Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Yamaha G Series question

OK I should probably know this but I don't. When I look for used Yamaha pianos that are between 20 to 40 years old, I see a lot of "G1, G2, etc." pianos listed. The thing is, these seem to be priced fairly close to the C series of the same age, maybe a little bit less.

I know in more modern times the "G" series is a step down from the C or CX series.

At what point did a "G1" morph into a "GB1H", or was the original G series retired at some point?

Thanks,
Brian

I posted a link to a timeline of Yamaha's grand pianos lineup a while ago. I think it's this.

http://jp.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/keyboards/about/model_history_gp/

The G1, G2, etc. were part of Yamaha's G series in the 60s and the 70s. In the 60s, this was Yamaha's grand piano lineup.

G Series - 5 and 6 feet
C Series - 7 feet
CS - 8 feet
CF - 9 feet

The 'C' in C Series meant 'Conservatory' and was built for use in music institutions. CS means 'Concert-Semi' and CF means 'Concert-Full', both built for Concert Halls. I don't know what G means but I think it simply means 'Grand'.

The differences among the series was the level of quality put into the pianos. One notable difference between the G and C series is that the C series had an extra cross-bracing in the piano frame.

The G series was discontinued in the 1980s. The models in the G series lineup (G1, G2, G3, G5) were all upgraded to C series standards and became (C1, C2, C3, C5). The 'C5' name conflicted with another model which led to introduction of the 'C6' name.

The GB and GC series like the GB1H are scaled-down versions of the C series. They take out some of the features to cut down the price tag.

Excellent! Exactly what I was looking for.

Based on the website the C3 for some strange reason existed side-by-side with the G3 from 1967 through 1994. This makes sense, as my teacher's piano is a vintage 1973 C3. I have looked for an English language version of this website but have been unable to find it so far.

Thanks again

There was also a 7' 4" G7, I have one in my living room. An excellent piano.

Nice bit of Yamaha piano/model history, worldlinerai...

I don't know a lot about pianos, but I've heard and read that the "C" series plate was a little heavier (thicker?) than the "G" serise, along with a few other differences; but the differences were not substantial.

As Roger said, the "G" series Yamaha grands are very nice pianos. I have a C7 Yamaha that is my fovorite piano of all time...

Rick

If one is a home pianist what actual difference does having a top of the line concert piano actually make? If such a person is happy with the action and sound of his piano is there any advantage in trading up?

Hi guys. Bit confused. Just seen a Yamaha upright, serial: G 1240697, but when I search pictures for Yamaha G series, they're all grands.

Any idea why this, and whether the manufacture date of 1971/72 is correct despite the G? It looks a bit newer than that, I was guessing 80s, but it might just have been kept in storage for a while. Bought in Beijing.

M.

Sorry - just seen it's a U2. Do all U2s have a G at the start of the serial number?

I just rented a U1 that was built in 1975 and it has a serial number that starts with a G. I know the rental company has a team that refurbishes pianos in Japan and then ships them to the US. One of the Yamaha serial number date programs online said my piano was not built for the US market, so, I take the G to mean it was but for the Japanese market, but I don’t know for sure.

Thanks so much, makes a lot of sense

By the way, here is Yamaha’s page about their serial numbers. I couldn’t find any specific information about Gs on uprights.

Yamaha's original G series is still in race. Here are the details:

Yamaha G1
5’3″ Baby Grand Piano. A perfect beginners’ piano that will fit easily into smaller rooms.

Yamaha G2
5’8″ Small Grand Piano. A great piano for a smal to mid to large size room with great sound and great looks.

Yamaha G3
6’1″ Grand Piano. A intermediate piano that is big enough to get the full grand experience at a great value and suitable for mid to large size rooms.

Yamaha G5
6’7″ Grand Piano. A big piano with big sound and an imposing presense. Perfect for a large home or studio at an affordable price.

Differences between the G Series an the C Series in the early 70's to early 80's:

The C Series used denser hammerfelts, a harder (magnesium alloy) plate; tapered hammershanks, walnut hammer cores, and beveled lids. It was designed to have greater projection.

I bought a new G2 in 1987 from a SoCal dealer. Had it for almost 2 decades, stayed in tune very well. Sold it at 75% of purchase price. They are great for young students to get their feet wet on a small grand piano. The young family that purchased it had a 10 year old son that showed lots of promise. My 2 cents worth.