Tag Archives: yamaha

Review: Yamaha G2 Grand Piano

Yamaha G2 Piano Review

Although a great number of people are familiar with the brand of Yamaha, many are unfamiliar with the fact that the company has been building musical instruments since the 1800’s. The company began in Japan with its founder Torakusu Yamaha building his first reed organ in 1887. The company grew and prospered from its foundation in 1897, developing a vast array of product ranges including audio products, sports equipment, motorcycles and musical instruments.

Yamaha began making pianos in 1900, with their launch of the newly constructed models of upright pianos. This soon developed into a complete range of designs with their first grand piano being produced in 1902. The Yamaha G2 reflects the culmination of Yamaha’s decades of piano designing experience. It is an acoustic grand which produces big, clean sound with great ambience. The piano is capable of producing classic traditional sounds which create an outstanding effect. It is very easy to see why Yamaha grand pianos have become world renowned for their value and quality.

Yamaha G2 Grand PianoYamahas are a leading choice for pianists of any skill level around the world. They are consistently recommended by technicians and piano tuners simply because of the craftsmanship and uncompromising care which has been combined with the Yamaha expertise to create reliable and eloquent instruments.  Yamaha pianos are created in a state of the art production facility which utilises the skills, knowledge and dedication of an experienced workforce with an amazing degree of expertise.

Yamaha pride themselves on having in house access to a full range of technology which allows them to manufacture almost every single component of each piano themselves. This permits the initiation of development advances and maintenance of a superior level of quality control which sets the industry standard.

The Yamaha G2 features and advanced scale design and is wonderfully constructed with dovetail joints, solid maple caps and bridge, solid spruce ribs and soundboard, copper bass strings and spruce keys featuring hardwood buttons. The piano features balanced action which is unique to Yamaha designs, with specially created hammer shanks exclusive to the Yamaha range. The G2 was available in a number of finishes including polished ebony, American walnut, white, ivory or mahogany. It was also available in satin finishes such as ebony, American walnut or mahogany.

The G2 provides a well-rounded and full bodied sound. It typifies the delicate balance Yamaha has created between state of the art innovation and technology with the dedicated skills of experienced artisans. The G2 maintains the high Yamaha standard with few flaws and providing a great example of an acoustic grand.

If you are looking for used pianos, Atlanta musicians will struggle to find a model better than a Yamaha G2. It provides a wonderful tone and quality of sound which you may struggle to find on newer less crafted models. Yamaha has designed and constructed the G2 to endure the passing of time, which allows for, with a little tender loving care, a lifetimes enjoyment of this wonderful sound.

Right now, we currently have one Yamaha G2 for sale in our used pianos listings.

 

Gerald Clayton Masterclass via Yamaha’s Remote Lesson

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Jordan Kitt’s Music partnered with DCPS, The Kennedy Center Jazz Club, and the Yamaha Disklavier Education Network to bring an unprecedented learning experience to students at five District High Schools.

On Friday, February 28th, Grammy Nominated Pianist Gerald Clayton gave a special masterclass with local piano student Joshua Jenkins from The Ellington School For The Performing Arts. Such masterclasses are not only instrumental for the development of the student participating, but are extremely valuable learning experiences for those students sitting in the audience. While time and travel constraints have historically limited the number of students that can participate in such an event in the past (the logistics of bringing in more than a few area students for one of these events would be overwhelming and has limited these opportunities in the past), new technology allowed us to bring this learning opportunity to a record number of students in five separate locations.

B7FE6CAE-4120-4B3E-9C29-C96EABDB8577Yamaha’s patented Remote Lesson and Remote Live Technologies allow students with access to current model Disklavier Pianos to communicate with and interact with teachers located around the world. When one pianist plays a note on a Disklavier piano, the optic sensors within the instrument capture every possible bit of information about the note played. The velocity of the key and hammer, the length of time sustained, the attack and release technique, all are captured and transmitted over via the internet to other Disklavier pianos which faithfully reproduce every nuance of the original performance. This gives the pianist the literal opportunity to perform on multiple pianos simultaneously. Thanks to this amazing technology and the acquisition of five of these amazing instruments by the District of Columbia Public Schools, music students at Ellington, Ballou, Wilson, McKinley, and Woodson High Schools were all able to participate in this lesson.

