Yamaha GB1 Baby One thousand Piano Review & Data

The Yamaha GB1 baby grand pianoforte (now known equally the GB1K) is Yamaha's nigh basic grand piano model but take Yamaha cut too many corners in order to keep the size and the price down? If you have any technical info or corrections for this commodity, please email mgpianos@gmail.com.

Is it likewise small?

The Yamaha GB1 is merely 151cm long and pianos this pocket-sized have very short bass strings. Small strings can produce a slightly "thuddy" or "tubby" sound in the bottom 2 or 3 octaves. Longer bass strings produce a much better tone, this is why concert m pianos are soooo loooong.

Gyre to the 50 seconds marking on this video and you'll hear the GB1 bass notes being demonstrated. The pianists say that they sound better than many infant grands of that size and he is probably correct but take a listen and run into what you think

Y'all can see a GB1 playing itself on this side by side video. It sounds a lot amend on this recording but perhaps a little brilliant?

For comparing have a heed to the smoothen, rich bass on this Yamaha C5 to hear what the actress 49cm gets you.

Sounds smashing doesn't information technology? Tin yous stretch your budget and space to go for anything longer than a GB1?

Where is the Yamaha GB1 made?

The GB1/GB1K is made in Republic of indonesia. Yamaha produce pianos all over the world and has factories in China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the United states of america. For the very all-time quality you should look for pianos made in Nippon as that is where Yamaha brand many of their very best pianos such as their CFIIIS concert g piano and their Yamaha U3 and other high-terminate upright and one thousand pianos.

Make New Toll for a GB1/GB1K

Prices may differ depending on your exact location and the shop you buy from simply Yamaha puts the suggested retail cost at somewhere between £9,700 and £11,000 depending on the color and finish you buy. If you accept £9000-£eleven,000 to spend on a infant grand piano you lot might want to interruption and see if you tin notice a niggling-used or properly reconditioned Japanese baby grand instead. The C1, C2, G1 or G2 are obvious choices that leap to heed. More than on that afterward.

What Piano Technicians Have to Say Most the GB1K

Expert stance tends to boil down to 1 recurring point regarding the GB1: "It'due south as well small!". Larry Fine of pianobuyer.com is THE authority on assessing new & used pianos and he sums it up well:

"The place to begin is with the strings in the low bass. Normally among the longest in a piano, these copper-wrapped strings must exist fabricated thicker than normal to compensate for the length that the piano's pocket-size size makes impossible. The actress thickness makes them stiffer, causing the harmonics they produce to deviate from their theoretical frequencies, in a phenomenon known every bit 'inharmonicity'."

In fact information technology is worth reading the entire paragraph relating to the GB1 from Larry Fine'southward blog article about baby m pianos:

Start upwardly is the iv′ xi″ Yamaha GB1K, Yamaha's simply Indonesian-made grand sold in the U.South. Information technology was reviewed in the Chicago area by Kevin A. Dark-brown. Brownish institute the treble tone on this instrument to be typically Yamaha: bright, crisp, and pleasant, merely a bit generic and lacking in tonal color. As one descended into the tenor range, the tone, at first pleasant, gradually became muddier; so, afterwards a rather rough transition non unlike what ane might discover in a small vertical piano, the bass turned both tubby and thin, lacking in resonance. The activity was consistently smooth and controllable, though a bit "spongy" in the bass. Brown noted, "A pianist could play most types of music with some degree of control, but a pianist more skilled than I would non detect playing this piano for any length of time satisfying," in function considering of the limited tonal color. The cabinet fashion is simple and functional, and has a slow-close fallboard, a nice feature designed to protect fingers. On the negative side, even so, the music desk-bound is fixed in place — information technology can be removed for tuning the pianoforte, but cannot slide fore and aft. Despite the criticisms, Brown says that "it was a overnice little piano, and seems like a suitable choice for upkeep-witting shoppers looking for a small-scale grand for children to learn on. Notwithstanding," he cautions, "I question the decision to install a fixed-position music desk. Players may not find a comfortable position."

