Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum how much worth a 1970 Yamaha U1 ?

hello,
I need to buy a piano for my girl , she's just started playing, and I found this used Yahama U1 from 1970; any opinion on that? I would really appreciate your advise;
the other option (aprox. the same price) is a Kawai K5 from 2010

Hi,

Something sounds very wrong here if you are offered close to the same price on the 40 year old U1 as the 2 year old K5.

Can you provide more details?

David

the 1970 U1 Yamaha is 2400 $ and the Kawai K5 is 2700 (for both, I have to pay for moving)

OK, so if you are really able to get a K5 from 2010 for $2700 and it is not flooded burnt or otherwise wrecked, no question in my mind that the Kawai is the better deal. And a good deal too.

Buy the K5, and you should have done it yesterday! Er, unless it's a scam and not a real ad.

sorry,
it was about a K15 not K5; I am really sorry

That's the difference. The K15 is the small Kawai and should be a good starter piano. The SMP is around $4500 new. Minus 20% is $3600. Looks like 25% off of that for 2 years depreciation. That is if the initial price was right. I might try to negotiate a bit on it.
There are bigger pianos of other makes you might find used for the same money.

thank you ; what is about this Yamaha U1, 42 years old? I read many topics on gray market Yamaha pianos; there are pros and cons;

42 years is a long time for any brand. If you really want it get an independent teh inspection first.

The Kawai is a better deal from my point of view.

If you like the Yamaha, please do get it inspected by a piano technician. He can tell you if the refurbishing job was done well. Take it from one who learned the hard way.

In comparison to the other choices you mentioned, the Yamaha U1 was the right choice.
I'm a big fan of Yamaha.