range from between ?3,500 - ?10,000 as they are the preferred models used by professional pianists rather than the U1 or other models.

Mine has a few cosmetic paint marks from being moved around over the last few years which is reflected in the price- it is otherwise in perfect condition. The U3 is a perfect instrument for someone who hopes to reach a grade 8 standard.

I've kept a hold of it as long as I can through recent house moves and will be very sad to see it go. I'm more than happy for people to come and view if interested.

I don't have it photographed but I also have the stool included in the sale.

Please find below a few copied paragraphs from Mark Goodwin Pianos which can easily be found online which will advise you on why Yamaha may be the right choice for you.

Yamaha U3: 10 Reasons why it's a great choice

It is made in Japan,

It has been a popular choice for over 60 years,

It holds it's value

It is enjoyed by professional pianists

It is relied upon by music schools and piano teachers

It has longer bass strings than baby grand pianos

It is 131cm tall (tall is good!)

If properly reconditioned it will last a generation before needing further work

It looks good and sounds great

A new Yamaha U3 costs ?9000 but a professionally reconditioned one can be bought for less than half that amount.

Manufacturing is an art form in Japan which means build quality and quality control is consistently high. Quality does come at a price of course which is why many manufacturers are now opening factories in China, Indonesia and other places that don't have a great reputation for build quality. I always remember This Article from a few years ago which gives credit to both Japanese and Chinese attitudes to "getting things done" albeit sometimes in very different ways. This interesting article suggests that wages in China are increasing up to 20% per year which means large companies are now moving their operations to the other countries who still rock-bottom wages. This is worrying because it suggests manufacturers are putting their focus on cost rather than focussing on producing high quality products.

As far as I'm aware every single Yamaha U3 piano has been made in Yamaha's famous Hamamatsu factory in Japan. The Yamaha U1 used to be made there and it probably still is for the local Japanese market but the Yamaha U1 is now made in various factories all around the world. I know that whilst Kemble's UK factory was still in operation (closed in 2009) they were making the Yamaha U1 on behalf of Yamaha.

Conclusion: Japanese pianos such as the Yamaha U3 have a consistently high build quality. They are a very safe purchase.