Torakusu Yamaha was born in Nagasaki, Japan on April 20, 1851. He was ths son of a Samurai warrior but did not follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, he studied engineering and became somewhat of a handyman. In 1887 he opened his own organ manufacturing business after teaching himself the inner workings of the instrument. His company, Nippon Gakki, manufactured its first upright piano in 1902 and by 1916, when Yamaha died, Nippon Gakki was known the world over for its quality keyboard instruments.
Yamaha Corporation of America was established in 1960, and is now the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, the successor to Nippon Gakki. Their first synthesizer, the CSY-1, was introduced in 1974. That same year saw the introduction of the PM-1000 mixing console. In 1976 they started making electronic pianos, and then in 1980 the PortaSound keyboard was introduced.
Yamaha keyboards are affordable for most people and provide a lot of value for the money. Their reputation is solid and their service is excellent. You really can't go wrong by choosing a Yamaha keyboard. So look around, decide what you want to use it for, and buy it at either at a local dealer or online.
Now that you've researched and found the best keyboard to suit your needs, it's time to "accessorize" it. One item you should get is a keyboard stand. Sure, you can hold it in your lap or put it on the kitchen table, but buying a keyboard is a more, well, "grown up" option!
There are several generic stands you can get that may or may not fit your new keyboard, but even if you end up saving a few dollars by going generic, it's usually not worth it. Yamaha has specific stands for its keyboards and all of them are reasonably priced. You trust Yamaha to make your keyboard, so trust them to make the best stand for it. You do not want your keyboard to fall to the floor because you scrimped on the stand used to support it.
Do shop around for a good deal on the Yamaha Keyboard Stand of your choice. Whether to buy new or used is a personal and budgetary decision. What also matters is how much you enjoy the actual "shopping" part. To me, buying is fun; shopping is something you have to do to end up at the buying stage. You may feel differently.
Here are some of the keyboard stands Yamaha makes and the keyboards they are designed for:
PKBS1 This is your basic single "X" style stand, designed for beginners and hobbyists. It provides basic stability and portability and is very affordable. It adjusts to six different playing heights, which is a good feature, The keyboard sits on top of the stand but does not attach to it.
L3C This stand is designed to fit specific keyboards, such as the PSR and EZ series. It bolts directly to the keyboard. This stand is one of the most popular among beginners.
PKBZ1 This is a "Z" style stand providing extra support for those of you who really get into your performance. Both the width and height are adjustable which provides more stability than the basic single "X" style.
YKA7500 This stand is very sturdy and has rubberized grips so as not to scratch the keyboard. It is popular with advanced and semi-professional keyboardists. The design is a Double Braced X Style.
L85If you buy a P85 or P95 Yamaha Digital Piano, you have progressed to the point where you really should get the stand that was specifically designed for your instrument
LW16This stand is designed for the DGX 200 and DGX300 keyboards. It comes in a really nice natural oak finish and it attaches directly to the bottom of the keyboard.
Buying a Yamaha keyboard stand for your Yamaha keyboard just plain makes sense. Let Yamaha's reputation be your guide.
