Yamaha U3 Pianos are brilliant - here's why!

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 at least half of those are Yamaha U3 or U3 variants such as the U30BL or U30A etc. We have 0% finance available over 18 months.

So, why buy a Yamaha U3? Read on!

60 years of awesome

The globally-respected Yamaha U3 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 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.

The Yamaha U3 has been a best-seller for many UK piano shops for the past few decades and we’ve sold hundreds of them over the past 15 years. See our reviews page to see some of the shiny happy people who bought a U3 from us.

Yamaha U3 Video Recordings

Please allow me to show you 2 quick videos. Here is a delicious rendition of Stevie Wonder’s, “Sunshine of my life”, played by davidbennettmusic.com.

And here is my late Uncle Ronnie playing one of our first Yamaha U3s back in around 2005.

Who is the U3 suitable for?

We mostly serve families with ambitious young pianists who need a piano that will take them all the way through to grade 8 (and beyond) with no need to upgrade their piano ever again.

We’ve attracted a few household names over the years including Emeli Sande who bought 2 U3s (made in 1984 and 1995), Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol frontman), Jeremy Vine (for his then 3-year-old), Markus Dravs (Coldplay producer) and The Courteeners (“not 19 forever”) who popped in and ordered a 1977 U3.

Jeremy Vine tweeted a video of his daughter playing the piano he bought from us in January 2009 calling it his “best moment of 2018”. Watch the video here

Can a reconditioned Yamaha U3 really increase in value?

A customer who bought a U3 from us in 2009 came back this year and asked us to sell their piano for them and we listed it for £1000 more than they originally paid. Most pianos decrease in value but a top quality reconditioned U3 will continue to increase in value as supply tightens and the pound continues its steady decline against the Japanese Yen.

Will a brand new Yamaha piano increase in value?

The retail price of a brand new U3 will continue to rise but you have to factor in that its value will drop by around 30% in the first 3-5 years. I’ve written a full article about Yamaha pianos increasing with value.

Yamaha U3 vs Baby grand piano. Which sounds best?

If you are drifting towards a baby grand expecting it to have a better sound than an upright, please take a moment to consider the fact that a Yamaha U3 has longer bass strings than most baby grand pianos which helps give the U3 have a richer bass sound than many baby grands.

What about the Yamaha U1?

The Yamaha U1 is a really great piano but it has shorter strings, a smaller soundboard and shorter key-length compared with the U3, all of which means that it is not quite in the same league. I made a video a few years ago comparing U3 and U1 pianos and you might like to watch that here:

Could a Yamaha U3 be too loud?

If you are worried that a Yamaha U3 might be too loud for your living room or too loud for your neighbours, you will be pleased to know that it has a clever mechanism attached to the middle pedal which takes the volume right down. I made a video to demonstrate this, here you go:

What about silent U3 pianos?

If you really REALLY want to block out the sound of your playing then you might be pleased to know that any Yamaha U3 can be converted to silent quickly and easily.

What are the Yamaha U3 dimensions?

Officially, the U3 is 131cm tall, 153cm wide and 65cm deep. To see my own measurements please watch my Yamaha U3 dimensions video below and consider reading, will a Yamaha U3 fit in my home?

What are the Yamaha U3 prices?

A Yamaha U3 in “as new” or “showroom condition” starts at £4990. See our used Yamaha piano prices page for the full range.

A brand new U3 is around £11,000 (correct as of 2021) and you can see our new Yamaha pianos price page for more information.

Which other models should we consider?

You might also consider one of the upgraded versions of the U3 such as the U30, U30BL, UX etc.

Read our free unofficial Yamaha piano buyer’s guide

I would definitely urge you to download our unofficial Yamaha piano buyer’s guide which is a 10-page PDF designed to help you avoid making any expensive mistakes. The guide includes a 1-page summary at the start so you don’t even have to read the whole thing. It is also available in Chinese.

0% Finance

You will need to pay a 10% deposit followed by 17 monthly instalments. You can view more pricing information and 0% finance figures on our pianos for sale page

Let us choose for you

If you are tempted to buy a piano but are unable to visit our London or Manchester showrooms then you are very welcome to ask us to choose a piano for you

What’s included in the price?

Do you call that concise?!

I could have included a lot more detail on this page but I wanted to try and be concise. If you are hungry for more information please read our FAQ, our blog and our Yamaha pianos information page.

Many thanks for your interest
Love from Mark x