Hello there!

I'm looking to buy a piano for my 7-year old son, and have come across a few choices:
1) used Yamaha baby grand GA1 (4'11''), 10 years old, $3500, serial number: J1903759 (haven't seen this unit yet). The Yamaha serial number website indicate this piano was made for the US market. But I could not figure out its age after reading the "find the age of your Yamaha piano website". With the serial number starting with a letter "J", does it mean it was made in Japan? Assuming it is reasonably well maintained, is this a good deal?
2) used Yamaha G2 5'7"(about 20 years old), serial number J2800041, asking 6000
3) new Kawai K5 $7000+tax

Initially I was considering buying a used & refurbished Yamaha U3 from ebay (4000 including shipping cost), but some people warned me about it. Does anybody here have a good experience purchasing a piano sight unseen?

How does a GA1 compare to Yamaha U1 in terms of sound quality and action? and how does it compare with a Kawai K3 or K5? Hope to get your opinion. Many thanks!
(choice 2 seems a good deal, but it's located 180 miles away, so I guess shipping will be costly. )

Hi, and welcome to the piano World Forums!

My vote is for the Yamaha G2, if it is in good condition per a qualified piano tech. Maybe you can talk them down a bit on the price to help compensate for the additional moving cost, if any.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

Rick

Hello, Rick,

Thanks very much for your reply. I'll be able to take a look at this G2 this weekend if time permit. This piano is white, which is not the color I wanted. Beside that, I think it should be a good piano. Do you know how I can determine the age of a Yamaha piano? I went to http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/Text_WithCatMenu_XC.html?CNTID=12173
but still could not figure out. For example given the serial number J2800041, what would be its age?

Thank you!

The J is not part of the serial number.

The G2 is over 30 years old. I don't have my Pierce Atlas handy, but that serial dates from the 1970's.

The GA1 is not made in Japan. Aside from the obvious differences between a grand vs. upright in appearance, a U1 has greater potential for good tone and the GA1 has slightly better potential for touch so long as the use is light to moderate. In a heavier use situation, the U1 should outperform.

The Kawai uprights are good especially if you look at models 49" and taller (like the K5)

I would vote for the new K5 even if the G2 is in great shape if only because you're not happy with the color. If you don't like the white, a huge white piano will bother you on a daily basis.

All other things considered, the price for the GA1 doesn't seem out of line if it checks out and keeps you within budget. The GA1 is probably my least favorite Yamaha grand, but it is fine as a starter grand.

Good advice, Sam.

I didn't know the G2 was white/ivory, and from the 1970’s. The finish may not matter to some, but I don't think I'd want a white piano myself (unless I got it at a steal of a price; then I could afford to refinish it! ).

In reference to another thread about used piano prices, sellers consistently ask rather high prices for older Kawai and Yamaha pianos, uprights and grands. Although name brand recognition is very important, I think it would make it worth while it to check out the new pianos, of various makes and models, manufactured in China.

Let us know what you decide, Joanita!


Rick

Yea, at least go out and take a peek. New baby grands start in the $6k/$7k range and there are even some 6' under $10k.

Did you also try a new U1 or a new K3?

Hello everybody,

Thank you all so much for your advice. I traveled over the last few days to a big city that is about 3 hours of driving distance to my (small) city, and on the way back, I visited a piano store there. Now I'm closing deal with them on a Kawai US-8x made in 94 for 4300USD (including tax and delivery). The same store had offered me 7000USD on a brand new K5 (all included, 500 less than my local store had offered me), but I ended up choosing the used US8x because it sounded great (1 or 2 out-of-tune keys, but salesman said it was so because of their recent move) and cheaper in price than a new K5. Good deal? If not, I may still be in time to change mind and switch to k5 with them (phone discussion on purchase was just made 2-3 hours ago). Thanks!

The K5: New with warranty. Excellent action. Very nice 49" piano. Better price than anyone has a right to expect.

The US-8X: Big Kawai sound (wow!). Big music desk (Yes!). Also an excellent piano, but almost 20 years old. The price, however, seems really good to me. Drawbacks: The dealer is 3 hours away if you have issues. Is there any warranty? You might have your own tech look at the piano. This purchase requires more care on your part.

What would I do? I'd probably lean toward the US-8X. I haven't seen it, so...
It seems to me that you probably have two nice pianos and two good deals to choose from. Good luck!

Charles

HI Joanita:

The US8X was a wonderful piano and, IMHO, has a much nicer and richer sound than the newer K5. Also, I think the price is very fair. You can check another thread where the OM is having trouble buying one for $4,800, so your deal seems excellent. Just be sure the piano has a warranty (at least one year) from the dealer OR that you have a tech completely examine it first.

Yea I would get it checked out by an independent tech. The out-of-tune notes could be just that, or maybe something more serious. Get someone local there to check it out for you, and get a warranty in writing. Best to make sure there's nothing wrong than to find something wrong and go through warranty process...

I guess I don't have time to hire a technician to do an inspection anymore. But I do trust the salesperson's words. This seems to be a reputable local store in that area, as the neighborhood has ranked the store highly. The store did give me a 6-month warranty (so gives me additional peace of mind) plus first tuning.

While in the store yesterday morning, I was still reluctant to buy this one because I didn't know much about this model (thought that it was an out-dated model), but after coming back and searching the Internet, and after reading the post that master88er just mentioned (buying a 84 Kawai 52" at 5900->4800 USD), I feel more assured that the deal that I got was not bad! My store didn't start with an unreasonable price like the other thread mentioned. In fact, they started with a reasonable price.

The responsible salesperson called a few moments ago telling me that the piano will be delivered to me the day after tomorrow, which is pretty quick given the long distance.

Congratulations then! At 52" it must be one heck of a piano.

Yes, this can make all the difference in the negotiation/buying process. When the salesperson starts out with a ridiculously high price, you know you are going to be toyed with right off the bat… a rather humiliating process if you ask me. Quite often, an excessively high price will make a prospective buyer walk away immediately.

It’s nice to feel good about your purchase and not have an early onset of buyer’s remorse.

Congratulations again!

Rick

Congratulations! Good choice.