Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Urgent: Petrov 118 (2007) vs Yamaha U1 (1990)

OK - then I wouldn't be as concerned about the Yamaha's age. So I guess the bottom line is.....if the action of the piano is your primary concern, go with the Yamaha, but if the tone is more important, go with the Petrof. If neither piano is fully satisfactory, continue shopping.

The Yamaha and Petrof are both (assuming satisfactory condition) good pianos but they are very different to each other so, really, it should be possible to have a distinct preference between them.

Which piano inspires you to play it, which one do you really want? That is the one that is the best value for you -it isn't a question of which one, if either, might be a bargain a few hundred dollars above or below some nominal market value.

Let another buyer get the Petrof then. You’ll find something else good enough for your money

Hey guys,

Quick update on this:
So I filled in the serial number of the Petrof (587 897), and according to the Petrof website it's a P 115 II C Demichipp from 2002-2003. I'm honestly a little surprised, because it was advertised as a 2007 P118. Anyone know what could be the deal here? I would swear I saw P118 on the inside, but I didn't take photos

Re the discrepancy with serial numbers and ages.... it could be an honest mistake on the seller's part, or some other mistake... Or there's something off in the info online??

Ask the seller directly, not in an accusatory way just more like "I saw this info online and I wanted to double check about your piano..."

Separate from that... If the other possible Petrof buyer is a dealer, they can wait.

Back to your original question: I do not envy you! I owned a Petrof upright for a while and it was a really nice piano, with a tone unlike the other uprights I've owned.

Which, as it happens, includes a Yamaha U1. My Yamaha U1 was an amazing piano, the action was perfect, and over the 9 years that I owned it, its sound got better and better (I sold it because we moved internationally, and they wouldn't let me include the piano in my carry-on luggage allowance).

I also loved my Petrof. But my Yamaha was by far a better piano in every way. If I were given the choice of one or the other, I would choose my Yamaha every time.

Having said that, my Petrof was made around 1990, so a good bit older than the one you're considering. Oh and it was a 115.

Back to the Yamaha.... it is older, but both pianos are used so there's not a clear answer here....

If I were you, I would not purchase either piano without having them evaluated by a piano tech under your employ. It would be ideal if you could have the same tech evaluate both pianos, but the Petrof seller may not wait for that?

Hmm, I may not be helping you with this post so I'll stop here...

You are always helpful in your posts, Dr. ShiroKuro!

I too owned a Pertof P115 (46" studio) upright for a while. It was beautiful piano, inside and out, and had a lovely, mellow tone. The action was a full Renner action, since it was an early 2000s model. However, as much as I liked the piano, the mellow tone was a bit too mellow for my oldies rock-n-roll/boggie and blues taste in piano music, so I sold it. The lady who bought it for her daughter, who was starting piano lessons, was thrilled with it.

On the Yamaha U1, I've never owned one, but have played several and it was a delight to play, all of them.

So, this is actually a pretty tough decision for VeritasNL. I say buy the piano you like the best, if you can differentiate between the two (like one better than the other). As for the longevity of either, we can only enjoy them one day at a time.

I also agree it is a good idea to have either piano inspected by a qualified piano tech before purchase.

Good luck!

Rick