Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum 1994 Yamaha C3, good price?

Just curious if this price is fair, or too high.

1994 Yamaha C3, plays great, well tuned, and a few light scratches. It has some electronics underneath because it used to be a player piano, but the player module is no longer there. The store wants 17.3k for it. No bench, 6% sales tax and delivery extra. 2 year warranty.

Ive never purchased a piano before, So I welcome all comments.

Thank you

If the piano has been properly reconditioned and regulated and the dealer feels comfortable selling it, I would want more than a 2 year warranty. If they do not feel the piano is worthy of a longer warranty, there might be a reason why.

Have you had an unrelated technician examine the piano for you?

Doesn't seem to be a good price. Of course, it's hard to say without knowing the condition exactly.

Now if there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, it may be. I can see multiple Yamaha C3's that are described as being used but in fine technical condition up for between 9k and 15k on the market. The advantage is a 2 year warranty, but it's 2 years, if the piano is in good condition as described and you need that warranty within 2 years, either the dealer was lying or you did some serious damage to the instrument.

Generally a piano's value depreciates 50% over the first 20 years, and then it slowly depreciates based purely on condition. There are exceptions to this, of course, but it's a good rule of thumb to follow. Taking that into account, a 25 year old piano (which no doubt could still play as new) is not going to be worth 17k. If you told the dealer you hadn't purchased before and he/se didn't suggest trying out multiple models, I have to say that they were likely trying to rip you off.

Now, if this is your first piano, for that price, you shouldn't buy yet at all. Ask to play, to feel many different models. Every single piano (even of the same model) feels different, makes a different sounds. In that price range you have many different options, a Yamaha C3 no doubt being a good competitor.

Here are some great models in the 10k-20k price range used, in case any of these are present in nearby stores/dealers, I'd go try them out and see what type of piano you like (perhaps one of these is even perfect for you!):

- Kawai RX3, RX5, RX6
- Yamaha C3, C5, C7
- Petrof (2000~ models)

Now, there are a lot more models out there, but these are the ones which you're most likely to find in good condition with less than 20-30 years of usage, which is pretty ideal if you want a piano which you can use for the rest of your life potentially. Other brands to look at (but no particular models) are C.Bechstein, Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin, they all have a lot of good condition pianos on the used market. Don't be too scared to try out pianos, dealers will let you play to figure out what you like, that's the best advice I can give for finding an instrument that fits you.

Another factor that others haven't yet mentioned is the market for used pianos in your particular area. You don't say where you are located - can we presume the price quoted is in US dollars? Have you compared prices of other similar or like pianos in your area? The area market often has an influence on used piano prices and comparing the same model and age can cause price variations from one region to another.

Regards,

Definitely priced too high for a 25yr old piano, regardless of condition.
Player pianos can have excessive wear and the pedal system modified in a negative way.

Check pianomart.com or Klaviano for comparable prices. An independent tech can inspect it for you for usually around $100 and give you a good idea of condition and value.

I would think more along the lines of 10-15K with bench, delivery and 5 year warranty should be more like it.

Thank you all for the replies. This is very helpful for me. I've been playing piano for about 20 years, by ear, no classical training. I live about an hour north of Detroit, MI. So far, I've played about 25-30 different pianos, and this used C3 sounded one of the best to me. There were some new ones which did sound better, an Estonia 7 footer ($74k), and a shigeru kawai (120k). So far, those were the only ones that sounded / played better than the C3 I tried.

But, sound is subjective with a piano, and I find it difficult that they priced this C3 this high just because it sounds good. There must be some method by which they estimate the sale price of the instrument, no doubt including their own technician's evaluation. Do you think it's possible that Michigan's prices should just be higher as there's low supply?

They will price the piano as high as they think the market will bear.


If you like the piano make an offer that you are willing to pay. They might just say yes.



Make sure you tell them that you will pay this after the piano check s out by an RPT.

If the piano were pristine condition, I think the price would be acceptable in most markets. It doesn't sound pristine, however, with a ripped out player system. It apparently was used enough or is just old enough for the player system to fail.

I generally avoid pianos with a player system (whether the system is living or deceased). That doesn't mean this is what everyone ought to do, or even that it's the best strategy for me.