Yamaha A1L Grand Piano

The A1L is the same underlying piano as the A1 but with a few minor design tweaks. The Yamaha A1 and its variations are among the smallest of Yamaha’s baby grand pianos. They are made in Japan and are perfect for the home or very small studio. If you have any technical info or corrections for this article, please email mgpianos@gmail.com.

The pros

• The A1L is 10cm shorter than the Yamaha C1. It’s very very small.
• It has some very slight design changes over the A1.
• It is made in Japan and was built to last a lifetime

The cons

• It has short bass strings, which means the sound quality is limited. A tall upright piano (U3, UX, etc) has longer bass strings

When was it produced?

The Yamaha A1L was produced between 1988 and 1994 (edit: there is reference to it still being made in 2002)

Where was it made?

Yamaha’s Hamamatsu factory in Japan is where the A1L was made, in fact all of Yamaha’s professional grade pianos are created here, including its concert grand CFX, which retails at around £140k. Yamaha’s Japanese pianos are generally considered to be better than those made in their Indonesian factory.

Videos

Quotes

Don’t just take my word for it, here is a quote I found on Piano World…

“the A1 (now A1L) was and is Yamaha’s better grade 4’11” (150cm) baby.” source

Who should buy them?

The Yamaha A1L is a good choice for those who want the look and feel of a grand piano, but don’t have much space in their home. It wouldn’t be big enough to use in a recording studio or concert hall, for that you would be looking at a Yamaha C3, G3 or larger.

Will I need to upgrade at some point?

In terms of build quality, the A1L should last you many many years. However, if you have a larger space and budget, then you might want to upgrade to a G2 or G3 (or C2 / C3) to enjoy the touch and tone that you can only get from those longer models. 

Dimensions

Width: 144cm
Length: 150cm

New and used prices.

A used Yamaha A1L will cost around £8000-£10,000. The latest equivalent model (C1X) costs around £19,000 when bought new.

Alternative models to consider similar to this.

If you have more space then the obvious alternative model to the Yamaha A1L would be would be the C1 or C2 as their extra length will provide a richer sound. Or if funds are limited you might consider a G1 or G2 instead. Finally, a full-sized upright piano (Yamaha U3, U30BL, UX, etc) has longer bass strings than most baby grand pianos, so perhaps consider that option, too.

Conclusion

The A1L is the good choice if space and budget is limited but just have a final check to see if you can afford a C1 or C2 instead as those are better pianos.