You should besides spend a infinitesimal reading this forum topic where a parent asks for opinions nearly the Yamaha GB1 vs Yamaha GC1.

What do pianoforte players think about the GB1/GB1K?

When looking through what piano players accept to say about the GB1k on the ABRSM forum (UK's largest music education torso), the reviews are mixed.

"I tried one of these out in-store and thought, wow, swell. Then moved on to the slightly more expensive Yamaha models, which really show you the difference in sound quality. This is somewhat due to size though in addition to internal features of the pianoforte."

And…

"I accept had it for a year and a half. Information technology has just had its fifth tuning, and appears to exist adequately stable now, and ready to go to half-dozen-monthly tunings… Autonomously from that, I run across no compromises in the sound quality, other than the inherent limitations of the minor size."

What corners accept been cut?

To make a pianoforte cheap you have to make a cheap piano (did y'all follow that?). And so what did Yamaha do to keep costs down when making this model?

  • As mentioned earlier Yamaha chose to have the GB1/GB1K made in Indonesia where labour is cheap
  • The piano has no sliding music desk-bound, it is fixed in position. Brand sure you lot test this equally many pianists like the option to move the music desk back and forth until they notice their own sweet spot.
  • There is no way to lock the fallboard which covers the keys.

Other things may exist at play such as less quality raw materials and less exacting tolerances every bit is the instance with all cheaply made products whether information technology be pianos, toys, clothes or cars.

Similar Models to Consider

If yous are looking at a GB1K just are interested in another Yamaha models that are similar but offer better audio and performance, here are a few to consider.

Yamaha GC1
This is the side by side pace upward for Yamaha Baby Grand Pianos. It is only slightly larger at 160cm but, crucially, it is made in Nihon. This model has an incredibly total, resonant tone and ameliorate sound quality overall at a still affordable price. If infinite is very tight then a nicely reconditioned Yamaha GC1 could exist a ameliorate choice for you than a GB1/GB1K.

Yamaha C1
One more step up, in both size and quality, from the GC1, is the Yamaha C1 which is 161cm long. The unabridged C series (C1, C2, C3, C5, C7) can exist viewed as genuinely professional quality pianos and real musical investments. The GB1 and the GC1 are not really aimed at aggressive musicians although they volition do the job well enough. It just depends what standards you demand or expect.

Yamaha U3
If you need to relieve space but nonetheless want a loftier quality of sound, a not bad upright model may conform your needs meliorate. A elevation quality upright piano can take a better action and sound than many babe grand pianos, and it even has longer bass strings. You should try to aim for at least 130cm alpine to become the best sound from an upright pianoforte. The Yamaha U3 is 131cm and is a very popular choice for ambitious musicians. Your absolute minimum height for an upright should be 120cm and the Yamaha U1 at 121cm tall covers that height range very nicely.

Who Should Buy a Yamaha GB1K?

The Yamaha GBK1 is small, meaty and looks very dainty. If yous are a novice of entry-level piano player you may not notice the divergence in audio quality between the GBK1 and the models listed above. The piano does expect great too so if you are looking for a Infant G Piano that is aesthetically pleasing, cheaper on your budget and does not accept up an enormous corporeality of space, this volition be a perfectly skilful choice.

Who Should Look for Other Options?

If yous are a serious (or ambitious) musician you may want to look elsewhere. The simple fact is, longer bass strings produce a better tone and you are simply not getting that with a GBK1. Are you Certain you lot can't fit a C1 in your home? If so, information technology's a much better selection. And if you tin fit a C1 in, are y'all sure y'all can't fit in a C2 or even a C3? Always get for the longest grand that you have infinite and upkeep for. If you lot regret your choice subsequently it tin be an expensive exercise upgrading.

Conclusion

Really prissy fiddling piano if you lot need something to look good and practice an OK job. Otherwise, look towards the slightly longer C1 and C2 models.