Yamaha is one of the largest global piano manufacturers and was the first to manufacture a piano in Japan. Today, Yamaha manufactures pianos in several countries including Japan, China, and Indonesia. Over time, Yamaha pianos have become very diversified in many products and industries and have grown tremendously. Today they are a public stock owned company managed by a board of directors with a responsibility to shareholder’s return on investment. There has not been any Yamaha family member involved in the company for many decades. Today consumers recognize their brand name from motorcycles, boats, boat motors, wave runners, golf clubs, band instruments, automobile parts, golf carts, audio equipment, resorts, etc. Piano experts feel the very best quality Yamaha pianos were built in Japan just before industrial globalization took place. These pianos were engineered in Japan, all materials and components were made in Japan, and assembled in Japan. The Yamaha piano manufacturing years of 1970-1980s have been named “the sweet years”.

Yamaha pianos are known for their bright tone. The Yamaha piano sound has been deemed to be a clear, crisp, percussive or bell/chime like sound. Many jazz artists and bands like the “Yamaha sound” because its brighter, percussive sound breaks thru the sound of all the other instruments being played so the piano can be heard. Although, brighter tone sacrifices a pianist’s ability to control the tonal palette of their performance, thus most accomplished pianists prefer a deeper less shallow, richer, warmer, and less percussive tone.