This past April saw the launch of three new models in Yamaha’s popular upright range: John Evans went along to try them out.
You never forget your first piano. Mine was an ancient Steinbeck upright. It put me on the road to enjoying a life-long love of the instrument, for which I’m grateful. In the years since, many more children, either curious about playing or encouraged by their parents, have embarked on the same journey. Like me, for some it will have begun with an old piano, but for many around the world for the past 20 years it has begun with a new Yamaha B series, the Japanese manufacturer’s three-model, entry-level range of pianos.
No less than half a million of these instruments have found their way into homes and schools. Not only have children discovered music and the piano through a B series but adults have as well – some of them for the first time and some rediscovering their interest in the instrument after a break. So, the B series matters, which is why Yamaha has revisited its top-selling piano range, examining every aspect of the instrument’s design, construction and sound with the aim of improving its performance and ensuring it enriches the lives of pianists and musicians.
Just how important Yamaha considers what it calls its ‘reimagined’ B series – as before, comprising three instruments but now called B10, B20 and B30 – was clear from the location it chose to launch it to its European dealers. Madrid is a beautiful, sun-soaked city with a rich culture, the perfect setting for an event intended to inspire those tasked with presenting Yamaha’s crucial new pianos to the people who, they hope, will buy them.
FACTORY RESHUFFLE
But first, why now? Why has Yamaha decided to ‘reimagine’ the B series in 2026? Unfortunately, due to the Chinese government’s so-called Double Reduction Policy of 2021, which set out to reduce pressure on children by placing restrictions on after-school tutoring and services, putting limits on homework and withdrawing credits for skills such as playing a musical instrument, the country’s sales of new and used pianos have, amid declining interest, collapsed. China’s weakening economy has intensified the problem.
Around the time the reduction act came into force, Yamaha was preparing to close its factory in Indonesia where it made the old B series as well as P series pianos, the latter no longer produced (Yamaha’s other piano ranges continue to be made at its home factory in Japan). Beyond Japan, this left it with one factory, in China, producing pianos exclusively for the Chinese market. Re-purposing it to produce a reimagined B series range, this time for the whole world, was the obvious solution to a complicated situation.
Preparing the factory took two years and has required substantial investment in equipment and training. Yamaha’s Japanese technicians and experts work closely with the Chinese workforce ensuring that standards are consistent with the home factory where, for example, they work to production tolerances for components of just 0.05mm. It’s why, in answer to the question, ‘Where is the new B series built?’, the company replies, ‘It is made in Yamaha.’
‘Yamaha has revisited its top-selling piano range, examining every aspect of the instrument’s design, construction and sound with the aim of improving its performance and ensuring it enriches the lives of pianists and musicians’
HEARING IS BELIEVING
How does the reimagined new B series differ from its predecessor? B10 and B20 boast larger frames and soundboards plus longer bass strings for a richer and fuller sound. Rather than being of laminated construction, the soundboards in all three pianos feature what Yamaha calls a ‘solid spruce core’, overlaid with a spruce laminate for decorative and durability reasons. To help preserve the crown, key to the tone and resonance of the piano, and for improved tuning stability in all climates, all three pianos have five posts at the back to support the frame, strengthened with lateral supports.
The hammer heads are wrapped in a more ‘elastic’ felt to produce a singing tone. It is the product of a process developed for the range-topping Yamaha CFX concert grand piano. B20 and B30 hammers also feature underfelt (that sliver of differently coloured felt between the wood and the hammer felt) to enhance the tone still further. At the B series’ end of the market, one can’t expect miracles but for their size, the new instruments sound noticeably warmer, richer and more resonant than before. The trebles have a bell-like quality while in the smaller models, bass notes are clear and focused. With a sensitive touch, the mid-range notes sing. Of course, the pianos I tried were factory fresh so if necessary, voicing could make them sound better still.
The B10’s action feels lighter than its sister models. It’s acceptable for young starters perhaps but not so for advanced players. On its touch and tone, the B30 will reward the ambitious player for longer while the same person might soon outgrow the B10. The mid-price B20 is the sweet spot for its balance of touch, tone and price and its ability to cater for more advanced players as well as beginners.
INNOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS
Turning to the design of the new pianos, their most noticeable feature is a full-width music desk, a boon for those juggling multiple scores. Thoughtfully, it has a grippy base that stops the scores sliding off. The base of the desk is usefully clear of the keyboard, ensuring rising hands are less likely to collide with it. The fallboard has a soft close, which should protect little fingers.
On all three models the top panel that the desk is mounted on, is now angled forwards. Opinions were mixed but I like it. Its top edge is chamfered to create a narrow gap between the panel and the lid, so allowing more of the sound to escape. Other details include rounded end panels and sculpted legs. There are two choices of finishes – black or white – while metal parts including the hinges are offered in brass or chrome. Silent and TransAcoustic versions of the instruments are available.
Despite their improvements and new features, the new B series pianos are just 3 per cent more expensive than the instruments they replace. Including VAT, prices for the acoustic versions range from £3,979 for the B10 to £6,416 for the B30. The fit and finish of all three pianos is excellent, and my pick for tone, touch and value for money is the B20 which costs £5,478.
Yamaha B series
Model Height SRP (Suggested Retail Price)
B10 110cm £3,979
B20 116cm £5,478
B30 121cm £6,416