I just got the YUS5 today. This is a great piano, it only cost around $12,000 not including tax. Its a 52" class upright. Compared to other, more "popular" brand names, I saved from $10,000 to $20,000. In my opinion this is the best value for the dollar when it comes to 52" uprights (the largest kind).

According to the Yamaha dealership, the YUS5 replaces the U5 (which is no longer being made). The differences so far are:

- Cosmetic improvements to the case
- Hidden soft-fall mechanism
- Improved strings
- Improved hammers
- Agraffes removed

VIDEOS[/b]


Chopin Prelude in E Minor Op. 28 No. 4
Played by a piano instructor


IMAGES[/b]


The YUS5 in the larger context of my living room.[/b]




Perspective view, fallboard down. The music stand is tilted forward, allowing sound to escape from the sides of the stand. The bench is padded, and comes with the piano.[/b]




Front view, fallboard up.[/b]



Closeup of the hidden, soft-fall mechanism showing an open and closed fallboard. The soft-fall feature allows the fallboard to gently come to a close. It is not possible to slam the fallboard shut. This mechanism is very well hidden, unlike earlier models (the U3 for example).[/b]




Pedal detail. Third (center) pedal is sostenuto. An explanation of Sostenuto is found here ( http://www.jeffreychappell.com/pedaling.htm ). First and second pedals are damper and soft respectively. The soft pedal accomplishes its effect by moving all the hammers closer to the strings. This is different from the typical implementation of the soft pedal that shifts the hammers to the right in order to strike fewer strings ("una corda").[/b]




A lever under the left side of the keyboard activates the celeste rail, or "practice" feature. When activated, a long piece of felt comes down between the hammer and strings, reducing the volume of every note significantly.[/b]

Detail of casters. The YUS5 has a full four casters, with each caster being of the brass double wheel variety. No part of the case touches the ground save the casters.[/b]




Back view of the detached music desk. The circles are cloth covered holes in the wood that allow the sound to come out of the case through the music desk, and out to the sides of the tilting music stand. Angling the music stand allows air and therefore sound to pass through to the pianist and noticably improves the sound quality.[/b]




Detail of bench.[/b]




Front view of action, without music desk (note, serial number removed).[/b]




Perspective view of action, with music desk removed. The celeste rail is visible (between the hammer and strings).[/b]

Sold!!!


Thanks for sharing all the pics and details Big V

LL

Very nice pictures of a good looking piano. Thanks for posting and enjoy your new piano.

Congrats on your new piano. Sounds like it is a wonderful choice for you. Your pictures are extremely detailed and your home is beautiful.

The next step is to raise the thing by a couple of inches and get a taller bench. I have decided I am going to replace the casters with bigger ones that have a brake. Pedals will go to the machine shop to get extended so they will be at the same height after the piano is raised. I am looking forward to this!

I'm working on trying to get a video uploaded to mediafire.com. Anyone know a good site for uploading videos (its 45MB)?

.....is this the ocean outside your patio door?

yes, and of course your piano is very nice too
I like the look

That is the atlantic ocean.

The uploaded video of the YUS5 being played is working now (note, thats not me at the piano).

Very nice. Congratulations on your new piano! Enjoy it for many years.

in case you're still looking for a piano lamp:

http://store.affordablelamps.com/p14-501-62.html
http://store.affordablelamps.com/p14-502-62.html


....goes well with your stainless steel kitchen too ;-)

I was thinking, wall sconces:

[img]http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-5898888926828_1934_209555437[/img]
http://store.affordablelamps.com/quoizel-ru8701rs.html


(Kidding of course)

are you serious about this??

....because I was serious about mine
actually the 1st one is the one I want.....

aehhhh, never mind.....I saw the "just kidding" when I clicked on "add reply"

Something odd going on with the acoustics though (not sure if it's the video or the room.) Sound seems to be bouncing off everything.

You might try pulling the piano off the wall an inch or two, to see if that smooths out the echoes.

Thanks for such great pics! Congrats on a great piano!

The tilting music desk not only allows sound to escape, but also gives a flat surface to support sheet music -- especially if you want to write on it.

My U1 had only the narrow shelf inside the fallboard, supporting music only at the bottom and top.

Very nice!

--Cy--

you sound absolutely delighted (and you should be)

enjoy it

Thanks everyone. Yes I am delighted with the piano but the crowning victory will be after I have completed the project to replace the casters with bigger industrial wheels, to raise the piano a few inches. Then, its off to the machine shop to modify the pedals so they will reach the ground again.

Finally, a new petite artist bench with real leather and the fattest most comfortable cushion I can possibly get.

This monday, February 12 I have a consultation with a RPT to flesh out how we will proceed with this project.

My dream of sitting correctly at the piano is inching closer to becoming real!!!

The opening in the front panel makes it sound too strong?
thanks

You might not get a response from Big V, PUMA. It looks like this was Big V's last post and it was posted at least five years ago.

I have a Yamaha YUS5 I just got last month. Let me answer that.
The ports don't make it sound too strong. I enjoy it.

Cool! I ordered a YUS5 Silent. I tried a U1 Silent, but I noticed a non-uniform noise of the keys going up (4-5 keys make more noise than the other), so I decided to take a YUS5 that should be built better. The mechanical response of the U1 Silent seemed too light, unsuited to those who need to study. In one room I have a baby gran Kaway but I can not play freely because of the neighbors. I live in an apartment in the center of Rome (Italy). I am a doctor and the music is my second love (if it continues will become the first). I am studying to get into the conservatory and I have more than 40 aa !!!
How do you feel with this piano?
Can you do the trills (there's a good return of keys?)
Tell me all your impressions and any faults that you observed

many thanks

I am only a moderate piano player. My main instrument has been guitar for over 30 years.

I will say this....the Yamaha YUS5 has a darker tone than the typical older Yamaha reputation. That being said I absolutely love it. I think it is very unique. My one seems to have a little heavier action which I really prefer. I bought it from a very high end dealer in NYC area. I think you will be very pleased. Eveyone that has played loves those ports by the way.

I would love to start a Yamaha YUS5 fan page here! Good luck!

That is a very lovely piano. When I started my search a few months ago, I wanted to try that model and Kawai's K8 but around here no one has either. They only stock the smallest, cheapest uprights. In fact, other than the Steinway dealer's one B and one D, they don't have much in bigger grands, either.

What area in NY was that Chopin?

Wow! Nice piano! Your post reads like an advertizement pamphlet. Now I want one too!

I'm guessing the switch from aggraffes allows for increased down pressure?

I bought a Yamaha YUS5 and Kawai K8 at the same time.

Similar in concept but very different tonal beasts.

Out of curiosity, a piano that is born Silent can be converted to pure acoustic by eliminating the bar (or avoid the action of it) and drawing closer the hammers to the strings?
hammers closer to the strings is a complex operation? How long does it take? It can be done by a layman?

In this way I could play with the maximum possible response on the part of the instrument

Dear Rafterman, what do you think about your two different pianos? What is about the action of keys ?

Tha Yamaha YUS5 has a heavier action than MY Kawai K8. I do prefer the heavier action though.