Yamaha UX3
Moderators: Feg, Gill the Piano, Melodytune
Yamaha UX3
I have a chance to buy a Yamaha UX3, 1986. Is it a good model to buy? As I know the back of the sound board is in X shape. Is it good design? Thank you!
1986 is a good vintage for these pianos.
In practice, the X-bracing makes very little difference to the overall sound, so treat it as a U3. Don't pay any more for it than a standard model.
Most UX3s have squared-off and rather uglier caeswork, so if this doesn't offend you it's fine. How much are you being offered it for, and are you in the UK?
In practice, the X-bracing makes very little difference to the overall sound, so treat it as a U3. Don't pay any more for it than a standard model.
Most UX3s have squared-off and rather uglier caeswork, so if this doesn't offend you it's fine. How much are you being offered it for, and are you in the UK?
Compare UX3 and U5
Thanks a lot for your information! I am writing from New Zealand. The prise of the UX3, 1986 piano is NZ $4,600. I guess it might sound cheap for UK market. This prise is quite cheap for NZ market. The seller himself imports pianos from a Japanese friend whose business is export used piano from Japan. Each piano from this seller has the original tuning record with serial No. on it.
As the seller told me that the pianos from Japan will arrive to NZ on 11 Dec and will be in his place around 13-15 Dec. So I am eagerly waiting for next week to view the piano and wanting to know more about the UX3 piano!
I have a friend owns a U5. It has really big sound and sensitive keys/action!!! I am wondering if the action and overall quality of UX3 is as good as U5? What is the difference from UX3 and U5, except the casework and X-bracing? The seller told me UX3 has 3- panel design for the front of the casework. Does it make any difference for the sound quality? Thank you very much!!
As the seller told me that the pianos from Japan will arrive to NZ on 11 Dec and will be in his place around 13-15 Dec. So I am eagerly waiting for next week to view the piano and wanting to know more about the UX3 piano!
I have a friend owns a U5. It has really big sound and sensitive keys/action!!! I am wondering if the action and overall quality of UX3 is as good as U5? What is the difference from UX3 and U5, except the casework and X-bracing? The seller told me UX3 has 3- panel design for the front of the casework. Does it make any difference for the sound quality? Thank you very much!!
Thanks for your advice about the U5, 1969. It's really help me to make a decision for not to consider about it!
As I read reviews about U3/X and U5, it seems that U5 is better quality piano but older model. Was U5 still made in 1980" and 90"? What model would be the equivalent quality with U5 in 89"and 90"? Thanks a lot!
As I read reviews about U3/X and U5, it seems that U5 is better quality piano but older model. Was U5 still made in 1980" and 90"? What model would be the equivalent quality with U5 in 89"and 90"? Thanks a lot!
The U5 was in production until earlier this year, but it was always a bit of a 'fringe' model, popular in the USA and nowhere much else. It's only marginally better than the U3 and rather ugly. It does usually (depending on year and intended market) have the advantage of a sostenuto pedal *and* a celeste, and a natty music desk which swings out.
I have seen the UX3 a few days ago. As you mentioned, the case was really ugly. I thought I could bear it if the UX3 produces good quality sound, but I was quite disappointed with it. At the end I bought an U3 serial 4 million 1984/1985 instead which has much better sound than this UX3. Also I heard from the seller that there is Yamaha U7. Is it a 'much' better piano than U3? Except the case, is the only difference between U7 and U3 the agraffes system? Thank you very much!
Yes!... Foul isn't it?chinychu wrote:I have seen the UX3 a few days ago. As you mentioned, the case was really ugly.
That's the largest difference, although the selection of timbers and hammer quality should be better in the U7. In practice though, you need to find an SU131 to notice a real difference in sound. That's the hand-built version of the 131cm Yamaha, now replaced by the superb but very pricey SU7.chinychu wrote: Except the case, is the only difference between U7 and U3 the agraffes system? Thank you very much!
I have had my U3A tuned. But I found the sound of higher notes (start about above centre C) are quite dull and don't last long (only about 6-7 sec). On the other hand, the lower notes are quite rich and last very long (more than 20 sec). What might be the cause of the short and dull sound of higher notes? Is there anything the tuner/technician can do to make the higher notes richer and last longer? Many thanks in advance!!!
