Just my 2 cents worth. My dad bought a Yamaha X series (a step above the U series) piano in KL back in 1980. Its served me and my children very well since and its still doing well after almost 32 years. The piano was made and imported from Japan. As for humidity problems, well, it had a heater in it from the start and was kept in the living room, without any air conditioning. It hasn’t suffered any damage from any humidity problems.


I think that by leaving the bar heater on permanently, regular tuning of at least once a year and the occasional wipe, a good piano would last for at least 30 years (in my case) or more. I seriously think that my Yamaha would be playable and be in good voice for my grandchildren!

We did have the felt pads replaced and the strings restrung a few years back by Yamaha technicians. However, they told us that other than that, the piano would be good for another 30 years as the wood and frame were in excellent condition. Seems that the later Yamaha pianos which were made in Indonesia, were not of the same quality or standard as those originally made in Japan all those years ago. Strangely, they also said that the Yamaha pianos that they were selling now were actually inferior to those that were made in Japan all those years ago, in terms of sound and quality

After moving to Singapore last year, and after doing our research, we bought a Hailun H33P from Piano Masters. The sound is lovely but different from the Yamaha X. The Yamaha is a brighter and has a better action, whilst the Hailun is mellower with a stiffer action. Different but still enjoyable. I would actually recommend the H33P over the 125 as the sound is bigger and fuller.

I would agree with those who have tried the Petrof and say that it has a lovely singing voice. To me, my wife and kids, the Petrof sings better than the Yamaha or Hailun. However, it was out of our budget. Hoping to get a Petrof baby grand in a few years’ time once the kids hit Grade 8. There’s where the 50% buy back policy from Piano Master would come in handy.