Wagner HL120SE and Yamaha U3 (Reconditioned)
Wagner HL120SE (New)
German Scale Design
Yamaha U3 (Reconditioned)
One of the popular brandname in the market
Dimensions
Wagner HL120SE – Height: 122cm X Width: 151cm X Depth: 60cm
Yamaha U3 – Height: 131cm X Width: 152cm X Depth: 66cm
Piano string length = piano speaking length
(one of the very important part of piano scale design – longer string promotes richer and more powerful tone)
Wagner HL120SE Monarch – #1 bass string length is 120cm. Middle section (Tenor) is 91cm. German Röslau steel wires for the treble and bass strings add tonal colour, longer sustain and rich singing tone with powerful bass
Yamaha U3 – #1 bass string length is 120.6cm. Middle section (Tenor) is 92cm. Old treble strings – weak, thin tone. Old bass strings – tubby and thumpy sounding, dead sound
Action and Hammer
Wagner HL120SE Monarch – Renner-type All-wood Full-size Direct-Blow Action – responsive action with no clicks and no buzzes. Hammers heads are felt-covered wooden mallets consists of new underfelt rounded by high-quality German wool capable of producing barely audible pianissimos and thundering fortissimos with minimal wears. All keys undergo the process of individually weighted and balanced for better feel
Yamaha U3 – Full-sized Direct-Blow action type with undercovered Japanese hammer felts that are old and worn – loses it dynamic range and tonal colours. Old felts and leathers harden over the years and action becomes noisy and keys become loose – poor control create poor playing habits
Age & Warranty
Wagner HL120SE – Brand new with 10 years FACTORY warranty and will last you for next 50 years
Yamaha U3 – Majority, at least 40 years+, old scale design and materials, with 1-5 years DEALER warranty. Looks new but MUSICALLY dead (tone dead). Major components such as the soundboard, strings, action parts, bridges and pinblock have deteriote due to wears and humidity. Major rebuilding works needed attention and can cost much more than a new piano
Conclusion
Wagner HL120SE – Although smaller size, HL120SE has the performance features of a taller piano. The string length is almost the same as the Yamaha U3 (-0.6cm) thus give a rich singing tone with powerful bass. In addition, the Renner-type design action allows the ease of playing at different dynamic levels. Quality equal if not better than Yamaha U3 and affordable price
Yamaha U3 – Lack of sustain power, weak in tone and noisy action will greatly affect students playing in the long term and most likely to quit piano lessons sooner. Price is equal if not more expensive than Wagner HL120SE