Yamaha U1 from £4090

Author: Mark Goodwin. Last updated: May 2022

The Yamaha U1 is a top-class piano that has been trusted by professional musicians for over 60 years. We have Yamaha U1 pianos for sale from around £4090 and we also offer a Yamaha U1 Rental service from £99 per month with no minimum term.

Video: Watch my quick Yamaha U1 summary

Article Summary

This article is quite long so here is a snappy little summary for you.

  • The U1 is a great piano but not quite as a great as the Yamaha U3
  • The U1 is made in Japan and is loved by families and professionals
  • It is 10cm shorter than the U3 which can make it better for ensemble work (you can see over the top).
  • Read about the various U1 upgraded models available
  • A reconditioned U1 will probably increase in value
  • The middle pedal reduces the volume by half
  • You can have a full silent kit fitted to any Yamaha U1
  • A new U1 is around £8800 (this is out of date. It’s much higher now)
  • Our U1 prices start at £4090 and we have 0% finance available up to £5000
  • You may book a visit or ask us to choose a piano for you.

Now, on with the full article.

60 years of excellence

The universally-respected Yamaha “U series” has been in production for at least 60 years and has allowed millions of musicians to enjoy a top-quality piano for a mid-range price. The 3 main models were the U3 (131cm tall), the U2 (127cm tall) and the U1 (121cm tall). The U3 is still the most popular, the U2 was discontinued and the U1 has always been a firm favourite too.

The North of England’s most prestigious boarding school has around 100 Yamaha U3 pianos in their rehearsal rooms and a few years ago we supplied 10 Yamaha U3s to one of the UK’s leading girls’ boarding schools. Even though they ordered U3 pianos, the U1 is built to the same high standards so you can be confident in its quality.

The Yamaha U1 has been a firm favourite with piano teachers for many decades as its smaller size allows it to fit into small tuition spaces. See our reviews page and you’ll see a good number of people who bought a U1 from us.

Let’s hear it then

Here is our piano technician, Chris, playing a 1983 Yamaha U1 that we had in stock recently

And this time a Yamaha U1 from 1977

Who is the U1 for?

Piano teachers love the U1 as it fits neatly into their music tuition room without dominating the space too much. The U1 is also popular with instrumental teachers and accompanists who need to be able to see over the top of the piano to communicate with their students. Recording studios often request a U1 because studio space is often very limited.

Pete Tong, the legendary Ibiza and BBC dance DJ, also bought a U1 from us and seemed pleased with it. Here is the photo he sent to us just after delivery.

Something good to read

If you are unsure if the Yamaha U1 is suitable for you I would definitely recommend that you read my unofficial Yamaha piano buyer’s guide which is a 10-page document designed to help guide you away from expensive mistakes (also available in Chinese).

Will a Yamaha U1 hold its value?

This video from 2013 shows a 1985 U1 for sale in our showroom for £3090. Today the same piano would be over 50% more expensive. Used Yamaha piano prices have been going up for 10-15 years and they continue to rise as supply becomes tighter and the pound continues its steady decline against the Japanese Yen. The best time to buy a U1 was 10 years ago. The 2nd best time to buy is right now.

Will a brand new Yamaha piano increase in value?

The price of a brand new U1 will continue to rise but its value will drop by around 30% in the first 3-5 years. Read my article, “Yamaha pianos increasing with value”:/faq/investment for more info.

What about the Yamaha U3?

The “Yamaha U3”: /yamaha/yamaha-u3-piano is the big brother of the U1. It has longer bass strings, a larger soundboard and longer keys. All of these factors make the U3 a noticeably better piano but it does mean the piano is taller, wider and deeper. I made a video a few years ago comparing U3 and U1 pianos and you might like to watch that here:

You may also like to read our Yamaha U1 vs U3 Differences article.

Is a U1 too loud for my house?

If you have concerns that a Yamaha U1 might dominate your living room or turn the neighbours against you, you will be pleased to know that it can be dramatically softened with the middle pedal. I can demonstrate this feature in this next video.

What about a silent U1?

If you want full privacy whilst playing piano you might consider asking us to convert any Yamaha U1 to silent which gives it full acoustic and digital capability so that you can play with headphones on.

What are the U1 dimensions?

The Yamaha U1 dimensions are 121cm tall, 151cm wide and 61.5cm deep. You might enjoy reading will a Yamaha U1 or U3 fit in my home?

C’est combien?

Our Yamaha U1 pianos start at £4090. See our used Yamaha piano prices list for more options.

A new Yamaha U1 is just under £9500 (correct as of 2021. Probably higher now). Read more on our new Yamaha pianos prices page.

42 Yamaha pianos in stock

We currently have 42 Yamaha pianos listed on our pianos for sale page and it’s a safe bet that 20-30% of those will be Yamaha U1 or U1 variants such as the U10BL or U10A etc.

0% Finance

See more sample figures on our 0% finance page.

Yamaha U1 Rental

If you don’t want to a U1 outright you might enjoy our Yamaha U1 Rental service. You can rent a U1 from £99 per month with no minimum term and if you decide to buy it later we will knock off your 1st 12 months’ rental payments from the purchase price.

Which other models are similar?

There are various improved versions of the U1 which you might consider such as the U10, U10BL, UX-1 etc. They are slightly more expensive and slightly more special.

Ask us to choose for you

If you would like to buy a U1 but are unable to visit our showrooms then you might consider asking us to choose a piano for you

What’s included in the price?

That was a long article!

I tried to be concise, I’m sorry! If you are still eager to read more please have a flick through our FAQ, our blog and our Yamaha pianos information page.

Many thanks
Mark and Julie Goodwin x