Yamaha B3 48″ Upright Acoustic Piano vs. Yamaha U1 48″ Upright Acoustic Piano

Welcome to Popplers Music. My name is Josh. Let’s talk pianos.

Today, we are going to be taking a look at Yamaha’s B3 and U1 acoustic upright pianos. The B3 is the highest quality upright in the B series and Yamaha’s U1 is known around the world as Yamaha’s flagship professional line acoustic upright piano.

The B3 is the top of the B series and it approaches professional standards while remaining true to the series’ design philosophy of great value with a very affordable price. At the heart of the B3 is a solid spruce soundboard which produces rich and colorful tonal resonance.

Designed for the experienced pianist and professional musician, Yamaha U1 upright pianos are made in Japan and feature outstanding tone, touch, and durability. A perennial favorite among discerning pianists, the U1 upright pianos offer outstanding musical performance, setting the standards by which many other upright pianos are measured.

The B3 and U1 share the same scale design, which in the piano world means how the pianos are designed and crafted. One of the main differences between the pianos is that the B series is crafted at Yamaha’s Indonesia factory whereas the U series is crafted at Yamaha’s factory in Japan.

When it comes to pianos made by Yamaha, the important part is the company of origin, not the country of origin regarding where the piano was made. All of the many parts that go into making an upright piano are made in Japan and sent to Yamaha’s factory in Indonesia to be crafted for the US market for the B3.

Another difference is that Yamaha uses higher-quality materials for the U series. For example, when choosing spruce or felts for the piano, Yamaha uses among the top percentage in terms of quality for the U series.

Next, a small difference between the pianos is how the lid props up. The B3 lid is one piece whereas the U1 has a hinge and a smaller lid prop.

The last thing to note is that the U1 has a soft close lid whereas the B3 does not.

If you’d like to hear more playing examples on these pianos, we have made overview videos on each model for you to check out on our website or YouTube channel.

Thank you so much for watching. If you have any questions, we would be more than happy to help. Please feel welcome to reach out to us at popplerspiano.com or give us a call.