Yamaha Pianos – Celebrating 100 Years
Even though Yamaha is known today for producing a range of different goods, its first product was the reed organ. Founded in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha the company began building Yamaha pianos shortly after 1899. Yamahas first pianos were built under the name Nippon Gakki but the name Yamaha was introduced soon after. Though Yamaha is probably best known for its factories in Japan where the U1 and U3 upright pianos are built it has links all over the world including the US, Germany (Schimmel), Austria (Bosendorfer), Mexico, China and Indonesia. Yamaha pianos have managed to build and sustain a solid reputation as piano manufacturers based on;
‘the precision and intelligence with which they’re made, the lack of service problems and their good performance’
-Larry Fine
Yamaha Pianos at The Piano Shop Bath
We believe this is what makes the Yamaha U1s and U3s such good all round upright pianos, at The Piano Shop Bath we always have a good range of Yamaha upright pianos in stock, especially the Yamaha U1 and the Yamaha U3. The Yamaha U3 and the U1 remain ever popular upright piano models and highly regarded in the piano world. When we had the chance to purchase a special edition Yamaha U3 we felt it would be a very fitting addition to our showroom. This special edition Yamaha U3 was built to commemorate the Yamaha centenary and is still in immaculate, as new condition. All Yamaha U3 feature exceptional build quality, however this limited edition upright Yamaha piano stands out as being an extraordinary instrument.
Review of Centenary U3
The overall feel of this Yamaha U3 is that it has been built with a great deal of thought and care to make it a befitting celebration of Yamahas outstanding contribution to the piano manufacturing industry. There are finishing touches that you don’t normally find on other U3 pianos. As a pianist the feature I most enjoy about this Yamaha U3 is the Ivorite keys. These feel very satisfying to play, ivorite is a finish that is usually reserved for Yamahas grand pianos and is a luxurious addition to find on a U3. The piano also benefits from a true sostenuto pedal, this is again an unusual feature to find on an upright piano and it only serves to highlight that this is a high end upright piano. The tone of the centenary U3 is warm and inviting, full and rich. Neither mellow, nor bright but sitting somewhere happily between the two. As one would expect from a U3 the tone is very well balanced across the keyboard and the quality persists from the resonant bass notes to the clear treble. All of our Yamaha U3 are top quality pianos but this U3 piano is a real joy to play, for further information about this Yamaha piano please contact us on 01225 427961 or visit our showroom.
