Ultimate Buying Guide

Sometimes you’ve just got to splurge. When that “special someone” is a really special someone, you need to find a holiday gift to match. And if that someone happens to be a musician or an aficionado who takes their music seriously, your task might seem a little harder.

Fear not! Here are some great high-end gift suggestions for that talented spouse, child or grandchild in your life.

Extravagant? A little.

But, hey, they’re worth it.

GB1K Grand Piano

A piano is more than a gift. It’s a gathering place where the spirit of the season comes to life, and where memories are made that will last for years to come.

The compact size of the 5′ Yamaha GB1K baby grand piano makes it perfect for any room — even rooms with limited space — yet it offers a full, resonant tone comparable to that of many substantially larger models. Available in six different colors and finishes, including Polished Ebony, Polished American Walnut, Polished White, Polished Mahogany, French Provincial Cherry and Georgian Mahogany, the GB1K can fit into any décor … and it looks every bit as beautiful as it sounds. Check out the video here.

FG Red Label

FG Red Label steel-string folk guitars are inspired by the iconic Yamaha “red label” guitars of the 1960s — the instruments that were onstage at the original Woodstock. They blend modern inspiration with a timeless design for an authentic vintage aesthetic and amazing sound.

There are lots of features that make these guitars special: A solid mahogany back and sides; a premium solid Sitka spruce top treated with our proprietary Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E.) process for genuine aged-wood tone and sustain; a new scalloped-bracing design for warm tonality along with plenty of volume; and a groundbreaking Atmosfeel™ three-way pickup system with built-in microphone that delivers a natural acoustic sound when amplified. The end result? A guitar that sounds and feels like you’ve been playing it for years — right from the very first note. Check out the video here.

YH-L700A Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones With 3D Sound

The music or video streamer in your life is sure to appreciate the pristine sound quality and extraordinary feature set offered by top-of-the-line Yamaha YH-L700A wireless headphones.

The YH-L700A provides a three-dimensional sound field coupled with head tracking that allows the wearer to experience movies and videos on their mobile devices with cinema-like sound that immerses them in the action. Not only does it utilize active noise-cancelling to reduce ambient noise, the sound is optimized in real time, continuously adapting to the size and shape of the wearer’s ears and head as well as the surrounding environment. Bluetooth 5^® compatibility with aptX™ Adaptive technology ensures stable wireless connectivity and premium streaming quality, and simple onboard controls allow the user to make phone calls, activate Siri^®/Google Assistant and adjust their music with the touch of a button. A folding/swiveling earcup design ensures comfort even when worn for long periods of time, and the included rechargeable battery provides up to 34 hours of battery life. Check out the video here.

DTX8 Series Electronic Drum Kits

Every drummer can benefit from an electronic drum kit for a variety of reasons — they offer a huge variety of sounds that an acoustic drum set cannot deliver, plus they’re much lighter in weight and far more portable. And for those living under the same roof as a drummer (or nearby neighbors), they offer the distinct advantage of silent practice … just plug in a set of headphones and absolutely no one but the drummer hears a sound.

The DTX8K-X and DTX8K-M DTX-8 Series drum kits are some of the newest additions to the Yamaha family. They come with over 700 high quality sounds and offer a natural playing experience wrapped in beautiful wood drum shells, available in premium Black Forest or Real Wood finishes. DTX8 Series kits can be ordered with a choice of two different head materials — two-ply mesh or Textured Cellular Silicone (TCS) — according to the player’s personal preferences. The advanced DTX PRO module at the heart of the kit offers a unique Kit Modifier that gives the drummer the ability to easily adjust compression, ambience and effects with the quick turn of a knob, as well as onboard recording, the ability to connect up to 11 pads or drum triggers, a USB port and a Aux input jack so the player can practice along with their favorite songs. Check out the video here.

YTR-8335LAII B♭ TRUMPET

More than a decade ago, internationally acclaimed trumpeter Wayne Bergeron joined the Yamaha development team. The initial result of that collaboration was the company’s YTR-8335LA(S) Custom model, which has now evolved to the second-generation YTR-8335LAII — an instrument sure to be coveted by trumpet players everywhere.

The valve casing of the YTR-8335LAII (which serves as the vital “heart” of any trumpet) has been revised, resulting in brilliant high notes, accurate pitch, and rich harmonics that raise custom trumpet performance to soaring new heights. In addition, Xeno Artist Model parts (favored by top orchestra players worldwide), combined with heavy phosphor-bronze bottom valve caps, are utilized to achieve improved tonal definition and significantly better feedback to the player. The result is an instrument that is extremely efficient, with flexible tonal characteristics that can easily match the sound the player hears in their head. Available in both gold lacquer and silver-plated finishes, the YTR-8335LAII makes the ideal gift for professional and aspiring trumpeters alike. Check out the video here.

DXR12mkII Powered Speaker / DXS15mkII Powered Subwoofer

Performing musicians know that relying on the sound systems of the venues they play in can sometimes be a ticket to audio disaster. The best insurance policy against bad sound is to carry your own system, so one or more Yamaha DXR12mkII powered speakers paired with a DXS15mkII powered subwoofer will be a welcome gift to any budding musician, whether they belong to a band or are trying to forge a solo career.

Because both are powered, no external amplifiers are required: simply plug microphones and instruments directly into the DXR12mkII — it has its own 3-channel mixer built in — and then make a simple connection to the DXS15mkII subwoofer for the addition of deep, rich bass that will get the audience up and pumped. And, because they can be used either as “Front of House” (i.e., facing the audience) speakers or as “monitor” (i.e., facing the performer) speakers, the DXR12mkII provides the ultimate in flexibility. This is one powerhouse combination that will fill any room with pristine sound, enabling the audience to hear every nuance of the performance. Check out the videos here and here.

For more information about these and other great Yamaha music products, click here.