The Yamaha baby grand that sounds so good !

The Yamaha GB1K baby grand piano is Yamaha’s most basic grand piano model that is manufactured in Indonesia.  Although its produced in Indonesia, Yamaha’s uncompromising insistence on superb sound and resonance, available at a price suitable for smaller budgets. Incorporating the exceptional design concept of Yamaha’s coveted C series, the beautiful GB1K produces a broad dynamic range with superb sound. Thanks to the cost saving advantages and substantial refinements in materials and production, the GB1K is more affordable than other Japan made baby grand such as GC1 and GC2.

Yamaha produce pianos all over the world and has factories in China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the United States. My personal opinion, For the very best quality you should look for pianos made in Japan as that is where Yamaha make many of their very best pianos such as their CFIIIS concert grand piano and their Yamaha U3 and other high-end upright and grand pianos. However, due to budget constraint, the Indonesia made GB1K is also surprisingly good ! Take a look at the U1JPE, JU109PE and GB1K, these are the very first Indonesia made piano and they sounded great as well.

2. Specification

Size	146 x 99 x 151 cm
Action	Yamaha action
SoundBoard Material	Solid Spruce
Back Post	–
Tuning pin	Nickel Pin
Key Surface	Yamaha Acrylic
Hammer	maple
Duplex Scale	–
Center pedal	half sostenuto
Music Rack	Grand Style
Fallboard	Grand Style

Measuring in at 5′ long, this baby grand is considered the entry level. But make no mistake about the fact that it still embodies everything Yamaha ~ from its characteristic tone to incredibly even touch. From my personal point of view, what made Yamaha the famous company it is today is its consistency. From one piano to the next, the tolerances of Yamaha are so close, it’s difficult to tell pianos apart. So too, the GB1K, albeit the starting piano in the line of many, it still is characteristic of Yamaha touch and tone.

Grand piano style Music Rak and Fallboard

3. Tonality and Voicing

The Yamaha GB1 is just 151cm long and pianos this small have very short bass strings. Small strings can produce a slightly “thuddy” or “tubby” sound in the bottom 2 or 3 octaves. Longer bass strings produce a much better tone, this is why concert grand pianos are soooo loooong. This piano is also a basic specs that doesnt have any duplex scale.

However, i would say that they sound better than many baby grands of that size. I found that the treble tone on the GB1K to be typically Yamaha, bright, crisp and pleasant, but a bit lacking of tonal color.

As one descended into the tenor range, the tone at first play pleasantly, gradually became muddier.  The action was consistently smooth and controllable, though a bit “spongy” in the bass. In part because of the limited tonal color. The cabinet style is simple and functional, and has a slow-close fallboard, a nice feature designed to protect fingers.

4 . Conclusion – The Beginner Choice.

The Yamaha GBK1 is small, compact and looks very nice. If you are a novice of entry-level piano player you may not notice the difference in sound quality between the GBK1 and the Japan made model. The piano does look great too so if you are looking for a Baby Grand Piano that is aesthetically pleasing, cheaper on your budget and does not take up an enormous amount of space, this will be a perfectly good choice.