Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum 1979 Yamaha U1 worth $1200

I really want a Yamaha and I'm wondering if this is a good price being that it is so old. Help!

That is a very common year for gray market yamaha's, so you might want to do some homework on it. Gray market in of itself isn't really a concern, but only as far as the piano has been maintained well and whether any reconditioning has been done to the piano. With a piano of that age, the most typical problems I have personally seen are worn out strings, worn out out hammer return cords, and poor regulation. Have a RPT tech from your area check it out. If it's in good shape, then that's a grat price! I typically see U1's from that year go for around 3-4 thousand from dealers, and around 2-3 thousand for private party.

Thanks--Just making sure this is a U1. This is my info

Yamaha Studio
Professional Upright Piano
Serial Number U 128133
Manufactured in 1979

Model U1 48"

The serial number checks out as 1979 manufacture, but the U in this case does not mean U-1. It means that the piano was manufactured in Michigan, USA -- not in Japan. I don't think most people would refer to verticals that Yamaha made in Michigan as professional uprights, but I guess it's debatable.

For some strange reason, when I entered that serial number into Yamaha's gray market screening website, it came up as a made for America piano, but not as a U1. It said that serial number belongs to a model G2A, whic i believe is a 5 1/2 feet long grand piano. I'm afraid I'm not much help on this one, sorry

Ya--when I looked it up on the Yamaha website for grey market it gave me a different model number-M306T. So this makes it a M series right?

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/msg/2760380711.html

Thanks so much for your help.

turandot is right - you are looking at a Michigan made Yamaha, neither a U1 nor grey. Most of the Michigan models were console and studio uprights, 45" tall or smaller in wood finish or satin ebony. $1200 would be in line, more or less, for a private sale of one of these studio pianos if in excellent condition. It would be a little high for a console.

The M300 series was made in the US, but discontinued in the mid 1990's. They also were 43", not 48. It's no U1 for sure, but still not a bad piano.

Thanks for the info. Doesn't sound very good anymore. I'm wondering about the value of a 1987 Kawai Studio Upright - 708S. That one of the other pianos I'm looking at and they want $1650????

Hello BLou,

Can't bounce every piano off the board here for comments. Since you're working with a piano dealer, that can make the prices more reasonable if the dealer has prepared the pianos and offers warranty or convenient services like delivery and future tunings. At that point, $1200 becomes a fair market for an M300 if in very good shape. A Studio upright is more tempting. If you are on a strict budget and looking for bargains in the market, consider Baldwin Hamilton or Everett Studios. A lot of these are available in the market for $500 - $1500 and are remarkable bargains, IMO. Yam & Kawai are current brand names and you will always pay a little extra for that. If you are on a tight budget, value can be found elsewhere, but if you can add to your budget, the continuity of Yam & Kawai branded pianos is good for resale.

An Everett the same year as the Yamaha would have been made in the same factory.

That is an excellent price. I would jump all over it. It is not that old.

This is assuming you have played it, it sounds reasonable good to you and you have not noticed any problems.

Are you referring to the Yamaha or Kawai I mentioned?

I assume you mean the deal doesn't sound good anymore, not the piano. When you write: "This is one of the other pianos I'm looking at", do you mean you've looked at the piano or just the ad copy?

The best way to go about this is to respond to the pianos with your own eyes, ears, and hands without running the pianos through an Interne chat filter first. You don't want your own response to a piano to be conditioned by random Internet opinions of a brand or model.

If something appeals to you, then ask here if the price makes sense and if there are any potential red flags.

Thanks--problem with that is there are really no quality pianos here in such a rural area and I have to do the research ahead of time because the trip I take to the area where the piano(s) are located will be my only trip. I will have to bring the piano back with me. We are talking about 300 miles to travel. My kids have been without a piano since this summer and they need one ASAP if they are to continue their lessons this year.

Sorry if I am bugging you guys. I just don't want to get ripped off being that I have to purchase it under these circumstances.

Yikes!!! 300 miles to travel? Are you living in the middle of the Boundary Waters?

Blou,

I doubt that you're bugging anyone here, certainly not me.

You've posted a Minneapolis craigslist ad. Is that your closest target area? I'm not trying to be nosy, but maybe if you post something about where you are some members here would scan area Craigslist and point out listings that could be promising.

If this is actually a 1979 Yamaha U1 in good conditions it is an excellent deal. The finish seems fine at least but that is all you can tell until you see it and verify the make and date.

Unfortunately the craig's list ad does not specify the model or date which makes your decision harder. "Grey market" by itself is not a drawback. I have heard dealer's brag about used pianos being straight out of the crate from Japan.

If it turns out to be a p22, and it looks kind of like one, it is only a somewhat ok deal.

Sock,

Never hurts to read the thread before posting that you would jump all over something.

The title of the thread said:

1979 Yamaha U1 worth $1200

In rural ND!!! Yes I'm looking at MPLS Craiglist because I am going there for Christmas otherwise that would not be an option. (I usually drive an hour just to go grocery shopping!)

These are the best I've found other than the Yamaha:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/msg/2758023399.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/msg/2750641058.html