BAD9FAC1-24B9-43B0-B6E9-0893ECB608F6The response to the class was overwhelming, as students and instructors were thrilled with the potential opportunities awaiting them. “ Today was a magical, memorable, historical jazzy/technological event!!!” tweeted Lori Williams, instructor at Wilson High School and a wonderful Jazz musician in her own right. “The Yamaha Disklavier provides unprecedented opportunities for students and schools to engage with musicians and teachers they might not have been able to before, and we hope that the D.C. public schools are the first of many across the country to take advantage of this dynamic connectivity.” enthused Yamaha Institutional Solutions’ Walt Straiton.

For more information regarding Remote Lesson and Disklavier Educational Opportunities, please contact Brad Prentice at (202) 578-0109 or bprentice@jordankitts.com

Wolf Trap Piano Sale

Wolf Trap Piano Sale

A once-a-year opportunity to get pricing unavailable anywhere else on a quality piano used at America’s National Park for the Performing Arts is here!

Grand, upright and digital pianos provided to Wolf Trap by Yamaha are being replaced, and the pianos used this past season are now available. Pianos will be prepared for private acquisition and available to be seen at our Fairfax store location.

The event is open to the public Sunday, November 10 from 12noon – 5pm and Monday, November 11 from 10am – 6pm.

Or by appointment Friday or Saturday, November 8 or 9. Click here to make an appointment or for more info!

 

Yamaha U1 Upright Piano

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Yamaha have been a household name for generations. However, many people are unaware that the company’s musical instrument history dates back to the 1800’s. Contrary to popular belief Yamaha did not suddenly appear on the music scene in the 1970’s and 80’s. The founder of the company Torakusu Yamaha built his first reed organ in Japan in 1887. His interest in building innovative devices continued and facilitated the official development of the Yamaha brand in 1897. From this date the company expanded and prospered with their development of a vast range of products including sports equipment, motorcycles, musical instruments and audio products.

yamaha_u1Yamaha began their piano production in 1900. They launched several newly constructed designs of upright pianos. This quickly developed into a full range of styles and designs, including their first grand piano in 1902. The Yamaha U1 reflects this wonderful balance of historic and innovative design techniques together with the cutting edge modern technology that Yamaha are renowned for. This upright piano produces a clean traditional sound with a wonderful clarity. It is certainly one of the most sought after used pianos and it is easy to see why.

Yamaha pianos offer a great value and quality for any skill level of pianist. They are a leading choice which is recommended by industry professionals such as piano tuners and technicians, simply because the craftsmanship and expertise of Yamaha represents an uncompromising instrument which will create eloquent and reliable performance. Yamaha create their pianos in a state of the art manufacturing facility which has an experienced workforce with the skills, expertise, dedication and knowledge to create an amazing instrument.

Yamaha take pride in their in house technological facilities which allow the manufacture of almost every individual component for each piano. They utilize this facility to encourage advances in development to create a superior standard of quality control which sets the bar for the industry.

The U1 has solid spruce ribs and soundboard which are utilized for the best tone and quality amplification of sound.  The ribs continue to the very edge of the soundboard to reinforce the crown. This improves stability and ensures a high quality of tone for a great many years.

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The Yamaha engineers have also developed an innovative and unique aluminum alloy action rail which improves the action of the U1. This eliminates the fluctuations caused by the atmosphere in weather changes to produce long lasting and stable regulation of the action. Every key of the U1 has been individually measured and tested to produce a uniform down weight pressure. This creates an amazing balanced action which allows a lifetime of superior control and touch through the whole keyboard.

