Yamaha U1 manufacturing year and value

[tikiripiano]

I've found a Yamaha U1 piano at a local shop. I want to clarify it's manufacturing year and the current market value.

Serial Number: 246xxx (6 digit)

It has the serial number printed under the Yamaha logo on the steel board. "Nippon Gakki" is also printed inside the piano.

According to my online research about Yamaha U1 pianos, I've found that "Yamaha" brand name is usually written under the fall. but in this piano it is written on top right corner (It is also written in small letters on top of the bass keys).

PS: This piano is in extremely good condition. I took one of my friends to the shop to inspect this piano and he is a professional piano player for the past 50 years. He has confirmed that the tone of this piano is perfect and almost as good as new.

The action also looks new (I'm not a professional piano player, so I can't justify whether it's new or not), nevertheless it looks really new.

[vernon]

the last person you want to take to help choose a piano is a professional pianist or a piano teacher!
Take a good technician in stead. It will be worth his fee.. You can judge best the tone and touch that suits you. Nobody else.

[Gill the Piano]

Hear hear. If you buy a second hand car do you take a mechanic or a driving instructor?

[Colin Nicholson]

Sound advice as usual....
Did you ask the seller the age of the piano? .... looks can be deceiving.


Even with my 30+ years experience in teaching, I would never just rely on playing the piano.
The serial number suggests about 1963.... so the piano is getting old. However there are several different sets of serial numbers for Yamaha, so I wouldn't rely on just a serial number.
Get a tuner to check the tuning pin torque - and general condition inside (not just opening the top lid).
Check condition of hammer felts? (usually blue stained near the hammer head tail - where the T rivet is).

The Yamaha emblem on the cast iron frame (gold) should also have the 3 tuning forks.

The fallboard name to the right is fine. It's shouldn't be"written" on as such, but should be brass inlaid and if you run your finger over the name, should be nice and smooth. If the name is stuck on with a decal - and you can feel the decal, it could have been previously re-polished. Name location also depends on the year/ wood finish & style.

We can't give values here .... and a serial number alone does equate value.... the internal condition of the mechanism/ strings/ hammers etc when checked over would give its approx. retail value.
The piano seems genuine enough by your comments.