YamahaModel U3

Yamaha U3 — a Japanese-built upright, 131 cm tall, black high gloss.

The U3 is the large model of the U series and has long stood in music schools, practice rooms and living rooms all over the world. Many take it for the benchmark: an even action, an instrument on which technique can be built cleanly.

131 cm is not a home format in the narrow sense; it is the top class of uprights. The bass strings are as long as they can be made standing up and the soundboard is large to match — the bass carries audibly further than on a 115.

Three pedals: the right holds the note, the left brings the hammers nearer the strings. The middle one comes in two forms across the U series — as a sostenuto that leaves single notes standing, or as a practice pedal that lays a strip of felt in front of the strings.

Black high gloss mirrors windows and fingerprints; a dry cloth and a place out of the sun keep the surface quiet.

The piano is 154 cm wide and 65 cm deep; it stands against the wall, with room to sit in front of it. An instrument of this size is lifted by piano movers. Keep it clear of the radiator. If you practise in the evening and have neighbours, an acoustic upright can have a Silent System fitted, and the playing carries on in headphones.