The keys are constructed from spruce for its light weight and strength. This costs more than alternative materials such as bass wood or sugar pine but it is ideally suited to the demands of key construction. It allows the keyboard to quickly respond and allow fast repetition in even the most intricate musical compositions. This will ensure that the keyboard can withstand even heavy use with years of fortissimo playing.

The Yamaha U1 is available in polished and satin ebony, polished and satin American walnut, polished white and polished mahogany. You can always inquire for the price of a new one on our website, or check our used pianos section for one.

How to Determine A Used Pianos Worth

Getting a fair price on used pianos in Washington D.C. can be a difficult task. Especially if one is looking for a top tier brand name piano such as a Yamaha or Steinway. These days, there are many sellers out there trying to sell their piano at a price way more than what it is actually worth. As buyers and sellers of used pianos ourselves, our job is to know what a piano is truly worth. Today, we are going to give you a few guidelines should you be attempting to purchase one from a private seller on your own.

Always Look For Name Brand Pianos

When looking for a used piano, your first rule should always be “stick with the brand names”. There are just too many no-name pianos floating around out there made with inferior materials and marketed to the lowest dollar amount. Those pianos are virtually worthless once purchased.

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Here is a list of some of the most trusted brands in the industry, and their respective price points:

Almost All Private Sellers Over-Price Their Pianos

There is, of course, a simple reason for this: Many sellers haven’t the faintest notion of how much their piano is worth and are too busy to do the research to find out. So instead, the list it for what they think it should be worth based either on what they paid for it or what it means to them. Knowing the market value of various models will give you the upper hand in your negotiations and will make sure you purchase your piano at a fair price.

There are plenty of resources out there which can be helpful in determining a pianos worth such as online auctions, piano forums, and craigslist.

Determine the Manufacturing Date and Serial Number

yamaha_serialAnother piece of information we suggest you know is the manufacture date and serial number of the piano you are interested in purchasing. This information is usually imprinted over a metal plate near the keys or inside the piano. As a precaution, a quick search online for the piano model and manufacture date can sometimes (though rarely) yield information about an issue specific to that series. You should also have it inspected over by a authorized piano servicer or technician to make sure it has been well taken care of.

Keyboard Condition

Prior buying or selling, one should test the sound for each key both at high and low volume. Make sure that there’s no defect in any key whatsoever that is neither should be out of tune or non functional. The variation by which a used piano is out of tune will also give you an idea of how well it was taken care of. If the piano is way off tune, it may be indicative of a piano that has not been cared for well or rarely tuned. Thus, more costly tunings and/or repair may be needed after purchase.

Visit a Used Piano Dealer

This can never hurt and may also help put into perspective some of the prices you’ve come across. Piano dealers are often trying to move used pianos quickly and often price them as low as they can possibly go. While you may not get a “steal” on a piano, there are some very attractive upsides to buying a piano from a dealer that sells used pianos.

  • The piano will have been checked thoroughly by a technician prior to any dealer acquisition.
  • Any tuning or repair work will have already been done. So no extra expenses to rain on your parade when you get the piano home.
  • A dealer can be visited after-the-purchase should something go horribly wrong.

Remember, every piano is different and each has its own back-story. The best piece of information on a piano is an accurate history. Who owned it? For how long? And how was it used? The right answers to those questions can raise the worth a piano substantially.

Elton John, Jordan Kitt’s Music and Yamaha’s 125th Anniversary

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Jordan Kitt’s was just honored with front row seats at Yamaha’s 125th Anniversary Celebration at Disneyland’s Hyperion Theater in Anaheim, CA. This concert featured performances by, among others, Michael McDonald, Toto, Sarah McLachlan and the Rocket Man himself, seen here with two familiar faces in the background (Jordan Kitt’s President Chris Syllaba center left & CFO Ray Fugere far right). Sir Elton performed on one of his custom Yamaha midi-grands, with his performance being transmitted live, note by note, through numerous Yamaha Disklavier grands in 19 different countries simultaneously! Combined with the 70-piece back-up orchestra transmitted via live video/audio feed, it was the world’s first such performance beamed live around the planet.