Check the dampers are clearing the strings properly.
If they're not, suspect (at worst) a receding soundboard, and reject piano immediately. Get the shop's technician to come and inspect the piano. Unlikely there's much that can be done to improve things.
Has anything changed since you first saw the piano? you chose it over a UX3 which didn't sound as good. Are you sure it's the one you chose?
If they're not, suspect (at worst) a receding soundboard, and reject piano immediately. Get the shop's technician to come and inspect the piano. Unlikely there's much that can be done to improve things.
Has anything changed since you first saw the piano? you chose it over a UX3 which didn't sound as good. Are you sure it's the one you chose?
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Barrie Heaton
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Thank you very much PianoGuy and Barrie for your advice!!! This is the piano I choose in the shop. Maybe because the two environments are different and I didn't play long enough in the shop, the feeling of playing at home for several hours is quite different. When the tuner came to tune the piano, I did mention the short and dull sound of higher notes to him. He said after tunning it should be improved, and he though there was nothing wrong with this piano. It was improved a bit after tunning, but I was still not satisfied. I will get the best technician I can find here to check the piano.
Many thanks to you both again!!!
Many thanks to you both again!!!
Hi from a fellow Kiwi.
I bought a 1980 UX3 recently. I too became disappointed with a tone that stopped short. Being an amateur restorer I tried restringing one note in the treble and found that it improved matters considerably - so I went on and restrung the whole thing. The difference was quite considerable - there was much more sustain. I restrung it with German Roslau wire. I'm not sure whether the difference was in the makes of wire (ie Roslau vs whatever Yamaha use), or purely due to aging. Perhaps the wire that Yamaha use (or used) doesn't age very well. If so it was surprising how much it had degraded in 26 years.( Usually it is the bass strings that go off - not so much the treble)
You could try asking your technician to restring one or two notes to guage the effect it would have. Hope this helps.
Cheers
Graeme
I bought a 1980 UX3 recently. I too became disappointed with a tone that stopped short. Being an amateur restorer I tried restringing one note in the treble and found that it improved matters considerably - so I went on and restrung the whole thing. The difference was quite considerable - there was much more sustain. I restrung it with German Roslau wire. I'm not sure whether the difference was in the makes of wire (ie Roslau vs whatever Yamaha use), or purely due to aging. Perhaps the wire that Yamaha use (or used) doesn't age very well. If so it was surprising how much it had degraded in 26 years.( Usually it is the bass strings that go off - not so much the treble)
You could try asking your technician to restring one or two notes to guage the effect it would have. Hope this helps.
Cheers
Graeme
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Barrie Heaton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
- Location: Lanc's
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Kemble did have a battle with Yamaha over the strings they did in the end allow them to use German steels and Bass strings from the USA - then Kembles started to allow the pianos out with bricks as hammers, which spoiled the improvement they made with the strings. Now they have gone back to toning them down and they are sweet.
Myself I think that the UK Yamahas are much nicer but they do take more tunings to settle them down
Barrie,
Myself I think that the UK Yamahas are much nicer but they do take more tunings to settle them down
Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
I really appreciate you both, Graeme and Barrie, for your helpful information! I don't feel just being alone with the problem of my piano, and worried if I made a right choice to buy this piano, if the problem can ever get fixed?
I just called an experienced tuner/technician here in Auckland and described the problem in detail. Except the dull sound of higher noted, I also mentioned about some (little) timber rubbing noise of the higher keys when I play, where is about the same range of the higher keys which I felt short and dull sound. (Sorry I didn't mention about this problem here before. I was not aware these two issues might relate to each other.) The technician thought the noise maybe come from some parts in action rubbing each other which cause the hammer slow down and in result creating the shorter and dull sound. I do wish it could get proper fixed if it is the cause the problem.
I just called an experienced tuner/technician here in Auckland and described the problem in detail. Except the dull sound of higher noted, I also mentioned about some (little) timber rubbing noise of the higher keys when I play, where is about the same range of the higher keys which I felt short and dull sound. (Sorry I didn't mention about this problem here before. I was not aware these two issues might relate to each other.) The technician thought the noise maybe come from some parts in action rubbing each other which cause the hammer slow down and in result creating the shorter and dull sound. I do wish it could get proper fixed if it is the cause the problem.