Yamaha C3 Serial Number

Beyond the serial number... which you can find on Yamaha websites, the type of refurbishment performed is important. If the hammer rail has been shaved, check that the shape of the hammers is not rounded on the highs and that too much felt hasn't been removed. Check the condition of the strings, etc. You can watch one of my video tutorials on the site specifically regarding the purchase of a used piano.

Thank you.

I have watched the tutorials on buying a used piano and the one regarding the nomenclature of parts (...I reserve the right to calmly watch all the others). What can I say, truly very instructive!

The piano is a truly complex instrument and, when preparing to purchase a used one, such complexity would require the evaluation of an expert and competent person (possibly a third party). As in all things in life, improvisation leads to gross errors. However, informing oneself requires time, study, and application. The alternative would be to trust the seller's advice, which could prove to be an ill-advised choice.

A real puzzle!

The opinion of an industry expert (as I was saying, possibly a third party) would be the most reasonable solution. But in small communities like the one where I live, the seller and the expert are the same person. There is no escape.

I think a "high-quality" piano should only be purchased if one possesses the technical/artistic maturity to choose it consciously.

In this case, however, I found myself faced with a request for purchase advice (...me, who has only been studying piano for a couple of years and owns a digital one?!).

To make a long story short, my nephew, an adolescent, attends a music academy (not yet a conservatory) and my sister has decided to invest in a grand piano. I visited various points of sale in my city and "tried" a few instruments. Mostly C3s... they throw them at you.

In light of what I learned in the tutorials, some were in really bad shape, even though they were refurbished. But is that actually true?

And, I repeat, with all the attention one can pay, if you are not a technician, perhaps many things cannot be understood. It is true, you can check the sound, the action, the hammers, the possible presence of rust on the strings, and any obvious cracks on the soundboard and bridges.

But how do you understand if the soundboard is "really" okay, if the piano hasn't absorbed too much humidity, if the somière (I believe that's how it's spelled) and the pedals are in order? You can't just go into a shop with a key and try them one by one...

And then the action... as a layman, I believe a rigorous analysis would require the "disassembly" of the wooden casing and the verification of the key action, one by one.

Among the many Yamahas, these days I tried a baby grand (187 cm I think) Krauss from '94. Really beautiful, round sound! But the price is too demanding (€15K) for an "unconscious" purchase.

Ultimately, my advice was to wait for the necessary time to be able to purchase a new grand piano. A good Japanese one slightly more expensive would be feasible.

I think that with a new one (that isn't entry-level), there shouldn't be any bad surprises. Aside from the rapid depreciation of the instrument.

I reserve the right to try the Kawai GX-2 (maybe a 3) and the Yamaha CX series (C2X and C3X if the price decreases). In truth, I prefer the Kawai action and sound (from the little I have been able to try), but all Kawai grands use actions with carbon components, I believe. Which, if I understood correctly, is currently an unknown factor.

If you could recommend some alternatives to the indicated instruments and within this investment range (€20K), or perhaps if some "series" turned out better... I would be grateful. I would have a wider range of instruments to work with, in perspective.

It is certain that I will continue to inform myself....

Hello, be careful.

Even a new piano can have manufacturing defects.

If you study the piano, you will have a teacher. Ask them to accompany you, in order to get advice from a more experienced person.

If you happen to be in Rome, a pianist friend of mine is selling a Steinway 180 for 16,000. A jewel. A real bargain. Stunning sound, but he prefers the aggressive sound of a Yamaha.... well... I convinced him to buy it from a private seller. It was owned by a music pedagogy teacher who played it little. So not overused, but extremely efficient. I performed a voicing of the hammer felt as Steinway does modernly and a hammer regulation. It sounds even better: rich, balanced, and bright sound, precise and full-bodied. Think about it. I believe the price is negotiable

pianoexpert wrote:

11 hours ago, pianoexpert said:

a pianist friend of mine is selling a Steinway 180 for 16,000. A jewel. A real bargain. Stunning sound,

He's trading it for my C3X? ?

I don't think so because he has one of C3

pianoexpert wrote:

2 minutes ago, pianoexpert said:

I don't think so because he has a C3

Too bad, when I got this one I didn't trust myself to get a used Steinway..

Can I ask what model it is and its age?

Mine is the X model, though, a bit different from the usual C3s we know

@Salvatore71:

I was convinced that new pianos were subject to a definitive "quality control" by the seller. In that case, I will have my teacher assist me (even though at the moment I have taken a break from lessons).

@pianoexpert:

A Steinway (optimized and recommended by you) deserves attention. If I should find myself in Rome in the near future, I will take the liberty of contacting you privately to be able to view the instrument if it is still available.

I too, like user kklaus, would like to know, if possible, the model and year!

It seems to me it is a mod. O (180) late 60s.

pianoexpert wrote:

10 minutes ago, pianoexpert said:

It seems to me it's a mod. Or (180) late 60s.

Thank you Pianoexpert,

for a moment I thought it was an "A" model.

quick OT:

Can you kindly tell me what operation the technician performs from min. 21:24 to min. 21:46 of the following video?:

Thank you. 

Open content (youtube)

Align the three-string plane of each chorus, so that they are struck simultaneously by the hammer.