Help please!!! Can anyone tell me the difference between Yamaha U1 and U3? For new piano, the price is about £500 different but for second hand piano, the price is more or less the same. Is it worth spending £500 more to get the U3? Sorry about the idiotic question. I have absolutely zero knowledge about piano. I am a loving mother buying a piano for my beloved son who is 8.5 years old and learning grade 5.

Thank you very much in advance for all your comments. Any information is useful and highly appreciated.

just in case no-one comes to give you a real answer, I'll give you a simple answer. The difference is that one is better than the other.

Hopefully someone will do a better job of answering you before long

The only difference is in their size. The U1 is 48" high and the U3 is 52" high. Other than that, they are the same.

The 4" height difference makes a marked difference in tone. Whether or not it is worth the price differential is strictly a personal choice.

Hi Sing,

I know you are in England, but a copy of The Piano Book, by Larry Fine, would be a wise investment. Though written primarily for the American market, the chapters on what to look for in a good piano are a huge help in deciphering build quality.

Tone quality, though, is subjective. I don't know much about the RCM grading system (perhaps our Brit friends could help), but I would think your son has already started to have tonal preferences. I would include him in this decision, and have him do the test driving. Of course, if you have a friend who plays, it helps to have a more accomplished pianist make the rounds with you, also.

So far, you looked at Bohemia, and now are considering Yamaha. I think you are wise to consider pianos 48", or taller, because they tend to have the best tone in verticals.

I'd slow down a smidgen, start keeping a few notes, and perhaps widen your selection. There are other pianos you need to consider - Petrov, Kawai, and maybe even some of the big Koreans. Also, I don't know how pricing on some of the German makes, such as Schimmel, runs in England. Or maybe an Itlalian Schultz-Polmann, or a French Pleyel. If within budget, they may also be a consideration.

A piano is something that lasts a long time. Take it slow, choose wisely, and enjoy.

It is quite impressive to have a 8.5 year old playing at Grade 5 level. It is generally true that bigger piano usually sounds better for most people, and I doubt the U1/U3 comparison would be an exception. Others have noted that they are otherwise the same construction-wise. Nonetheless, even the smaller U1 is quite sufficient to carry your child all the way through Grade 8, and may be even to his first performance diploma. The 500 pounds sterling price difference is a value judgment that only you can make.

A 8.5 year old playing Grade 5 must be rather talented, hard-working, or both. You must be proud!

There is one other minor difference: in addition to different scale design, larger soundboard and longer bass strings, the U3 also has slightly longer keys (overall length, not the playing end).

Longer keys give the pianist more control, and come a little closer to the feel of a grand piano action. I've also seen some U3's with a higher grade hammer than the U1's have. But on the other hand, some U1's I've played have had a very impressive tone (especially full in the lower register), to where they have almost as pleasing a sound as many U3's (I'm referring to used pianos here, which naturally vary quite a bit from one to the next).

I'd also recommend you consider allowing your son to try out both pianos, and see if he prefers one above the other. Letting kids take part in the piano-buying process is a positive thing, in my opinion, if they're musically mature; and if they choose a piano they particularly like, it only increases their motivation to spend time at the keyboard.

-Jimbo

Thank you very much everyone for your kind response. All your suggestions are useful. Thank you very much Axtremus, for your encouragement to my son. I also think that Jimbo's suggestion taking my son to try the piano is very good. I am almost convinced by all of you that it is worth to spend a bit more on U3. I will take Jolly's advice to get the book.

Jolly is very smart pointing out that I have looked at Bohemia and now are considering Yamaha. You probably sensed that I am completely lost in this piano hunting. I regret that I did not learn to play piano and did not have any knowledge about it. I set up the budget for 2.5k pounds and popped in a big piano shop. The shop assistant told me if I stretch a bit, I could get a better piano which would be sufficient enough to carry my son up to grade 8. I really do not want to buy a piano now and buy another few years later. I would rather increase my budget now. So he showed me a Bohemia professional 125. To me, all new pianos look shinny and grand. I love them all. I could not make up my mind at the time. My son's piano teacher suggested me looking for Yamaha U series after knowing my budget. Now Jolly gave me more suggestions. I am completely lost. I feel that buying a piano is more difficult than buying a house.

May I make my question simply please and I would very, very, very much appreciate if you can give me more suggestions. What is the best piano I can get for 4.5k pounds (7k US dollars)?

I am desperately looking forward to your replies. Thanks in advance!

Sing

Sing, I replied to your other post quite lengthily on two occasions, but I never read this one before.

I have a recommendation for you that is somewhat over-conclusive but I think that's what you would appreciate most, as you maybe cannot judge piano's performance for yourself.

