As we have recently received more Yamaha pianos in stock it's a good idea to touch on the subject of Yamaha pianos in general and here is the first of a series of articles relating to Yamaha. This article discusses Yamaha's tier system and the how you should be aware of this before buying a piano.
Many pianists can rely on the name Yamaha when they arrive at a concert hall. They have won the hearts of professionals and in doing so their name is trusted by the public.
Yamaha Marketing:The professional pianists image of Yamaha is a non-consciously narrow one; He is served the top end Ya
maha's (which we highly recommend) such as the Yamaha C7 concert grand piano(The C7 is a concert hall favourite) and the hand built CF series. Lots of Yamaha endorsed artists will go on tour with the top of the range instruments, in line with their German counterparts. However they are not the only Yamaha pianos that exist. Hopefully this article will put Yamaha into context and make you aware of the strengths of the brand and its pitfalls.
Yamaha's tier system: Unfortunately the professionals position may not be the same as for the first time buyer. Yamaha's models vary significantly in quality and it's important that you know this before buying. One way to describe their tier system is to compare it to
Steinway. Steinway, perhaps the best known respected maker of piano in the world, have a tier system where each range has a separate name:
| Steinway makes |
Models
|
Country of manufacture
|
Range |
| Steinway |
All models |
Germany & USA |
Top |
| Boston |
All models |
Japan (Kawai factory) |
Middle upper |
| Essex |
EGP161 183 models (Young Chang, Korea).
EGP155 and173models (Pearl River, China) |
Korea/China |
Bottom range |
The tier seperation allows for clarity on purchasing a piano knowing that a Steinway will be made in the US/Germany, a Boston will be made in Japan and the Essex model will be more cheaply made in a Chinese/Korean factory.
Unfortunately Yamaha does not operate the same system. Instead of giving
a different name to pianos from different origins they only vary the serial numbers and models. This means that one piano with the name "Yamaha" could be hand crafted to an high standard and another piano with the name "Yamaha" is best not purchased. Due to Yamaha’s great marketing potential it’s sometimes hard to convince people that Yamaha might not always be the better piano.
The main problems with pianos of a lowe tier system, like the baby grand Yamaha GB1, is not just the lacking prescence of a sweet tone and responsive touch but in the longivety of its build quality which is questionable, the following page will shed light on the GB1 model's questionable build.
Conclusion:
Bear in mind that when you buy a piano it's not like buying a computer; a piano is an investment. Whereas your computer may last 5 years, your piano may last you 100+ years if well looked after and most people don't change the piano once it's installed. We are selective of the best pianos, whether its a Yamaha or any other piano, from each brand showing our loyalty first and formost to the customer, we feel the responsability to serve well.
If your sights are set on a Yamaha piano it is best to find a trusted dealer and not to go for anything less than a Japanese model. We only purchase Japanese Yamahas and usually choose ones from the 70’s and 80’s because we believe this to be a golden period and particularly good. Please see our stocklist for a list of Yamaha’s
Here is a list of some of the most common Yamaha models and their country of origin:
| Model |
Upright/Grand |
Country of origin |
| Yamaha GB1 |
Baby grand piano |
Indonesia |
| Yamaha C7 |
Concert grand piano |
Japan |
| Yamaha C1 – C6 |
Grand piano |
Japan |
| Yamaha G1 – G5 |
Grand piano |
Japan |
| Yamaha U1 series |
Upright piano |
Japan |
| Yamaha B series (B1, B2, B3) |
Upright piano |
Indonesia |
For more Yamaha related information see our
Yamaha page.
