Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Introducing the new YAMAHA ??? coming later this year!!!

Things change so quickly. I wonder what the Yamaha product line will look like when I have the financial ability to change out of my current spinet.

However, I looked up the Japanese version of Yamaha's website and it shows prices for the pianos. It looks as if the new CX series will sell between their XA and regular counterparts. But then again, the prices are only for Japan and do not reflect US/CAN/EU/AUS customers. I feel that the extra costs for XA series were to fund their R&D bills for the CX series.

I too wonder what Yamaha used for their treble strings before. There was a YT video that I watched in which a salesperson selling an older Yamaha said that Yamaha outsourced parts on their newer models.

Agreed. We can only speculate about your speculation, since you haven't quoted anyone. Hence, we don't know whom you are directing your comment to!

Is it already available in Canada? I would be very interested in your opinion of the C3X compared to C3XA.

Yes!

I spoke with a dealer yesterday, who had just uncrated a C3X. He said the action is phenomenal, comparable with the CFIII. They will have it prepped for next week.

I also spoke with another dealer who expects to get a C3X in within two weeks. Although he has had no experience with the instrument, he quoted another dealer who has played it, who apparently compared it to the C3, saying it has a richer sound, is more unlimited in terms of voicing, bigger bass, greater volume, and a top register that is beautifully sweet.

I found the C3XA that I played to have less bass, and less volume than the C3 - so opposite.

I'll know more when I play the first C3X next week.

I'm very excited about this prospect, since I expected to have to wait for months to try out a C3X.

Lawrence

I now have an appointment booked for tomorrow evening to play the new C3X. The store will be closed, so guaranteed to be quiet.

Yesterday I played the new C3X. I'm likely one of the very few customers who has played the C3, the C3X and the C3XA.

It is apparent that the C3XA and the C3X are not the same instrument, as some have reported, at least based on my audition experience. I have heard that the C3XA soundboard was a cross between the old C and the new CFX style board in the C3X.

The C3X is one big sounding piano! In fact, there was a C6 sitting beside it, which is a 7' piano. The tone was better on the C3X, and just as big a sound, if not bigger than the C6 - astounding really.

There is a tremendous range of dynamics, and colour. You can get superbly soft dynamics with effortless control. It is also easy to get a big, loud tone. When you play louder, the tone does not get thin, like it does on the C3. The C3X has a bigger, more resonant sound.

I played it for an hour, and then talked with the dealer. When he asked what I thought about the action, I realized I hadn't thought about it at all, hadn't noticed it since it just worked. Perfect and enjoyable and successful in every way.

There's really nothing about the C3X that I don't like. Previously the C3 was my favourite instrument, but the C3X trumps it - better resonance, tone, action, playability.

So, my next step will be to play the C3X at the other two local dealers when they become available. In short order, I will have played three C3X's, all setup by different piano techs.

At this point, I'm confident that there will be a C3X in my future!

thanks for the report MM. can you describe what you think are the differences between the c3xa and c3x?

Here are my observations, based on playing only one C3XA. (Others have reported different results, so it could be down to setup).

The C3XA is much more expensive, and not worth the additional expense.

The sound is different, more European, a darker sound. The hammers are too soft. Hard to get volume out of it.

The key may be to find the right tech to work on it. The one that I played had had three techs work on it, none producing a satisfactory result. The sound is OK, but lacking in excitement. It feels like you're playing a much smaller instrument.

I don't like the look of the XA, either the music desk with holes, or the "XA Class" stencilled on it. I had removed the C3XA from consideration before even trying the C3X.

I had an opportunity to play a new C3XA yesterday, albeit very briefly.

I was very impressed.

The instrument is very different from the standard C3 - the tone is much more to my liking and as someone else posted earlier I believe - would change one's impression of Yamaha grands completely.

That's all I'll say - try one for yourself if you are curious. Talk is cheap.

At the Yamaha Canada website, additional information has been posted about the CX series:

Yamaha Canada CX Series

There are now links to "Designer Interview", "Developer Interview" and "History"

Interesting reading.

While doing my piano search, I tried a new C3XA. I am not a fan of Yamaha pianos generally unless playing jazzy stuff, but this piano was different. More fit for classical music. Very nice, but a lot more money than a regular C3. If it was cheaper, I think it would really sell well to those who find most Yamahas too bright.

I guess maybe Yamaha gives very similar names to different models to show how they've developed or ?. But by doing so I think it makes things very confusing for the buyer.

I have looked up the different models in the Piano Buyer several times, but I still can't keep them straight.

I never understand what's meant by "German felt"

Only hear Wurzen as felting company, Renner or Abel as hammer
makers.

http://www.filzfabrik-wurzen.de/de/51/home

Outside Eberle & Osterried" and "Vereinigte Filzfabriken", "German felt" seems to be represented mainly by a host of Chinese manufacturers. Is this just a name? Curious.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/german-wool-felt.html

Anybody more in the know?

P.S.Heard that the new Yamaha is beautiful!

Norbert

Norbert -

I tried to send you a private message, but it says "Norbert is over their Private Topic limit."

Lawrence

Ach - Norbert is usually over his limit!




Wurzen (Weickert) felt was already exported to Japan back in the 1920s and 30s, as I understand it. Today, Asia is again one of their important markets. While some Chinese pianos have German made hammers, others make their own using felt made in Germany, as do some Japanese piano companies. Chinese companies like to make use of the "made in Germany" status to raise their profile, others (Japanese?) don't make mention of the source of their felt, for whatever reason.

Speaking of hammers made in China, does anyone know of German brand hammers made there?

i just visited my local yamaha dealer to play the new cx3. wow was i disappointed. despite the fact that it was totally unprepared (why do piano dealers not tune their pianos?) it sounded weak and anemic. the awkward tenor break at B/Bb is still there (no new scale design?) and the bass was muddy and soft. honestly, if i had been blindfolded i would have thought it was an inexpensive 5' chinese grand.

i should say i am a yamaha fan- i've owned 3 so far (m1e, u3 and currently a dc3).

in addition, it looked cheap. it had an orange plate (as opposed to the old gold color), the spade legs are gone (replaced with straight tapered legs that i always associate with cheap grands) and the top of the dampers are a dull black without the nice contour of before. nothing about this piano impressed me.

i told the dealer i'll be back in a few months to allow the to get it together but i am not hopeful. i find this very distressing.

let's hope the c7x doesn't fare as poorly.

Really? You're distressed because because you didn't like an instrument that was "totally unprepared"?

The CX series are left more open from that factory than the C series. Yamaha is recommending six hours of prep work to be done.

I've recently played three C3X's and the prep time they each received was 5-1-/2 hours, 6 hours and 6-/12 hours, respectively.

The CX series (at least at C3X size and above) are definitely superior to the C series. Not even close. (Yes, I have played C3 and C3X side-by-side).

I suspect that if you play one actually properly prepped, you will post a different opinion!

Any one know where the new Yamaha CX series are made?

Hello Carl,

I can answer your question.

The new Yamaha "CX" series pianos are fully manufactured in Kakegawa (Shizuoka Prefecture) Japan. I personally was invited by Yamaha corporation to view this amazing factory.


Jeff Tasch
Grand Piano Haus

thank you your help.

Carl