If you’re in the market for a good used piano, we have just added more than a dozen of them to our inventory! Be sure to read our “Buying Tips” page to get candid advice on how to buy a piano.
Monthly Archives: March 2011
An amazing “Starving Artist” grand piano just arrived
It has been years since we have been this excited about a used grand piano in our inventory. We have recently consigned an obscure British-made Danemann 6’4″ grand piano that is a musical gem.
How it got to the U.S. is still unclear, as the Danemann piano brand was never widely distributed in the U.S., and certainly not when this one was made. What we do know is that it’s an amazingly high quality piano that has an incredibly dynamic, singing tone with an action that allows an artist to bring out the unlimited palate of tone colors it is capable of producing. The piano also has a perfect set of original, single-piece ivory keys — an extremely rare, valuable feature. It’s almost impossible that this little known brand created such an incredible instrument without gaining greater notoriety.
So why is it part of Cordogan’s “Starving Artist Series?” Because the ebony finish didn’t weather 50 years as well as the piano, so we’re going to leave the finish as is in order to keep the price down and give it every opportunity to find its way into the hands of another artist.
If you’re looking for a great quality artist grand on a budget, you need to experience this piano. You will think you’re playing a Bosendorfer.
Video coming soon…if it doesn’t sell first.
It’s official, a used Yamaha U1 piano is the most requested piano in the entire industry.
This is only news insomuch as it hasn’t been proclaimed in print as much as it has long been suspected, until now. A used Yamaha U1 piano is by far the most sought after used piano, representing nearly 40% of all inquiries. Considering that the remaining 60% represents piano inquiries for the entire industry, spanning literally thousands of brand names and over 100 years’ worth of products, this is quite a testimony to the power of this particular model number. It begs the question, why?
The most popular used piano
We should first qualify our claims about the used Yamaha U1 piano’s popularity. Our website, chicagopianos.com, fields as much as 50 inquiries a day from people all over the world seeking information about buying a piano. Because our site has more images of new & used pianos than any other retail piano website in the country, the inquiries we receive are very broad in nature. After a study of all the inquiries over the first three months of 2011, the votes were in. We have nothing to gain from posting this other than giving credit where credit is due. The used Yamaha U1 is a powerhouse.
In all fairness to the rest of the industry, this isn’t much of a surprise for several reasons:
1)Yamaha has made the U1 for half of a century worldwide without changing the model. Very few manufacturers have models that have been around even a fraction of the time.
2)The Yamaha U1 does have an excellent reputation for being a terrific, durable, professional upright piano so it stands to reason that it is highly requested.
3) Yamaha’s competitor Kawai, changes models from time to time…and from country to country, so they don’t really have a chance to compete in this contest, even though a couple of Kawai’s taller, yet comparably priced used models (and in fairness to Yamaha, a used Yamaha U3) could eat a U1 for lunch.
4) Yamaha has made more U1 pianos than the total of all models produced by most piano manufacturers.
5) Many cultures ONLY request Yamaha U1′s, so with that sort of brand/product loyalty, the piano has tremendous presence.
It is important to remember, however, that not all used Yamaha U1 pianos are created equal! This is why the price range for U1′s wildly varies in the lawless ways of the wild wild web. Also keep in mind that age doesn’t often have much to do with resale value. We recently had a 5 year old U1 that rightfully sold for less than half the price of one that was 40 years old due to how it was cared for. The cabinets both pianos looked great but the insides told a different story. Used Yamaha U1 and U3 pianos imported from Asia also have a very wide range of quality…and therefore price. There is a LOT to know about these pianos when simply shopping price on the internet so please feel free to contact us for more information. You can also Click here for Buying Tips that you will likely find to be most valuable if you’re looking for information on buying a used piano.
Cordogan’s tries to obtain as many used Yamaha U1 pianos and Yamaha U3 pianos as we can get but good ones are often difficult to find — especially ones that are in mint condition, so please check our used piano inventory or call 630.584.5000 to see what we currently have in stock.
Does all of this talk of Yamaha U1′s mean YOU should want one? Not necessarily. It just means that it’s an easy product to research because it is widely popular on a global level and because it doesn’t have much competition given its long history and widespread popularity. There are definitely pianos that might be a better value for you, depending on your circumstances.
Also there are still plenty of issues to discuss if you should find yourself considering a used Yamaha U1 piano, so please contact us at 630.584.5000 for more information.
