The Piano's Finishing Touch Exterior- Function and Construction

Major Points

• The exterior is composed of: the top board, the upper front board, the fallboard, the key slip, the keyblocks, the side arms, the lower front board, the legs, the toe blocks, the bottom sill and the side boards.
• Finishing material and case construction techniques also affect the sound.
• Pianos should last for along time. The exterior finish is for two purposes: beauty and protection. It should not only create a good appearance, but should also protect the wood underneath against temperature and humidity changes, and be resistant to scratches.
• Extremely advanced finishing techniques and large scale facilities are required to properly finish a piano.
• Based on many years of woodworking and finishing experience, Yamaha's level of techniques in this area has justifiable repute, being on a par with the finest of furniture manufacturers.
• Many Yamaha piano models are coated with polyester, a very durable material that has no peer for strength and its ability to produce a "mirror-like" high polished finish.



• Nature wood grain finished pianos are made with three different finish constructions, each bringing out the beauty of the wood in a unique way: Satin (or semi-luster) finish, polyester "mirror-like" high polish finish, and natural oil finish.
• To bring out the natural beauty of the wood grain, the entire process of colour coordination, sanding and final finishing is repeated over and over again. This was first made possible through Yamaha's highly advanced finishing techniques, nearly impossible to duplicate by any other company. Traditionally, Yamaha's piano finishing techniques have been justifiably renown. Indeed, it was experience gained in woodworking and finishing techniques for pianos that enabled Yamaha to later begin the production of high quality furniture.
• Yamaha's wood grain finished pianos use natural wood grain panels. LU models use simulated wood grain panels.
• To create an exterior finish of superior strength, Yamaha's polish-finished pianos feature a foundation sheet of AS resin (AS resin is of the highest class of resins) under the finish material. This protects the underlying wood from temperature and humidity changes, and helps maintain the lustrous finish for a long period of time.
• Some Yamaha upright pianos feature a tone escapement area. This enables the piano to produce an even more natural sound.