Beginning with the 1976 release of the electric grand CP70/80 series, instruments that still see service today, and are loved by artists the world over, CP-brand instruments have earned themselves an unshakable position in the world of stage pianos. As Yamaha’s flagship in this line, the CP1 features piano voices of astonishing quality, and merits an appearance worthy of what really is the king of stage pianos. That being said, as a professional instrument, the demands on a stage piano are of a very high order. For example, it needs to be tough and portable enough to stand up to repeated moving while on tour, the layout of keyboard and controls must not intrude on performers’ concentration when performing, and the texture must be of a quality that makes people proud to own it. To meet professional requirements such as these, designers aimed for a stage piano form that was recognizably familiar, but also looked like it contained the kind of functionality that an advanced stage instrument would have; two design vectors that appear contradictory at first, yet blended here in harmony. The CP1 sound was impressive even in development, with the development team were working with the shared concept that this instrument would be like a Japanese katana (a Japanese Samurai sword), able to win through on simple functionality alone. In the end they were able to arrive at a design solution that combined freshness with a traditional form by refining the various elements of the design in that image, and working to obtain perfection in such details as the materials and coatings.