I'll address the two pianos you mentioned up till now: the Yamaha u1/3 and the Bohemia 125.

I think the Yamaha U1s are VERY VERY bright, they almost sound metallic. Generally speaking, there's no variation at all in the 'color' of the tone between soft/loud playing. On the other hand, I thought their touch was very nice - not at all similar in nature to that of many European pianos, inc. the Bohemia 125. I thought they were fairly easily controllable as far as dynamics go (soft/loud). I was fairly disappointed by the poor sound (in the sense of not being 'rich') that comes with the touch. The U3s are deffinitely an improvement in that respect of tonal 'richness' but they still carry the same signature brightness. Between U1 and U3 I would probably choose the U3, - I would consider, however, the room where I intend to place the piano - if it is a small room, I would be hesitant about buying the U3 - such a loud (and remember-still bright) piano for that room, since that can overburden the ears.
Yamahas, on the other hand, are widely acknowledged (i think) for having excellent quality assurance (meaning that all their pianos pretty much get out of the factory the same), excellent tuning-stability and reliability in general.
That, in my humble opinion, makes them a pretty ok choice if you know nothing about pianos, and pretty much provides a very acceptable level of performance for virtually no risk of thinking you bought something that is better than it actually is. Plus, at least in Israel, because of their relative price and their being very widespread, they're pretty easy to get rid of at a fair price, and are very sought after as used instruments.
While I personally prefer German pianos, and dislike the Yamaha tone, I know a lot of people who've grown on these pianos, some professional pianists who keep them at home (the quiet digital version) by their grand piano, so they can play at evening or play in tandem.

It might also be worth your while to check out Yamaha's silent system which is great for a child first learning - since he can practice at whatever hours without bothering you or the neighbours. It'll be some time before he's playing Chopin nocturnes.

I prefer German pianos myself. I would like the Yamaha very much if it only sounded differently. I like better rich tone, that can be very mellow, subdued, though full of potential, when playing softly, and that gradually opens up to a brighter sound as you play more loudly, passing through many easily-attainable pleasant variations on the way. Try out a Steinway, a Bechstein, a Bluthner, a Grtorian - one of the top tier, and you'll know what I mean (I tried a few Seiler small uprights that were like this and I simply loved them).

I tried out a few Bohemias in the dealership here, some of them were voiced very badly, sounding brighter than the Yamaha, they just screamed in an ugly sort of way. Others, that were voiced properly, had a nice tone, a lot more beautiful than that of the Yamahas in my opinion. Some of them had Renner (german) action and some Detoa (czech) action. I personally do not fall for all the hype about Renner action, since Renner is a factory that produced the actions to the specs of the factories that order them - if the factories order low-grade material, that's what Renner will use. I thought the touch of the Detoa ones was good and also the Renner. You should compare in which you can extract very very soft sounds more easily.

I don't know a lot more about the Bohemia company. I know they produce pianos under so many brand names it can make your head spin (4 or 5 I think, and another one they produce for another company). I don't know about reliabilty - I doubt anyone does, because the factory is quite new in piano-building terms (I think it started producing in the 90s). I gather they've improved greatly in the last few years. In any case, I would compare these pianos to the Yamahas or to any other piano, on a case by case basis, and I would absolutely demand in any case before seriously considering purchasing one that you have the dealer do a complete regulation of the action and a tuning and a voicing, so that if you decide to buy it you get a piano that is closer to its full potential than otherwise (don't fall for 'i'll do it after you purchase the piano' - sure they will, but they'll do it worse).

I would also consider Petrof uprights that are priced about the same. Also have these voiced, regulated, tuned and whatever else is needed, as I gather from what I've read here and from what I've experienced with them, that no two Petrofs are ever the same.

I would suggest taking your son with you - more than counting on him to make the wiser choice, i agree with others that have said that if he feels a part, maybe a decisive part, of the purchase process than he would also be a lot more enthusiastic about the piano in general - he would want it home very soon after you went with him to close the deal, he would play it because he brought it home, and he'll want to confirm he's made the right decision in choosing the piano he did. I think this can be a very decisive element in the child's enthusiasm and motivation to be around the piano, and of course play it.


raphaelo

Thank you very much Raphaelo, my dear Israel friend. I am very touched by your effort in helping me. I need some time to absorb your suggestions and I will reply you later. One thing for sure is that I will definitely take my son to choose the piano. About Bohemia piano, I checked their website and found out that the factory is celebrating its ten years old birthday at the moment.

Sing

Sing, you're very welcome.

My motivation is simple - i felt the frustration you are feeling now, and i am now in a position where i am a bit wiser after the act.

Plus, I had A LOT of free time on my hands this past week.

Good luck.