Yamaha has announced the launch of its new B-Series of upright pianos. The original b Series was introduced back in 2006 and comprised three models: b1, b2, b3. These accessibly priced instruments offered buyers an affordable alternative to Yamaha’s prestigious U Series, and over the past 20 years have found their way into countless homes and schools around the globe.
Recently, Yamaha felt the b Series could be further refined to take advantage of technological advancements and meet evolving design standards and performance requirements. As a result it has launched the new B Series again with three models: B10, B20, and B30.
Yamaha claims these new instruments deliver “richer sound and improved usability” with “a pure, clearly articulated sound and a natural, expansive resonance”.
What’s different?
The key updates to the B Series are new hammers and a redesigned soundboard and cabinet.
The new hammers are constructed using technology developed for Yamaha’s CFX Concert Grand piano. They are machined, in house, to a much higher tolerance (0.05mm), and designed for a more stable resonant tone.
The cabinet design has changed and the construction of the soundboard is now standardised across all models. It comprises a spruce core with a special veneer coating. All models feature five substantial backposts for improved tuning stability and tonal quality.
The new models also feature a “panoramic” music desk extending the length of the fallboard, and an integrated soft-close fallboard mechanism.
“The environment surrounding the piano business has changed significantly in recent years, and people’s lifestyles and values have become increasingly diverse. That’s exactly why we took a fresh look at the value of having a piano in everyday life, and crafted this piano with a clear vision of how to bring its appeal to more people. This new series offers major improvements in both playability and usability, making it a piano that can be enjoyed by everyone – from beginners to experienced players. We hope many people will have the opportunity to experience it for themselves.”
Yutaka Matsuki, Senior General Manager of Yamaha’s Piano Division.
The B Series Models:
B10 (110 x 150 x 55cm, 200kg), compact, and ideal for beginners
B20 (116 x 153 x 58cm, 220kg), with a slightly richer tone due to a larger soundboard
B30 (121 x 153 x 62cm, 232kg), a standard-sized acoustic upright with a deeper bass, and greater dynamic range.
All instruments are available as SILENT Piano™ and TransAcoustic™ variants (B**SC3 and B**TC3). There are four finish options: Polished Ebony, Polished Ebony with Chrome, Polished White, Polished White with Chrome.
Whilst the original b Series models were built in Yamaha’s Indonesian facility, the new B Series pianos are manufactured at Yamaha’s Hangzhou factory in China.
More information about the B Series of upright pianos can be found on Yamaha’s website.