Knowledgebase
Making a grand piano: 1. The inner and outer rim
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The classic grand piano shape Layers of wood veneers are glued together with the grain in a uniform direction to...
Making a grand piano: 2. The soundboard
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The soundboard is very much at the heart of the piano - the striking of the strings causes this to...
Making a grand piano: 3. The keyboard
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The same Sitka spruce used in the making of the piano soundboard is used to make the keys, pieces which...
Making a grand piano: 4. Strings & action
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Stringing Is Done by Hand, One String at a Time By this stage of the manufacturing process, the soundboard has...
Making a grand piano: 5. Final tweaks
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The automatic key pressing machine is once again used after the piano has been seasoned, to prepare the piano action...
A-frames & castors
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A-frames are popular with schools, theatres and churches as it makes a grand piano easy to position and helps retain...
Piano covers
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A piano cover is a useful investment – it will help keep your instrument protected against accidents, spillages and minor...
Piano stools
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We stock a wide range of piano benches at Chamberlain Music, starting at approximately £75 up to £1000. We purchase...
Available finishes
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New pianos are usually available in a selection of different finishes, the most popular of which is polished ebony, or...
Piano positioning
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The location of your piano can have an impact on the quality of sound produced and the overall longevity of...
Pre-regulation & set up
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The first stage of preparing a piano for sale includes checking the frame, frame bolts and screws, and string positioning...
Regulation & voicing
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Voicing is a procedure which ensures that the tone quality heard across the range of the piano keyboard is uniform...
Reconditioned Yamaha upright pianos
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The popularity of Japanese pianos, in particular Yamaha and Kawai, has resulted in many being available on the second-hand market....
What about the B3?
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What is a Yamaha b3? Today Yamaha produces four acoustic upright piano models on the same 121cm tall frame -...
Yamaha U Series: 1970s vs present day
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Are they different? The U Series is very much a cornerstone of Yamaha's upright piano offering, and very well regarded...
Second-hand Yamaha C & G series
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For many years the Yamaha C Series has provided some of the world’s best-selling pianos, combining fabulous build quality and...
Yamaha CX Series
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There are six models in the CX Series as follows: C1X: 5’3 (161cm) C2X: 5’8 (173cm) C3X: 6’1 (186cm) C5X:...
Yamaha GB1K
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The Yamaha GB1K is 5’0 (151cm) in length and is the smallest grand piano model in Yamaha’s range. It is...
Yamaha GC Series
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There are two models in the GC Series as follows: GC1: 5’3 (161cm) GC2: 5’8 (173cm) One step up from...
Yamaha B series
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There are three models in the b Series as follows: B1: 109cm B2: 113cm B3: 121cm Yamaha’s entry level range...
Yamaha P Series
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There are two models in the P Series as follows: P116: 116cm P121: 121cm Yamaha’s P Series pianos are aimed...
Yamaha SE Series
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There are two models in the SE Series as follows: SE122: 122cm SE132: 132cm Yamaha’s SE series is something very...
Yamaha SU Series
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There are two models in the SU Series as follows: SU118C: 118cm SU7: 131cm The SU Series represents the pinnacle...
Yamaha U Series
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There are two models in the U Series as follows: U1: 121cm U3: 131cm For the last fifty years the...
Yamaha YUS Series
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There are two models in the YUS Series as follows: YUS1: 121cm YUS3: 131cm The Yamaha YUS series builds on...
History & anatomy of the piano
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The fortepiano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the turn of the 18th century and has since evolved into what...
Piano mechanisms: upright vs grand
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Grand Mechanism Upright Mechanism In an upright piano, the strings are positioned vertically on the frame whereas the strings on...
Size really does matter
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Physics dictates that the quality of sound produced is largely influenced by the length of the string. A longer string...
What do the pedals do?
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Upright and grand pianos normally have three pedals which serve various purposes: Left pedal The left pedal on an upright...
What type of piano should I choose?
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Digital pianos Available space is an increasingly important factor to be taken into account when deciding on the right instrument...
Yamaha Disklavier pianos
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What is a Disklavier piano? In the 1970s, solenoid-based player systems were added to pianos for the first time. In...
Yamaha Silent pianos
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What is a Silent piano? Yamaha launched the first Silent Piano in 1993. This enabled the pianist to silence the...
Yamaha TransAcoustic pianos
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What is a TransAcoustic Piano? Yamaha, having pioneered the art of manufacturing a Silent Piano, realised that wearing headphones to...