Yamaha
U1
121 cm
The upright most teachers name first and the one most homes in Singapore end up with. If you have asked three people for a recommendation and two of them said U1, this is why.
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Upright pianoUpright pianos, and why height matters.
Most pianos in Singapore homes are uprights, and most of the difference between one and the next is height. A few centimetres change how much bass there is and how long a note carries.
What it is
Height is the specification that matters.
In an upright, height is the specification that matters. A taller case takes longer bass strings and a larger soundboard, which is why a 131 cm Yamaha U3 has a fuller bass than a 121 cm U1 from the same maker.
What separates a good used upright from a tired one is how the action and the tuning pins have been kept, and neither can be judged from a photograph. That is why we check both before an instrument goes on the floor, and why playing a few side by side settles more than any list.
Type
Upright piano
Condition
Pre-owned, prepared
Ask for current availability and price
The upright pianos we carry
From 121 cm to 132 cm.
Sizes are the manufacturer figures. What is actually in the viewing gallery changes as instruments come and go, so ask before you travel.
Kawai
K300
122 cm
Kawai’s answer to the U1, and the Kawai we are asked about by name more than any other. Warmer than the Yamaha, and built with an action that has a specific argument behind it.
Read about it →
Yamaha
U3
131 cm
Ten centimetres taller than a U1, and those ten centimetres are the whole point. Longer strings, a bigger soundboard, and a bass that sounds like a piano rather than a suggestion of one.
Read about it →
Yamaha
YUS5
The top of the U series. Bought by people who have decided they are buying one piano and are not going to do this again.
Read about it →
Boston
UP-132E
132 cm
The tallest upright Steinway and Sons designs, at 132 cm, built for it in Japan by Kawai. A tall case and a long string in a cabinet that still stands against a wall.
Read about it →
Who it suits
Worth your time if.
- A flat or a condo, where an upright goes through the door and into the lift
- A child starting lessons, or a student working through the grades
- A teacher who needs an instrument that behaves the same way every day
- A room where the piano stands against a wall and a grand would not fit
Buying one used
Four things to check, in order.
The same four we check ourselves before an instrument goes on the floor. Every instrument is an original used piano. Not reconditioned, not rebuilt. Ask us about any of them on a specific piano and you get a straight answer.
- The serial numberIt dates the instrument. With Yamaha and Kawai uprights the supply is deep enough that you can afford to be particular about the year.
- Hammer wearDeep grooves in the hammer felt mean heavy use. It can be put right, but it belongs in the price rather than being discovered afterwards.
- Tuning pin torqueA piano that will not hold a tuning is one you pay for twice a year for as long as you own it. It is the single most important check.
- Where it has livedAn upright kept in an air conditioned room has had an easier life than one in a humid flat with the windows open.
Photographed in the viewing gallery
Up close.
Heard on the floor
Played on our floor.
Filmed on a phone at IMM, so this is close to what the room sounds like rather than a studio recording. Press play, with the sound on.
The other one to hear
Against the grand pianos.
A good tall upright will outplay a small or poorly kept grand, and it costs less to house. When the room can take a grand around six feet long, that is when the step up is worth making.
Both, back to back, in the same room on the same afternoon. That is a fifteen minute job at the viewing gallery and it settles the question far better than any page can.
Questions
The upright pianos, answered.
Which size upright should I buy?
As tall as the room and the budget allow. A 121 cm upright such as the Yamaha U1 suits most homes and most players through the grades. A 131 cm upright such as the U3 has a fuller bass that students notice once the music gets more demanding.
Yamaha or Kawai?
Both build uprights that last decades, and the difference is touch and tone rather than quality. Play a U1 and a K300 back to back in the viewing gallery and the choice usually makes itself.
How much is a second hand upright piano in Singapore?
It depends on the make, the height, the year and the condition, so a single figure would be a guess. Ask about a specific instrument and you get a specific price. If nothing on the floor suits the budget we will say so.
Will an upright fit in my flat?
Almost always. Uprights go through standard doors and into service lifts. Tell us the floor, the lift and the door widths and we will confirm it before delivery day, not on it.
Visit the viewing gallery
Ask what is on the floor today.
Message us with the model and we will tell you what is in, what condition it is in, and what it costs. If we have nothing suitable we will say that instead.