News & Articles

Developers of the new and original FG talk about what has remained unchanged since 1966 and what new challenges were taken on.

2020 marks two related anniversaries for Yamaha Guitars: the 30th anniversary of Yamaha Guitar Development - our Los Angeles custom shop - and the 30th anniversary of the Attitude series. The signature bass of the singular Billy Sheehan, the Attitude was one of the first production instruments developed by YGD.

The behind-the-scenes story of the development of the SRT Powered Pickup System

In celebration of International Women's Day 2020 we celebrated by shining a spotlight on some awesome women who kill it in their field. These 5 Yamaha artists from different cities around the globe each gave us an insight into their lives as musicians: their inspirations, creative process, and what drives them as artists.

When it comes to iconic musicians, it’s a combination of things that make them stand out. The sound, the style, the look and the attitude all add up to complete the picture. And when it comes to iconic bassists, few fit the bill as perfectly as Peter Hook, instantly recognizable with his low-slung Yamaha BB.

Tony Kanal’s relationship with Yamaha is a special one – one that the company is sincerely proud of. In 1987 he borrowed money from his father to buy his first bass – a natural finish BB1600 – to play shows after school. Since then, Kanal has enjoyed more than two decades with legendary ska/rock band No Doubt, and currently performs with his new band DREAMCAR. From his first BB1600 to the new custom BB3000 he comissioned especially for DREAMCAR, Kanal has always been killing it with a BB series bass in hand.

Maruyamacho in Shibuya, Tokyo, is densely populated with live music venues and nightclubs of various sizes. From the Shibuya-kei (Shibuya style) Acid Jazz era of the 1990s and Post-Rock era of the 2000s, to the recent booming Girl Group (Idol) scene, this area has continued to thrive as a birthplace of cutting-edge music scenes, the heartbeat of Shibuya culture.

WORLD FESTIVAL Inc. supports and promotes the integration of cultures through entertainment. CEO, Yuki Kondo, likens his approach to what an acoustic guitar can do; to start an impromptu jam session anywhere, by/with anybody at any given time.

Iconic tattoo artist Tokyo Hiro mixes his Japanese heritage with Los Angeles punk rock to create an original and refreshing style of his own. His Instagram feed is full of beautifully designed artwork and tattoos, and with his rock royalty family and personal style we knew this was a good fit for us.

Guitars and baseball gloves are from different worlds, but the philosophies of the craftsmen who make them have many points in common.

In Japanese culture, there have long been “nagashi” – strolling guitarists – who play guitar and sing for customers in popular “izakaya” restaurant- bars, and represent a unique manifestation of the guitar experience in Japan. As a modern nagashi since 2008, Pari Nakayama is keeping that culture alive, continuing to brighten people's evenings with a repertoire of more than 2000 songs, including current hit songs and worldwide standards in addition to traditional nagashi songs.

In this video, iconic Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan details how his connection to the acoustic guitar unlocks his creativity like no other instrument – and how impressed he was with the plug-and-play sound quality of his new Yamaha LJ16BC acoustic guitar while touring and promoting his first solo record Ogilala.

To commemorate the release of Billy Corgan’s first acoustic solo album Ogilala, the legendary Smashing Pumpkins songwriter teamed up with Yamaha and BMG to celebrate this new chapter in his musical journey with an intimate performance featuring his signature model Yamaha LJ16BC acoustic guitar:

Though Smashing Pumpkins might be known for their heavy barrage of rifftastic alternative rock, Billy Corgan wrote the band’s most memorable hits using nothing but his unique melodic sensibilities and an acoustic guitar. In this video, the iconic songwriter explains why his best ideas come out with a Yamaha acoustic guitar.

In this video, veteran guitarist and producer Dave Catching details how his musical journey has evolved from his humble Los Angeles beginnings in 1982, to playing guitar in Eagles Of Death Metal and recording legendary albums for Iggy Pop, Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys at his iconic Rancho De La Luna recording studio.

A lot of magic has happened within the walls of Dave Catching’s Rancho De La Luna. In part two of our video tour of the iconic studio, the Eagles Of Death Metal guitarist gives us a rundown of his vast collection of Yamaha guitars and basses, including a vintage 1960s FG75 and a new Revstar RSP20.

Eagles Of Death Metal guitarist Dave Catching gives us a tour of Rancho De La Luna, the iconic Joshua Tree studio responsible for influential records by Iggy Pop, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age, Eagles Of Death Metal, and more. Watch the video to hear Dave explain his inspired-yet-relaxed approach to recording.

Reeves Gabrels – legendary guitarist of The Cure – invites us into his personal rehearsal space and shares his philosophies on creating sounds, what he learned while recording with David Bowie, and how he utilizes Yamaha THR100HD amplifiers and THR212 cabinets to bring his signature sounds to life.

Each January, more than 100,000 artists, manufacturers, press and music fans flock to Anaheim, CA for The NAMM Show – the world’s largest trade event for the music products industry. It’s an exciting week to discover new products, experience cool performances and catch up with industry friends, but it can also be loud and hectic! With that in mind, we created the NAMM House Sessions.

Situated in Calabasas, Los Angeles, the Yamaha Artist Services (YASLA) facility is home to exciting development projects, unique custom builds and instrument modifications – and a great place for artists to drop in, start jamming and feel at home. YASLA is also the sacred space where Yamaha designer and luthier Pat Campolattano works his magic.