Yamaha E108 small upright piano made in Japan - Review & information

The Yamaha E108 is a very small upright made in Japan. You can expect high build quality but limited tone in the bass. If you have any technical info or corrections for this article, please email mgpianos@gmail.com.

The pros of buying a Yamaha E108

• It’s very small so will not dominate your room
• Made in Japan means it is built to last
• Much cheaper than the larger Yamaha U1 and U3 uprights

What are the cons of buying a Yamaha E108?

• The shortness of height means that the piano has very short bass strings. This means you will not hear much richness of tone compared with taller pianos

When was it produced?

Most E108 pianos we see tend to be from the 1990s. If you know the exact manufacture dates please let us know.

Where was it made?

The E108 was made in Japan which is quite unusual for Yamaha as many of their smaller uprights are now made in Indonesia.

How does it differ to similar models?

The E108 is similar in size to a Yamaha B1 which is made in Indonesia. The most significant different is manufacture location.

Videos

You can hear in this video that the tone is quite bright and this is true of most small Yamaha pianos. This is usually easily fixed with some “voicing” being carried out by a piano technician. Larger pianos such as the Yamaha U1 or U3 have a much richer, warmer tone. So be aware of that.

Quotes

“I used to have an E108, it was the first piano I owned. I think it can be best described as adequate, but nothing more than that. Take the Yamaha name out of the equation, and its just another cheap entry level piano. The action is nice for a piano of that size and price point, but it has all the tonal limitations that come with very small pianos. After about 8 years, I traded mine in against a used U1, which despite being 20 years older, was a HUGE improvement.”
- source

Who should buy them?

If you really need a small piano, the E108 is a good, safe choice, and it will hold its value over many years.

Will I need to upgrade at some point?

Yes. If you have any ambitions to make a beautiful sound, you’ll need to upgrade to a Yamaha U1 or U3 at some point. You should consider skipping the E108 and opting straight for a Yamaha U1 instead as upgrading can be expensive. That said, if you buy an E108 from us we will give you a 100% refund in future if you upgrade to one of our better pianos.

Dimensions

Height:  108.5cm
Width:    148cm
Depth:    54cm

New and used prices.

The Yamaha E108 is no longer being made. Used ones will cost £2000-£3000. Never buy a used E108 without having it inspected by an independent technician of your choice first.

Conclusion

The E108 is OK but it is too small to expect much quality from it. If you want to bring your Chopin to life, grab a U1 instead.

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