Yamaha is known worldwide as one of the biggest musical instrument companies in the world. Founded in 1887 in Japan, Yamaha has been making instruments for well over 135 years. Yamaha maintains a reputation for incredible value in their range of instruments from beginner to professional musicians.
Yamaha guitars can be purchased at almost every music store around the world. You can review the deal locator on their website. They also offer customizations and custom-built guitars.
Being a well-known company in Japan raises the question of whether all Yamaha guitars are made in Japan? Spoiler: No, not all Yamaha guitars are made in Japan. Here, you can read what we found out.
Who Makes Yamaha Guitars?
Known worldwide as one of the largest guitar brands, Yamaha has been known to make a large variety of guitars for all playing levels. Their guitars are great-sounding instruments that are durable and very affordable.
Lots of famous musicians such as Bob Dylan and James Taylor have used Yamaha guitars during their careers. So, who is manufacturing guitars for Yamaha?
Yamaha guitars are owned by the Hangzhou Yamaha Musical Instruments Company Ltd. They are made at a variety of facilities where employees are trained by Japanese master craftsmen to produce their guitars.
Where are Yamaha Guitars made?
Although originally from Japan, most Yamaha guitars are now made in Indonesia and China. However, some acoustic and classical guitars are still made in Japan.
For the most part, entry-level and lower-budget acoustic guitars (including classical guitars) are made in Indonesia along with Yamaha Electric guitars. These include manufacturing Yamaha Pacifica guitars, a series of electric guitars made by Yamaha in Indonesia.
Yamaha guitars that are made in China (Hangzhou Guitar Factory) are mostly the more expensive acoustic guitar range. But some acoustic guitars are still made in Japan such as the Red Label series.
Additionally, there is a Yamaha Artist Services facility in Calabasas, Los Angeles, California that provides custom guitar builds, as well as instrument modifications. This location is also developing projects and new guitars for Yamaha, such as the Pacifica series that was developed here.
History of Yamaha Guitars
Even though Yamaha has been making instruments since 1887, it wasn’t until the early ‘40s that they began making any guitars and until the late ‘40s when they opened a guitar factory in Hamamatsu.
By the ‘60s, the world came under “Beatlemania”, when everyone wanted to play the guitar. To keep up with customer demands, the US turned to Asian manufacturers to produce low-cost instruments for their ever-increasing needs. As such, in 1966, Yamaha began exporting overseas, especially to the U.S.A.
At this same time, Yamaha began producing their first electric and steel-string guitars. Classical guitars and the new steel-string guitars sold very well across the United States. However, the first electric guitars that were produced in Japan were limited to distribution in Japan.
Throughout the ‘60s, Yamaha expanded the production of their acoustic guitar range, which performed very well internationally. Building on this success, they began exporting electric guitars outside of Japan, arriving in the United States in 1972.
The success of Yamaha guitars in the United States came with many famous musicians beginning to play Yamaha guitars. You can read more about the history of Yamaha guitars here: https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/looking-back-50-years-yamaha-guitars
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