Searching info on Yamaha made in UK

[glicioto]

Hello. I am writing from Italy and I am searching more about the history of Yamaha pianos made in UK. I am evaluating an used piano, specifically an U1Z from Yamaha. Its serial is E314710. After some research I found that the E in the serial, should point to pianos that Yamaha made in Kemble factory. I understood that the piano I am looking at, should have been made around 2000 - 2004, but I could not really find anything precise. I am wondering if here, there is somebody with some insights around the Yamaha pianos UK-made and that can help me to date the one of my interest. Then is there anyone who knows why the model contains "Z"??

I also questioning myself if the parts used for that UK-made pianos were sourced from Japan or from Europe area.

Thank you
Gli

[Barrie Heaton]

The case parts were sourced from the UK, the soundboard wood was sourced from Italy and made in the UK, the bridges came from Japan, the play mechanism and the keys came from Japan, the iron frame came from Japan, the wrest pins were Japanese, the steel strings came from Germany, and the covered strings came from the UK and USA. In the 90s, the bass strings did come from Japan, but Kembles persuaded Yamaha to switch to the UK and America as they were cheaper and gave the piano a richer bass.

Serial Number for the End of 2004

UK
U1 E319356
V114N = E315794
P121N = E312428
P116 = E319356
Pearl River
C110A = C70782


Barrie

[glicioto]

Great answer. You're a super hero! When I tried it I asked to myself if the armonic board was sourced from Italian or German wood. Sound was really European.

Ps: did you work for Kemble?
Pps: what does the codes you wrote in the end mean?

Thanks
Leonardo

[Barrie Heaton]

As part of my training, I spent eight weeks at Kembles and eight weeks at Bentlys in the 1970s. I also looked after the website from the early 1990s until the ptouction stopped in the UK.

The codes at the bottom are the different modes, that Kemble made for Yamaha. The last one was the piano made by Pearl River.


Barrie