Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Yamaha C3X Delivered! (PHOTOS ADDED)

Yesterday I accepted delivery of a brand spanking new Yamaha C3X! The obligatory photos will be posted next week. (I traded the N3. What a difference!) The C3X is wonderful to play, both in tone and touch. We are going to be great friends!

The C3X was setup by Paul Gilchrist, a top notch piano tech.

I plan to do some recordings, but need to first invest in some appropriate recording gear, and for some reason my bank balance is presently low!

Lawrence

if it's anything like the c3xa you are a very lucky man -- congrats.

Actually, it's a lot better than the C3XA, in my opinion.

Now that you have it home - I know you posted on this subject before but I am curious;

In what way do you think it is better than the C3XA and...

do you get the feeling that Yamaha is kind of trying to make this particular model somewhat of a "Bosendorfer junior" - if you get my drift? The "orange" plate color - the non-spade "European style" legs, etc etc

Is the tone more like a Bosie?

I was very impressed with the C3XA and actually went back to see it again to confirm my first impressions. Which I did.

Thanks.

I haven't played the C3X, but I've tried the XA and the CFX. I don't think Yamaha are trying to sound like a junior Bosendorfer. The construction is so different it couldn't possibly sound the same, also the look is more futuristic than the Bosendorfer.

I think with both brands, Yamaha can cater for most tastes, so why not have both types of piano? makes sense to me.

Just my 2cents.

Lawrence:

I already congratulated you already by pm before, let me do it here one more time!

May you enjoy this fine piano for long time!

Norbert

I only played one CXA, and it seemed more like a chamber instrument. It lacked power. However, this could be the way it was setup, since others have reported something different than this. It was warmer than the C3, but the difference wasn't that great, and certainly the premium price was a challenge. The C3XA was going to cost me 25% more, on my trade-in deal. The hammers on the XA are, in my opinion, too soft. I also did not like the holes in the music desk, or the "XA Class" stencilled on it. For me, the playability wasn't superb. I had to work harder to produce tone on it, than the C3 or C3X.

I like the more modern look of the C3X. It plays WAY better than the C3XA (at least for my style).

I'm not familiar enough with Bosendorfer to comment, but certainly suspect that there has been influence. Why buy all of that expertise and experience and ignore it?

I can say that the C3X I played, beside a C3 that I HAD quite liked was quite revealing. The tone on the C3X was superior, a warmer and more rounded sound, and did not thin out when played more aggressively. The action, to, superior on the C3X.

I've heard it said that dealers will have a challenge selling a C3 sitting next to a C3X. My experience supports that position.

I did not get the opportunity to play C3, C3XA and C3X together in the same room at the same time. (When the C3X arrived, the C3XA had been moved to another store).

Oooh...don't expect Yamaha's designers to take that view.

Congrats on your new instrument. I look forward to seeing those when they get here or at least at NAMM.

Congratulations on your new beautiful Yamaha piano! I can't wait to see the pictures.

There's lots of time to build your new relationsfofohip while you save up for the recording equipment!

I wish you many happy years with your new piano.

So I'm guessing you're not spending too much time reading any more with that big beautiful piano in your house!!congratulations!! Any other impressions you want to share?

I am surprised that Yamaha has already issued another model based on the C series when they only recently brought out the XA pianos. I did not get a chance to play any of the new X series, but I liked the XA, contrary to some other posters here. Unlike the regular Yamahas, I thought it less bright, and more pleasant to the ear a well as having a solid, but very playable touch. It was quite a bit more money than the regular C series, as I remember, but seemed worth it.

As it turned out, the XA were a prototype for the CX series. Moving forward, there will be no more C-series, nor XA; just the CX from now on.

Congratulations Melodialworks, can't wait to see the pictures!

I'm reading, a Pianoworld addict, after all. This has been an extra busy week for me with extra rehearsals, performances etc. Starting Monday I will be able to spend quality time with the new instrument. I'll share further impressions then. Suffice it to say, at this point, that I am truly enjoying the instrument, given the limited time this week.

Actually, I don't think that's correct. My impression is that Yamaha considers all of these instruments, C, CXA, and CX as Cs. There have been others as well, such as CM.

Why do I say this?

The serial number. The C3 is large letters that are raised, a moulded part of the frame. Following that there is a space, then X, then another space, and then the digits. (When I checked the s/n for the C3XA, it was the same format.

So, my instruments is a C3, version X. (I believe the previous "standard" C3 was actually a C3M.

The XA models are confusing. They were only available in two sizes: C3XA and C6XA, and marketed as "limited edition model".

Hamamatsu, Japan - On October 12, 2012 (Friday), Yamaha Corporation will make a worldwide launch of a new series of acoustic grand pianos, the CX Series, which will replace its premium quality "C Series" pianos.

I think the news release does say the CX Series is replacing the C Series. That means no more C series, just CX series from now on; unless the CX series will be call the new C series again once the C(M) are gone, in which case, the C series will still be there. The king is dead. Long live the king. The store manager was confused too, so he called the NA distributor to confirm. Apparently, Yamaha has stopped production of the C3(M), C5(M), etc.

So he asked the question of if the C(M) aren't made, and the new C is the CX, then why even bother to keep making the S series? This is sort of the store manager's opinion of how good the new CX is. No answers from the NA distributor.

My own guess, and this is my guess completely, is that Yamaha isn't actually making any S series, just that they have lots of them in inventory, and it takes forever to sell one of those.

I'm not surprised they can't move the S series, they must be very pricey and nobody stocks them! I've been to heaps of Yamaha dealers and never seen an S - even though they might have the CFX there. So I think it's quite likely that they are not being actively promoted anymore and that they are, as you say, surplus stock that is available on request.

Here is a photo of the s/n of my C3X. Notice that the C3 is part of the frame, in fact raised up. You would think the raised large letters should read C3X . . . . .



From this I conclude that this is a C3, version X. However, the X version is certainly a major development over previous C series!

It seems a little confusing. Maybe Yamaha is still working out the concepts.