Reply To: Yamaha Pianica 36, P-36

Okay, the P-36 has arrived.

The earlier Pianica 36 and this, the Pianica P-36, are identical. I believe it can be said with confidence now that the regular 36 key Yamaha Pianica was introduced in the mid to late 1960s and continued virtually unchanged until production ceased in 1979. There seems to have also been a P-36A variant, which also ceased production in 1979. But the parts lists for the P-36 and P-36A are nearly identical, including the same reed plates. In 1979, a P-37C model was introduced and was replaced in 1988 by the current P-37D. The parts lists for those two models are nearly identical to each other. So it was in 1979 that a the very new P-37C/D replaced the original Pianica/P-36. The Pianica 36 had four reed plates, while its successor P-37C/D has three. The P-37 has a smoother more refined, more clarinet-like sound than that of the P-36, which is brighter and has a slight “ringiness” to it, more in the direction of the metal tray Suzuki M-37C. I find the sound of the P-36 to be very agreeable. Which is better would, I guess, be a matter of personal preference. One of the biggest changes from the P-36 to the P-37, is abandonment of the metal tray.

More photos now: