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Hi all,

The Yamaha GT20 is the predecessor to the NU1X. There seems to not be much difference other than a lot of years between them in production.

Secondhand the GT20 is half the price of the NU1X (there are a couple I’ve seen in immaculate condition). Is it really worth paying double for the NU1X?

Best Wishes

Emma

Several things to keep in mind:

First, in terms of the sound engine, the NU1X is vastly superior; however, if you plan on using VSTs this is irrelevant, and the GT20 will suffice in that area.

Second, I speculate that there’s not much -if any- difference in the action(s) between those two instruments, so you’re all set there as well.

Third, and this is the part that really worries me, the GT20 is super old, and unless it has been kept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, this age will show in terms of wear and tear that could potentially end up costing you thousands, and in a worst case scenario, some issues (fried motherboard) might not even be fixable because Yamaha most certainly does not have any spare parts for this instrument. It’s a gamble, the GT20. Place your bets!


P.S.

“Hyperbaric oxygen chamber” is used symbolically to reference ‘well maintained, well treated, and well kept; the term, HOC, should not be taken literally!

You might have instead said "hypobaric chamber". Those work quite well.

I recall there was some difference in the sensor system between the NU1 and NU1X (something about the continuous gradient system being different, or in the NU1X but not the NU1)?

In any case, HALF the price for an NU1X sounds like a ridiculously bad deal for a hybrid DP so old. Presumably, you're talking about $3000? For that price, I'd be looking for a used NU1X, or at the very least an NU1 or N1/N2...

I would not consider a piano this old.Digital pianos age badly. And repairs are expensive. I would not consider any digital piano more than five years old. The one you're considering is over twenty years old, isn't it?

Also, note that "pristine condition" on the exterior means little. Nearly all the wear (and problems) are inside, not visible to inspection.

So, to answer your question "is it really worth paying double for the NU1X?", my answer is the same as Gombessa's. Yes to the NU1X, no to the GT20.

I agree with Gombessa. I think the GT20 was launched around 1997. You could be taking on significant problems at that age. At half the new price of the (vastly superior in terms of onboard sounds) NU1X it's criminally expensive.

I agree with the rest of the people here. But let me stress that there is a decent supply of used NU1x and especially NU1 which sell for about half the price of the NU1x. These two instruments have exactly the same action, which is close enough to Yamaha b-series uprights (and I have to say, they are very well made). If you go this route, you get a current (or close-to-current) instrument, which is just a few years old (e.g. I am selling my own NU1 at that "half price" and it is 5 year old in pristine INTERNAL and external conditions). So in my opinion used NU1(x) is the BEST option for you, provided that you are patient if there is no used one for sale next to you at the moment.

That said, I doubt that the GT20 will find any buyer, for exactly the same reason stated. As such, if I were you, and I tried the instrument (*) and I were satisfied with it (and perhaps have a technician inspect it), THEN I'd make a very lowball offer on it, such as 1/8 of the price of the NU1x. That may well be the only offer the seller get, and you may get the instrument. It's still a gamble and a risky purchase, but frankly I've seen many decades-old instruments working just fine -- and at 1/8 of the price it's a gamble that I'd make (in fact I made it in the past). At 1/2 or even 1/4 of the price I would not make such a gamble.

(*) trying the instrument means many things: first try playing something of your repertoire, especially something that challenges the instruments e.g. with repeated notes and/or with extreme and/or subtle dynamic changes. Then make sure EVERY SINGLE KEY works PERFECTLY at ALL the DYNAMICS, by doing that tedious one-note-at-the-time test. Chromatic scale if you want, but pay close attention to each key at each dynamic range, and do "slow single fingers" if your technique is not wonderful and effortless (otherwise your mental energy will be spent on playing, whereas it must be spent in analyzing if the the instrument responds correctly). Do it with and without the pedals. Each one of the pedals. I've seen countless instruments failing this test. If it fails this test, DO NOT BUY it. Unless you are very good at mechanics and electronics, have seen the service manual, and have the right clues on how to fix it. In such a case, the gamble is worse for you, so the price should go down even further, to 1/16 or even 1/32 depending on how bad the problem is. If you go that route (and I did myself in the past), point clearly the problem to the seller and be frank with them that you are making a gamble and you will have lots of expenses attempting to fix it and that you may be unable to fix it (which is true) and in such a case you will have wasted 100% of your money. The seller might have not known the instrument had a problem and its importance and if there are no other buyers (which is likely, unless the problem is very subtle and minor) they will probably accept your offer

Hope this helps