Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Yamaha U1 vs. GB1 vs. GP1

I am new here and am looking for your advice on my piano selection.

I've recently started searching of piano for my daughter (5 yr.) After doing some research, I came up with my final list:

1. New Yamaha U1, dealer price is $6950+tax, including moving, tuning, and 10 year warranty.

2. Used Yamaha GB1, 5' long, built in 2007, private seller asking for $6500 not including moving and tuning. FYI, new GB1 is ~$8500+tax in my area.

3. Used Yamaha GP1, 5'3" long, from dealer, built in 2000, asking for $6900+tax, including moving, tuning and 5 year warranty.

Which one do you all recommend?

I did try U1 and GB1, and to be honest, I didn't feel much difference since I am not a piano player and know nothing about piano.

I personally looked at the used GB1 and it looks like almost new to me. But I am not a Piano player and am not sure if it is in its top condition. If I decide to buy this piano, I will ask a tech to do an inspection and give a price estimate. Does $6500 sound reasonable price?

Considering they are all in the same price range, I personally like baby Grand, just because it looks a lot better than upright. But, I've seen negative reviews on baby grand, so I am hesitating now.

Please advise. Thank you all in advance.

Hi Helen,

Welcome to the forum.
Given the recent ages of the instruments, you might be able to get good information from owners, salespeople, and technicians on this form using the Google search function at the upper left of the screen. The GP1 was never particularly well-liked, the GB1 was an improvement (but still their entry-level grand, and opinions are widely varied), while the U1 is well liked (and even those who don't love the U1 have a healthy respect for its track record and durability).

If it were my choice, my preference would be the U1. To be fair, it's probably been 4 years since I've played a GB1. Others will chime in with different opinions, I'm sure...

I do like the GB1 over many other small grands, although it is indeed an 'entry-level' instrument. The U1 is a very common and professional instrument, much used in university and teaching settings, a very reliable 'workhorse' of a piano.

It is actually a tough choice! Your price quotes are very reasonable, on both of those pianos. I would not go with the GP1.

Regards,

I know the idea of having a baby grand is rather pleasing and on a cosmetic point of view, they do look beautiful to have in the house. However, I've never really heard anything decent about the Yamaha CP1 or the GB1 especially. There are also far better grands you could get for similar money. May I suggest looking at a Hailun HG161 - a 5'3 grand built to an explicable standard which would much rival any GB1 or GP1 as I'm sure almost any other PW member would agree with me on.

If you'd rather stick to the three you've suggested, I'd go for the U1. Of course, my subjectivity can only convince you to a degree and this is only what I think and it's not necessarily the same for others.

The U1 is durable, well-established as a professional instrument and will bring you many happy hours of practise and playing.

All the best.

If you must choose a Yamaha, then go with the U1. It is built to be a good piano.

My 2 cents,

Thank you all for your advice!
My friend recommended this site to me and told me there are many nice and knowledgeable people here can help me. She was absolutely right!

Based on your advices, I think I will not consider GP1. But the opinion on GB1 is really mixed. I think I will go to negotiate with dealer to see if they can give me better price on U1. And then I will go from there.

The price on the U1 is already deeply discounted, fwiw. Depending on where you live, it may not be possible to get it cheaper.

www.pianobuyer.com has a pricing guide that you can research for free.

Helen,

To put it nicely, when a piano manufacturer makes a grand piano with no sostenuto pedal, it is obvious that they do not expect a serious pianist to purchase it.

My personal opinion on the GB1 is not mixed.

The price you quote on the u1 sounds very good to me. The gb1 is an entry level grand but that being said sounds good for what it is. The u1 is a workhorse of a piano and even those who do not like Yamaha say it is a good piano. I own a u1 and like it very much.

Im pretty sure you can get a lower price on the U1 if you live in East Coast. Everyone I know who bought the U1 got them at lower price than that...

GB1K series has sostenuto

Correction GC1 has sostenuto

On one of UK's piano sites there was once comparison between the basic Yamaha baby grands and samick baby grands, and Yamaha did so many savings on basic thins in that piano, that to be honets, I would like to buy the very good upright than cheap baby grand. I think you can get much more by habing the U1 instead of GB1. Go and play both, and see on which you can do more and sound better.

U1.

If you really must have a small grand, some of the small five footers made by Samick can be had pretty inexpensively on the used market. I'm not wild about either of the Yamaha grands you mentioned.

Kapelli, is this the site you are talking about? It was a comparison of a GB1 with a Wendl & Lung/Hailun (now Feurich) 161: http://www.robertspianos.com/yamaha-gb1-review-comparison-of-the-yamaha-gb1-with-the-feurich-161/

Yes,
I read it long time ago so I did mistake about the names now, nevertheless it's interesting.

About a year ago, I was quoted $10,000 for a new Yamaha U1, and the dealer did not seem willing to negotiate. We ended up buying a Yamaha T-118 because we didn't want to spend that much, and I was upgrading from a 30-year-old Yamaha console, so it was an improvement. So, I think the price you were quoted is good!

I would go for the gp1. As much as I like the u1, it is still an upright and will always be inferior to the action feel of a grand if not the sound. Yamahas are all so consistent and well built I would think you could get a little more off the gp1 if you looked for a private sale.

Are those your only options, all Yamaha? If you haven't tried some other pianos in/around that price I think you should.