Yamaha E3 Piano Overview by Sue Downs

Yamaha Disklavier E3 Piano Review

To call the Yamaha Disklavier E3 just a piano is like calling the “Mona Lisa” by Leonard da Vinci just another painting. This magnificent and sophisticated instrument is more than a high quality acoustic grand piano; it’s an elegant, refined and technologically advanced entertainment system. Unlike previous “player piano” incarnations, this is a true acoustic piano (rather than reproduced “live” acoustic piano sounds) with digital-age capabilities that offer ease of enjoyment with its’ listen-play-record system. What this means is that you have a concert worthy piano that you can play on or record with.

Can you imagine having Nat King Cole singing in your home? With Yamaha’s library of thousands of PianoSoft™ software titles, the Disklavier E3 brings the magnificent performances of legendary artists to you. All you do is insert the CD and to corresponding Yamaha disk and instantly the onboard sound system plays the vocals and fully orchestrated accompaniment while the piano performs its part in perfect time and tone. All of this is possible with Yamaha’s newest technology break-through PianoSmart™ that provides a seamless audio synchronization with any standard CD that has a corresponding PianoSoft™ title. You can also use this ability to do the same with videotaped performances by using the Disklavier E3 and any standard TV monitor.

The major element to the success of the Yalaha Disklavier E3 is the piano itself. It is from the highly developed Mark IV Series which incorporates a high-capacity onboard hard drive and pocket sized remote control with a world-class Yamaha grand piano creating the ultimate in home entertainment or for business establishments and educational environments. You can even download the “Disklavier Controller” application to your iPhone, iPad or iPod thus allowing even more control of your home entertainment system.

Looking for a singer or song you don’t have on CD? With the Yamaha Disklavier E3 Internet Direct Connection (IDC) you can connect your piano directly to a variety of web services including Disklavier Radio. You can stream musical broadcast direct from the web service to your piano and it will play along with your musical selections and there are about 11 different stations to choose from and with the built-in amplified speaker system, you know your Yamaha Disklavier E3 will deliver the highest quality home entertainment with the best in sound and technology.

The Yamaha Disklavier E3 comes in 11 models – 2 that are upright and 9 that are grand pianos.

Review of Yamaha T118 Upright Piano

Yamaha T118 Review

If you are currently a piano student, thinking of becoming one, or just looking for a quality upright piano for your home, the Yamaha T118 may just be a good fit.

Yamaha’s T118 Piano is a piano student’s dream. A quality Yamaha upright piano that doesn’t break the bank. Meticulously crafted from natural woods, the Yamaha T118 is an instrument of alluring beauty, excellent tone, and responsive touch.

As one of our top sellers, this piano provides a price to performance ratio that is unmatched by other entry-level pianos in the market today. The T118 arrives to your door seasoned specifically for the U.S. market, with a sound and tone that should last a lifetime. Yamaha uses construction techniques on this piano most brands reserve for their high-end uprights. For one, Yamaha creates a permanent crown within the solid spruce soundboard that minimizes soundboard cracking. They also reinforce the crown in its soundboards by using ribs, each of which continue to the edge of the soundboard and are glued into the notched liner. These techniques allow the T118’s sound to hold true for very long periods of time.

Sound is very important even to new piano students, and the use of solid, quarter sawn spruce wood in the Yamaha T118 makes for the best amplification of sound, tone, and sustain. Keys are balanced individually to ensure uniform down weight pressure, giving this piano impressive touch and control that is consistent across the keyboard.

And as with all Yamaha acoustic pianos, the T118 comes with their 10 year limited warranty, covering defects in both materials or workmanship for up to 10 years from your date of purchase.

Finish options include: Polished Ebony, Polished Mahogany, and Polished Dark American Walnut.

For more information or for pricing, click here.