From Being a Keyboard Instrument Maker to a Company That Makes a Comprehensive Range of Instruments

Music is not just singing. Pianos and reed organs are not the only musical instruments. We wanted to offer greater variety…

Trying our hands at every instrument

1915

Bringing musical instruments closer to many people

Yamaha began making harmonicas in 1915. After world war two, metal harmonicas sold on the platforms of Hamamatsu train station become famous. We also offered full-blown, easy-to-play instruments such as recorders and pianicas.

Butterfly Harmonica
Harmonica／Around 1914

YRS-61
Recorder／1967

P-32D
Pianica／1984

1950

Melodic sirens begin their song

Yamaha's melodic sirens came into use in 1950, and were well-received for their use of musical tones that blended into town life rather than warning sirens. They were installed by municipal bodies and factories across Japan.

1953

Offering high-quality percussion instruments to more people

Yamaha developed technologies to allow the mass production of xylophones with accurate tuning for educational use. We also engaged in research into vibrations and acoustic characteristics, which resulted in the creation of numerous percussion instruments, including concert marimbas, xylophones, and vibraphones.

YM-400
Marimba／1967

1965

New techniques for crafting instruments

In 1965 the company president embarked on a tour of factories in the USA. Yamaha adopted their practical production methods and began selling trumpets the following year. We also used computers to study the fundamentals of sound and released many wind instruments.

YTR-1
Trumpet／1966

1966

Guitars for their time, suited to the climate of Japan

Staring with the folk guitars released in 1966, Yamaha began developing guitars suitable for humid climates. We learned the techniques required to craft both classical and electronic guitars, allowing us to create guitars that were matched to the requirements of the day.

FG180
Acoustic Guitar／1966

1967

Creating drums with the power of air

Yamaha developed proprietary airbag molding techniques used to from drum shells into a circle. These techniques became synonymous with Yamaha drums as a production method that produces superb tone and durability.

1977

Recreating the qualities of well-worn metal

In 1977, responding to a request from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Yamaha conducted repeated analyses and built up a storehouse of unique techniques used to recreate metal materials with the properties of instruments that had been used for almost 60 years. This earned the company world-wide credibility.

YHR-801
Vienna Horn／1978

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