Yamaha V118 / V118N upright piano review and information

Quick Summary

The Yamaha V118 or V118N is a touch on the small side if you are looking for the best touch and tone. If possible, try to stay up towards the 120-130cm height pianos as they have longer strings and a larger soundboard which will give you the best possible sound. The V118N is only 58cm deep (from front to back) which means that the key-length may be a bit on the short side. Longer keys are easier to control so you might want to consider something deeper (60-65cm).

If you have any technical info or corrections for this article, please email mgpianos@gmail.com.

Where was the Yamaha V118N made?

The Yamaha V118N was made by Kemble in their Milton Keynes (UK) factory before it closed in 2009. Yamaha licensed Kemble to produce these pianos along with other models such as the Yamaha U1.

Yamaha V118N dimensions

Height: 118cm
Width: 152cm
Depth: 58cm

Value

New:
The V118N has now been discontinued and a new one would have cost around £3600 in 2008.

Used:
You should expect to pay around £1500-£1800 for a nice used Yamaha V118N from a private seller. Maybe £2200-£2500 from a piano shop? Trade-in value to a piano shop is around £1000 if in excellent condition.

Who is it suitable for?

This piano should suit most beginners as long as you have the piano inspected before payment. However, please bear in mind that you’ll need to upgrade if you make good progress in 3 or 4 years. So you might consider going for something higher quality straight away as you can lose a lot of money in the upgrade progress.

Alternatives

If space and budget are limited then the V118N will serve you well. Otherwise, you should take a moment to pause and consider if you can afford something a little better. The obvious choices are:

• Yamaha U3 – 131cm tall, loved by all
• Yamaha U1 – 121cm tall, not too small
• Yamaha UX, U30, U30BL etc – upgraded models

Affordability

If you can’t afford to buy a piano outright here are some options that might appeal to you:

• Rent a Yamaha U1 – £99 per month. Rent to buy
• 0% Finance over 18 months – Sample figures for a £4000 U1 or U3: £400 deposit plus 17 payments of £212

Questions

Please drop us a line if you have any questions we can help you with

Many thanks for your interest
Kind Regards,
Mark and Julie Goodwin