Yamaha electric guitars, basses and amplifiers are not a product of a single shop or factory. A worldwide network of design, development and production facilities translate into a large group of highly talented individuals working as a team to bring forth innovative ideas and designs.
The original Yamaha Factory in Hamamatsu, Japan
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CENTRAL GUITAR DESIGN – HAMAMATSU, JAPAN
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The central Yamaha guitar design division, a small group of dedicated individuals, represents more than 30 years of experience and know how in the creation of fine guitars. In addition to traditional methods this design team employs sophisticated computer-aided design equipment to keep the innovative ideas flowing. |
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TENRYU CUSTOM SHOP – HAMAMATSU, JAPAN
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| The Tenryu Shop centers around four highly experienced craftsmen who turn many of our design ideas into reality. About half the output of the Tenryu Custom Shop are hand-made prototypes of new models. |
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ART STUDIOS – TOKYO, JAPAN
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The ART studio facility in Tokyo is a major feedback center for information from the field. Contact with more than 1,500 artists each year keeps Yamaha in touch with the real world of music providing the necessary feedback to refine existing product and develop new instruments that meet the needs of todays top players. Four artist contact specialists and two top-level guitar designers form the all-important "ears" of this essential facility. |
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YAMAHA MUSIC CRAFT – HAMAMATSU, JAPAN
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Yamaha began handcrafting acoustic instruments well over a century ago. Since that time, Yamaha has created many of the world's most highly regarded guitars, pianos, drums, wind instruments, and more. The reasons are simple: an unparalleled understanding of the way music and sound are created, a commitment to fine craftsmanship, and the ability to share knowledge and technology across product lines. More than 30 years ago, Yamaha focused its expertise on creating guitars. As a result, many of today's most celebrated musicians started their musical journey on a Yamaha guitar. We helped a generation find itself at Woodstock, on Bleeker Street, and even in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Today Yamaha has reached the pinnacle of handcrafted acoustic guitar development continuing this fine tradition at Yamaha Music Craft in Hamamatsu, Japan.
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MASTER LUTHIERS AT YAMAHA MUSIC CRAFT
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KAOSHIUNG FACTORY – TAIWAN
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Yamaha Factory Tour
(requires QuickTime Media player)
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MULTI-STAGE AGING & SEASONING
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At Kaohsiung, top-quality selected woods go through 6 months of natural and kiln drying under precisely controlled conditions before the wood is even cut. After initial shaping, the woods are subject to another two weeks of seasoning - again at accurately controlled temperature and humidity. More seasoning stages are inserted at critical points throughout the manufacturing process to ensure that the woods are in top musical form by the time each instrument is complete.
The woods and instruments are maintained under carefully controlled environmental conditions until the moment they leave the factory to ensure lasting stability and quality.
Key members of the Kaohsiung factory's 850-strong staff are skilled veterans in the guitar-manufacturing field, providing knowledge and experience essential in the production of truly fine instruments. This includes the operation of advanced machinery and important jobs that require more human sensitivity such as fret leveling, final sanding and final inspection.
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ORIGINAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
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Much of Kaohsiung's ultra-modern equipment, from computer-controlled routers to state-of-the-art spray-painting robots and neck curvature assessment machinery, has been custom-designed specifically for the creation of superior guitars.
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NO-COMPROMISE QUALITY CONTROL
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Elements of both human experience and computer precision are combined at Kaohsiung to create a quality control program that is second to none. Although the words "Made in Taiwan" have not always carried a high-quality image, the Yamaha Kaohsiung factory is truly one of the finest guitar-production facilities in the world. It is a facility of which we at Yamaha are rightly proud. But although the Kaohsiung factory itself is impressive, it is the quality of the instruments produced there that tells the real story.
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YAMAHA GUITAR DEVELOPMENT
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In January of 1989, Yamaha opened a new facility located in the heart of the music industry in Hollywood, California. This marked the beginning of a new era. With the addition of YGD, custom guitar design and development reached new heights. Yamaha began to collaborate with artists of international stature on a consistent basis to develop signature models and unique customizations of existing Yamaha electric guitars and basses.
Yamaha continues to collaborate with the worlds greatest guitar and bass artists to develop and create unique, innovative instruments that appeal to guitarists of all genres.
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– Ken Dapron - YGD,
USA Manager |
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