Yamaha MP70

Colour: Polished mahogany

The Yamaha MP70 is an acoustic upright with a Silent system built in. Engage it and a rail stops the hammers just short of the strings, so the action works exactly as it always does, but what you hear comes through headphones from a digitally sampled piano instead. The keys still move under your fingers, the pedals still work, and the room stays quiet.

That makes it a genuinely useful instrument for a flat, a shared house, or anyone whose practice time falls outside sociable hours. It also brings MIDI and audio connections, so the piano can be recorded or connected to a computer. This example is presented in a polished mahogany cabinet with three pedals, priced at £3,495, and has been assessed and prepared by our team at The Piano Gallery.

Available to purchase online or to try in person at our Oxfordshire showroom. Contact us to arrange a viewing or to discuss delivery and part-exchange options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Silent piano actually silent?

Not completely, and it is worth knowing that before you buy. The hammers never reach the strings, so there is no note, but the action is still a mechanical thing made of wood and felt and it makes a soft tapping sound as the keys and hammers move. In the same room it is roughly as loud as typing. Through a wall or a ceiling it is inaudible, which is the point.

Does the Silent system change how the piano plays normally?

No. With the system disengaged the stop rail is out of the way and the piano behaves as an ordinary acoustic upright, with the same touch and the same tone it would have had without the system fitted. The sensors that read the keys sit under them and do not alter the action.

What is the difference between this and a digital piano?

Everything you touch. A digital piano simulates the weight of a piano action with levers and weights; this is a real piano action with real hammers, real dampers and real pedals, which is why it feels the way it does. You get a genuine acoustic instrument most of the time and a silent option when you need it, rather than a compromise in both directions.

Can a Silent system be fitted to any piano later?

Aftermarket systems can be fitted to many uprights, and they work well when installed properly, but the job involves removing the action and cutting into the piano, and the cost is significant. Buying an instrument that already has a system in it is usually the cheaper and tidier route, which is a large part of the appeal of a piano like this one.

What happens if the electronics fail in years to come?

You are left with a working acoustic piano, which is the reassuring part. The silent function is an addition to the instrument rather than something the instrument depends on. Systems of this generation are generally robust, and where a component does fail it is usually the headphone socket or a cable rather than anything structural.