The T01 is a digital piano with a black keyboard made from unused African grenadilla wood. This instrument embodies the concepts of “making good use of resources” and “a product that offers many years of use.”
Well-Made
The laser-etched grenadilla bark patterns used for the sheet music stand, side paneling and piano bench tell the story of how the keyboard of this instrument came to be.
Tactile
The grenadilla used as the primary material for the keyboard has a natural tendency to absorb small amounts of moisture. This moist texture offers a comfortable playing experience over long periods of time.
Harmony
The grenadilla bark pattern, rounded construction, and pleasantly textured surfaces bring the cozy feel of wood to the entire instrument.
Honest
This design is the result of Yamaha’s straightforward efforts to use materials in a manner that gives form to their capabilities as-is, and involved many efforts to take on the challenge of sustainable manufacturing.
Kazuki Kashiwase
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
A design that’s true to the materials used.
The TORCH T01 is a digital piano with black keys made from unused grenadilla. This is a material used in woodwind instruments such as clarinets and has a characteristic black heartwood. Of all the grenadilla logs that are harvested, less than 10% can be used for musical instruments. The keyboard came about owing to our initiatives in sustainable forest preservation through the effective use of resources, as well as the desire to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the regions from which these resources were sourced. To establish the concept of a digital piano with a dark-colored keyboard as one of its main features, we sought to reflect its background story in the overall design.
Another crucial aspect of this project was to make good use of the homogeneous properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) to reduce manufacturing loss due to variations in color and texture, as well as to make the product more attractive. We avoided the use of PVC coating on the MDF surfaces of the sheet music stand, side panels and piano bench, so that the natural woodgrain would stand out. This, in turn, allowed us to add curves to the adjoining MDF surfaces and to the cut ends, deepening the uniquely gentle impression that wooden surfaces provide. The laser-etched graphic patterns on the MDF were generated from photographs of tree bark taken locally in Tanzania. The bark is reminiscent of the original wood, creating an opportunity to draw attention to the story behind the keyboard, which is the main feature of this product.
The piano bench and pedal box were specifically designed for the T01. The design of the bench might have looked cleaner had we left out the bench height adjuster, but to ensure that everyone from children to adults could use it for a long time, we deliberately included it in the design.
Creating sustainable products requires making ongoing and unyielding efforts. We believe that offering the choice between a piano with black and white keys and one with all black keys going forward is a key aspect to achieving success in our efforts.
