YAMAHA - C1X PE - POLISHED EBONY

One of the most important factors in achieving a rich tone is thesupport provided within the instrument. When playing powerful fortissimothe force exerted on the instrument causes it to bend slightly, losingenergy. The part of the piano that accepts this force and transforms itinto deep reverberation is called the back frame, which could be likenedto the skeleton in a human body. On the C3X for example, this backframe is approximately 20% thicker than on other pianos, providingsignificantly improved support, and reflecting the considerations onwhich the CX Series has been completely redesigned.

A violin is built around a beautiful body with three-dimensionalswellings and a delicately curved shape, which is similar to the threedimensional concave design in a piano soundboard called the “crown.” Themanufacture of this crown is pivotal to the crafting of any piano, andis thus of paramount importance to piano engineers in addressing theproblem of how to transmit the vibrations of the strings from thesoundboard into the surrounding air efficiently. Yamaha has takenexperience accumulated through many years of crafting pianos andcombined it with unsurpassed engineering ability to ensure that thesoundboard always provides superb projection.

The resulting design capitalizes on physical phenomena unique to thecraft of piano-making, to create a soundboard assembly with a structurethat allows it to vibrate easily, something that would not have beenpossible without the deep understanding of the traditional art of pianocrafting that goes hand-in-hand with Yamaha's experience and engineeringknow-how.
The same techniques developed for gluing the soundboard, ribs, andbridge in the CFX are used for the C3X and above—models which require agreat deal of projection—and the process of installing the resultingsoundboard assembly into the piano body has been investigated carefully.This has resulted in dramatically improved projection and theunprecedented response that performers demand.

It is music wire that actually creates sound of a piano. Whileaffected by its matching with the hammers, soundboard and body of thepiano, music wire has a profound effect on the timbre and sustain of theinstrument. The CX Series utilizes music wire that produces a richsound with a full complexity of overtones in its middle and upperregisters. Coupled with the support from a solid foundation, this givesCX Series pianos a rich, harmonic sound.

The frame in a modern piano must be able to withstand a total stringtension in excess of twenty tons; not only does the frame work togetherwith the wooden body to support the string tension, but it has aprofound effect on the instrument’s sound. Yamaha makes its own frames,relying on a method of casting referred to as the “vacuum process,”developed over many years to create some of the best piano frames in theworld. During this time we have built up a storehouse of knowledge onfactors such as the manner in which controlling the temperature andcomposition of casting, and even the coating used on the frame itself,affects the acoustic characteristics of the piano. This is a majorreason that Yamaha is able to ensure reliable quality when crafting ourpianos.

Great hammers are essential to producing a beautifully expressive,malleable sound. Yamaha, unlike most other piano manufacturers, producesmost of its own high-quality components, and is constantly looking fornew ways to use the abilities developed through doing so to give ourpiano hammers tonality, resilience, and power. The CX Series has alsobenefitted from the results of this research and development, andutilizes the same felt as the CFX, adjusted to match the size of eachinstrument in the series. This ensures that all CX Series pianos possessa clear range of tonal colors and a nuanced, expressive sound.

Pianos offer pianists only a limited amount of freedom; indeed, apartfrom the pedals, the pianist’s scope for expression is limited to the10 mm travel of each of the 88 keys on the keyboard. Even so, thecombination of the pedals with the speed and velocity applied to thekeys produces a range of tonal changes so broad that they cannot bereproduced with current digital technology. This is the true soul of anacoustic instrument, allowing the pianist to obtain an incredible amountof expression from just 10 mm of key travel.

That is precisely why Yamaha devotes so much time voicing their pianosso that the intentions of the pianist are conveyed to the strings. Inregulation, a craftsman adjusts the movement of the action so that itaccurately transmits every nuance of the pianist’s touch. In voicing,the hammers, which cause the strings to emit sound, are pricked with apick to create a balanced tone that will respond beautifully whenplayed. Even today, in an era when technology continues to evolverapidly, these tasks remain the domain of skilled craftsmen who mustensure the high quality of these instruments, and are the main reasonthat Yamaha has remained one of the top piano makers in the world.

CX Series pianos feature a completely revamped design. Following inthe footsteps of the CF Series concert grand, the CX Series designfeatures simple, elegant lines, focusing on the characteristic legs ofthe piano in doing away with any excess ornamentation. This elegance isset off by a solid pedal box that allows performers to depress thepedals with as much power as they want, one aspect of a philosophyepitomizing "functional design" that allows pianists to become one withtheir instrument as they play. In order to provide the best playabilitypossible, CX Series grand pianos offer white keys made ofIvorite™, which has a feel, color, and absorbency very similarto natural ivory, while natural ebony has been used for the black keys.