If you’re looking to purchase a new baby grand piano, the choices out there are vast and varied. Some brands are familiar and some are pretty obscure – but they all claim to be the best in their relative price points.  It’s impossible for me to make a blanket statement about which brand or model may be best for you because we’re dealing with two things – Facts and Emotion. Facts are universal (objective).  They can be tested and proven. Emotions are just as real, but they aren’t universal (Emotions are subjective).  So – since we can’t comment on an individual’s feelings – let’s take emotion out of the equation for a moment and focus on the facts surrounding Yamaha‘s most popular baby grand piano:  the Yamaha GB1K.

Let’s start with this factual statement: Yamaha is globally recognized for making superior musical instruments in a large variety of categories.

Yes.  There are other great brands, but none more recognizable or universally respected than Yamaha. Around the world, more performers require a Yamaha piano than any other brand because they know that Yamaha can deliver the sound and touch they are looking for. With over 10,000 musical instrument patents (more than 2000 related to pianos alone), Yamaha has done more than any other manufacturer to further the develop and refine the music industry.  Each instrument in their lineup is specifically designed and meticulously crafted to deliver a specific performance profile to the musicians most likely to use it.  At times, this might seem confusing as Yamaha will use different designs and materials for different models simply to create the specific sound and touch they are looking for.  Thus, Yamaha instruments require broad consideration when compared with other brands.  You can’t just pick out a component or two.  You have to compare the overall intent of the instrument and it’s ability to deliver that intent to a potential buyer.  …and this brings us to the Truth about the Yamaha GB1K Baby Grand Piano:

It’s the best designed, best engineered, and best built five foot baby grand piano on the market.

Clearly, that’s an opinion, but let’s look at the facts I use to reach that conclusion…

Yamaha’s 40-year old piano factory in Indonesia (located just outside of Jakarta) is state-of-the-art. They use the same machines as the factory in Japan and cross-train their workers to maintain the highest level of quality. Remember, it’s the company of origin and not the country of origin that makes the most difference.  Yamaha makes the soundboards for all of their pianos (including the GB1K) in Japan and then ships the GB1K soundboards to Indonesia to be installed with the rest of the components made in their Indonesian plants.  Think about that for just a moment.  Yamaha’s construction process is so precise that wooden components can be made in one factory and installed in another without modification.  Because Yamaha is 100% vertically integrated (meaning they own and control everything from the forest to the factory), they can take advantage of local woods and labor in Indonesia without compromising the quality or performance of their pianos.  This is one way Yamaha can make a superior baby grand piano at a very competitive price.

In order to achieve it’s designated sound profile, the Yamaha GB1K uses very specific, high-quality woods.  Again, because they have a plant in Indonesia, Yamaha has access to many great woods at a much lower cost.  In fact, as of March, 2022, Yamaha has switched the wood they use to make the GB1K’s rim.  Both the new rim and the old rim are made from high quality hardwoods (part of Yamaha’s formula to produce a specific sound in their five foot baby grand piano), but the nyatoh wood Yamaha used to use isn’t as available in the quantity or quality Yamaha needs so they have begun using sapele (a wood often found in acoustic guitars) in its place.  The sapele woods have a darker, richer look, but produce the same sound Yamaha wants for its GB1K.

Other manufacturers like to criticize Yamaha’s decision to use nyatoh or sapele rims when other manufacturers have chosen maple.  They might criticize the GB1K’s rim thickness or music rest… but doing so misses the larger point:  Yamaha made the GB1K this way on purpose.  Unlike other manufacturers who simply design one large piano and then use the same features (with different scale designs) on all the smaller models, Yamaha takes the time and care to build a specific tonal recipe for every model.  Every aspect of the piano was specifically designed to work in harmony to make this smaller grand perform like a much larger and more expensive instrument. For example, the sapele rims give a warmth and richness to Yamaha’s GB1K.  With a maple rim, the piano would be louder and brighter – something  today’s baby grand buyers won’t appreciate.  The rim thickness is perfect for this piano as well.  It provides the sound transfer, power and stability that Yamaha is known for around the world – without requiring overly thick and rigid rims.  The GB1K is perfectly designed for its character and purpose – whether playing classical music or jazz.  It gives you the control to make any kind of music really shine!

Yamaha designed this piano to have the richness of a piano that is six or eight inches longer. The bass is full and resonant with clarity (even in the extreme lower register!) while the mid-range has a beautiful singing quality. The upper register is bright with a wonderful sustain, but not choppy or harsh. Overall, it’s a clear and balanced sound that allows for unlimited expression.

In the many years I’ve been selling Yamaha pianos I’ve seen people shop around for less expensive pianos but end up spending more for a Yamaha because, quite simply, they are worth it. Yes, the GB1K costs more than some other brands and may have a feature or two that someone else can argue about, but the fact is:  Yamaha purpose built this piano to sound and feel exactly the way it does… and – considering it’s one of the most successful selling baby grand pianos we’ve ever seen – I’d say they did a pretty good job!

As for you, for something you are going to have as long as a piano – I always say it’s better to spend more than you wanted than less than you should. Reward yourself. You never regret getting the best.  Check out the Yamaha GB1K online or – better yet – stop in and see one for yourself.  There’s nothing like the real, in-person Yamaha Experience.  See you soon!