[Lieu]

First off, thank you all for your incredible helpfulness! (especially pianoguy). So, a yamaha U3 popped up very near me. 5 million, originally from a UK dealer, I'm told it was bought new but the learner lost interest and has been sitting in a living room since and kept tuned.

Of course I went to play it; clean, rich sound and responsive. Now, it was lovely and resonant, but overall a tad on the bright side. Would this be explained by an almost new, typical off-the-factory-lines condition of discounted yamahas? I'm no expert, and it's hard to describe, but the 'underlying' or bulk of the tone sounded fantastic, it's just... accross the range the final product seemed a bit plain. Lacking something 'extra', not any particular fault I can pick out, but maybe that's just my cognitive biases. Maybe a simile works: compare a piece of music played with *just* the right notes with the same piece played properly with feeling and dynamics. Basically, my question is if there is untapped potential, and I don't trust my own novice opinion. Don't get me wrong though, I love how it sounded for its price. The only real harshness was a little on the bass end. If it's possible to turn it more towards balanced/slightly mellow (the delicious kind, not muffled ) then 100% this piano is for me.

Second, the action. Responsiveness and repetition were great, but a little heavy for my taste. Can I get this changed a little?

And finally... price of low-£2000s. I don't know what the discrepency is but this thing put all the U3s I tried at dealers to shame. I expected much more, but maybe it's because of all the warehouse ones being sold over the internet for sub-£2k. It seems for real, and I was planning to get a technician to have a look at it, but is this necessary? I don't know whether I should just try and snap it up or, I daresay, the game might be given up (sorry, I barely even have the money for it). Surely the technician would know the price, or am I being paranoid?

Thanks again

[Openwood]

You can definitely get the brightness sorted out. Ask some of the folks here if they know whether there's a good voicer in your area. But don't buy it because you think you ought to. I bought my first piano because it was a good make at a very low price but in truth I never really liked the sound it made that much. In the end it sat unused and unloved in the corner until I finally sold the bloody thing. Also, think about the acoustics in the room it's in now and the kind of acoustics in your home; is it going to sound better or worse in your gaff? Once again, a decent voicer can tell you a lot about that kind of thing.

PS: Have you checked out the pianos for sale on this site?

[Lieu]

If the tone can be tweaked just that little bit I'd be completely happy and wouldn't look back. My only worry is if it were simply not possible to do well because obviously every piano is different. I'm thinking in this case it's extremely unlikely... but asking here can't hurt.

As for the room, it's almost the same as where it would end up.

And yes, I've trawled website after website, including this one :p. Most of what I see is simply too small, below/above my price range, just not what I'm looking for, too far away and I have no car. I've mainly been sticking to visiting dealers.

Is there anything that could be seriously broken about the piano I wouldn't have noticed?

[tuna]

Highly unlikely for anything to be seriously broken on a U3 this recent. They are VERY reliable.
But, as you would be purchasing this piano privately, and therefore would have no guarantee, why not employ the services of a good local piano tuner/technician, to check out the piano for you?
This would probably cost less than an average tuning fee, but would give you a valuable, informed second opinion.

Or just flip a coin!