Chinese Yamaha?

[Kingfan]

Local sale posting has a Yamaha Advantage M1 student trombone stamped "Made In China". I had no idea Yam had horns made in China. Any good? Is the YSL-354 now made in China too?

[adrielo19]

From 1967 to 1997 all Yamaha wind instruments were made in Japan. On 1998 and 2000 Yamaha started wind instrument production in Indonesia and China respectively. Those made outside of Japan are beginner models like the 354 and their Advantage line. I think the only trombones made in Japan today are the Xenos.

[Doug Elliott]

I played one of the newer 354's (2 years ago) and thought it was excellent. I didn't notice if it said where it was made.

[OneTon]

Japanese industry philosophy in the past has been to share technology to lower production costs. All boats are lifted in a rising tide. If the Japanese likewise export their product methodology, such as the Toyota Production System, and retain the branding, our expectations should be high.

It is off topic, but Doug Elliott is a mensch, even when I misspell his name.

[sirisobhakya]

Some low-end brass are made in China and some low-end woodwinds are made in Indonesia.

[scarbo4]

I own a Yamaha 448G, which is approximately three years old and in very fine print but readable it has stamped on it “made in China”.

It is a beautiful instrument that plays like a professional quality trombone rather than a high end student model.

[Vegasbound]

If memory serves all below the 6 series/pro models are made in China

I did hear from someone at Yamaha UK that when they trained up and started production in China, Yamaha where so appalled by the quality of production that they moved a lot of the Japanese work force from the factories they had closed out to China to work

[30hzbone]

I bought this summer (ebay, from Quinn the eskimo) a YBL-421
and this is stamped MADE IN JAPAN

[spencercarran]

Unlike certain Western conglomerates, I would trust Yamaha to maintain their QC standards when moving production to a new facility. Never seen them turn out junk.

[tincanbanjo]

Just noticed a "Made in China" stamp on a 354 I recently acquired (I buy and sell student horns and have about a half a dozen of these around at any given time). Doesn't seem to be any different from ones stamped MIJ.

[ramonbenitez80]

hello, do you have any yamaha 354 trombone, made in china for sale?

[BGuttman]

hello, do you have any yamaha 354 trombone, made in china for sale?

I would recommend you post a Want to Buy (WTB) ad in the Classifieds. I'm not sure anybody will know if a particular 354 is Chinese or not, though.

[tbonesullivan]

From 1967 to 1997 all Yamaha wind instruments were made in Japan. On 1998 and 2000 Yamaha started wind instrument production in Indonesia and China respectively. Those made outside of Japan are beginner models like the 354 and their Advantage line. I think the only trombones made in Japan today are the Xenos.

I believe all of the 600 level trombones are also made in Japan, at least they were when I purchased one. They are considered "professional level". It may depend on the instrument, as their Tuba line doesn't have any 800 level instruments in the USA.

[Doug Elliott]

A couple of years ago I played a little on a new 354 that I think was made in China. It was an amazingly good playing horn.

[JohnD]

I can verify that. Excellent 0.500 trombone. Very good intonation and response, easily playable up to f.
Nicely crafted. Very good horn for the money. Bought 2019.
The tale says, Yamaha had moved their 354 production line to China, then added Japanese supervisors...