YAMAHA PIONEERS EARTH-FRIENDLY BAMBOO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
–Beautiful New Drum and Guitar Use Strong, Replenishable Resource–

Yamaha’s Bamboo guitar is friendly to the Earth–and to the ear.

BUENA PARK, CA–Yamaha Corporation of America, the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments, has added two product lines that have been developed to address a unique concern for the environment and may herald the future direction of musical instrument design. The world’s first Bamboo snare drum and Bamboo guitar use an easily replenishable resource in place of expensive and rare hardwoods. Thanks to Yamaha’s patented innovative manufacturing process, they look and sound beautiful.

Both instruments were introduced to enthusiastic reviews at the Winter NAMM Exhibition 2000 (International Music Products Association) in Los Angeles, the music products industry’s annual trade show. The acoustic guitar uses 3-ply Bamboo for its top, back and sides, with multiple parallel Bamboo laminates in the neck, resulting in a totally new sound that is remarkably bright and clear. The new snare drums use 6-ply Bamboo in the shell for a uniquely warm sound.

"Helping the planet never sounded so good," says David Bergstrom, director of marketing, Yamaha Pro Audio and Combo Division. "We’re really proud of the way the new guitar and snare drums have turned out, and we’re going to continue to develop new approaches to our time-honored commitment of creating great musical instruments."

Conventional guitars are usually made from slow-growing hardwoods like Cedar, Rosewood and Mahogany that are difficult to replenish. Drums often use Beech, Birch, Mahogany and Maple. Rosewood is prized for soundboards because of its resonance, and Mahogany finds its way into many guitar necks because of its warp resistance.

Bamboo has many of these same properties, but matures quickly and can be grown on a rotating basis for continual replenishment. It is the fastest growing plant on the planet with a short growth cycle. The wood has been used for centuries to make traditional Asian musical instruments, but it wasn’t until Yamaha pioneered a brand-new manufacturing process that Bamboo’s sonic and ecological benefits could be incorporated into these traditional western instruments.

Bamboo has a rich tone and a warm look.

By varying the orientation of Bamboo’s long, straight fibers, Yamaha’s patented method makes the most of the material’s natural strength and warp resistance. The process uses three- to five-year-old Bamboo plants which are about 6 inches in diameter. The wood is sawn into strips, bonded longitudinally, and then laminated in layers perpendicular to one another for rigidity. This laminate can then be crafted using traditional guitar- and drum-making techniques. The warm, glossy appearance and intriguing grain of the finished product are welcome characteristics.

When Yamaha offered a preview of the new Bamboo guitar at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in California late last year, the world’s top luthiers couldn’t keep their hands off it. Experts were taken aback by the prototype’s loud, resonant sound, its balanced tone with excellent sustain, and its rigid neck.

During Winter NAMM 2000, Yamaha’s top drum artists put the Bamboo snare drum through its paces alongside other snares at the annual "Groove Night" concert and came away with rave reviews. Renowned drummer Russ Miller used the Bamboo snare during a recent recording session and said it was the best of this year’s new snare drums.

For more information on Yamaha Bamboo musical instruments, telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail info@yamaha.com or visit www.yamahaguitars.com or www.yamahadrums.com on the Web.

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