Yamaha 1988 U3 vs 2014 B3

[pianissimo1000]

I’m a pianist whose been playing for about a decade, looking to further pursue the piano as a serious hobby. I intend to upgrade from digital to acoustic. I’ve tried quite a few pianos and have narrowed down my options to a used 2014 Yamaha B3 and a used 1988 Yamaha U3. The B3 is 1k CAD more expensive than the U3.

Both pianos are in tip-top shape and maintained very well. Both are being sold by professional sellers. The U3 comes from Japan while the B3 is from Indonesia. Although I realize that the U3 is professional-grade and is supposed to be the superior of the two, I must admit that I was more impressed by the firm and responsive action of the B3, as well as its crisp and sharp, bright, yet powerful sound.

Just to note, this is not the case of a bad U3. The U3 played very well, and I’ve tried multiple of them, so I know that this particular U3 was not lacking in any way.

I’ve also tried many brand new upper-end pianos, and still somehow found the B3 to be better than them. Maybe this B3 in particular has been put together very well? Is it a thing with acoustic pianos that they vary wildly from each other even under the same model? i.e two B3’s of the same year can play wildly differently, and this B3 just happens to be very good?

However, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Although the B3 is newer and has many redeeming qualities, a well-maintained U3 is nothing to gloss over, and I hesitate to select the B3 over it, especially since both are in the same price range. In fact, the U3 is the cheaper of the two. There very well may be qualities of the U3 that I am overlooking or taking for granted, and there may be pitfalls of the B3 that I have not yet realized. Does one deteriorate faster than the other? Does one depreciate faster? Etc.

Please let me know your thoughts.