Yamaha C5 - 6´ 7 Conservatory Collection Grand Piano

OK, Grand Pianos. As a huge fan of the piano, I thought that I would write an opinion on one of the best I’ve ever played – the Yamaha C5. I have the pleasure of being able to play a brand new C5 regularly, and I will say right from the start that it is absolutely fantastic.

Let me start with a quick introduction to (arguably) one of the best modern-day piano manufacturers – Yamaha. The company was founded in 1887, when Torakusu Yamaha constructed his first ever piano in Japan. Now just look how far Yamaha have come – they now make virtually all musical instruments (both acoustic and electric) and have a huge selection of electronic equipment to aid music making. Oh yes, there is also the motor company too!

Yep, they certainly have a fantastic reputation. Yamaha pianos can be found in several major concert halls across the world, and they remain a popular choice for some of the top pianists. But why is this? Well, I shall attempt to explain why I think they have made such a success of themselves with my opinions of the C5.

The C5 is roughly in the middle of the Yamaha grand professional range – with the best piano in this range being the C7. After this we reach the dizzy heights of exquisitely made hand crafted pianos, and, of course, the Yamaha CFIIIS – the finest concert grand that the company make.

So, why do I love the C5 so much? There are (as you may expect) many reasons, but I’ll start with the tone. The whole piano has a light, even tone to it, and (like all Yamaha’s) has a pure, clear and bright sound. This is not for some people – perhaps you would prefer a piano with a richer, darker tone, but for me Yamaha have got it just right.

Another thing that I like about the Yamaha is the touch – it is at that critical point whereby it is not too heavy to play, but at which it is heavy enough to feel like you can give it a good bashing and still maintain the responsive feel that is so hard to achieve in pianos. One of the things that I really love about the C5 is that you can really get “stuck in” to your playing, and enjoy the excellent touch that the piano gives.

The C5 has an absolutely massive dynamic range. You can play away to your hearts content with the soft pedal down, and make little more than a squeak. Alternatively you can play with some force and get an amazing sound out of it. When playing the C5 loudly, the sound fills every corner of the hall, and gives a fantastic tone.

The bass notes are especially powerful, and when playing in octaves you can really appreciate the power that lies at your fingertips.

The Yamaha C5 also comes with some good safety features that aren’t seen in other makes of grand pianos – such as the soft-close fallboard. This makes sure that if (accidentally) the fall board is let go of, it will not come crashing down and do damage to the piano. There are also safety features in the lid prop to make sure there are no problems here.

Less important in a grand piano, although certainly not without the need of a comment, are the aesthetics. I think that all of the Yamaha grands look absolutely stunning. They come in a shimmering ebony finish, and this simple style makes the piano look elegant and full of class.

As with most great products, the worst thing about the Yamaha C5 is the price. My closest Yamaha dealer (Chappells of Bond Street) have the price on their web site at £17,499. However, if you are really into the piano and can appreciate the magnificence of an instrument like this (oh yeah – and have a spare 17 grand kicking around and a hall in which to place the piano) then I don’t think you can go far wrong with the C5. A fantastic instrument.