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Description

The Yamaha YC-45D is a classic organ that combines vintage charm with modern reliability, making it a beloved choice among organ enthusiasts and professional musicians alike. This instrument captures the essence of Yamaha's dedication to quality sound and build, offering a rich auditory experience that harkens back to the golden age of organ music. With its dual manual keyboards, the YC-45D provides a versatile range of tonal possibilities, allowing musicians to explore everything from soulful jazz riffs to psychedelic rock interludes.

Equipped with a variety of tone colors and a robust set of drawbars, this iconic organ delivers an authentic sound that can be tailored to suit any musical style. The percussion effects add a dynamic layer to your performance, while the bass pedalboard enhances your musical depth. The Yamaha YC-45D's design is both intuitive and durable, ensuring that it withstands the rigors of both studio sessions and live performances.

Whether you're diving into complex compositions or layering simple melodies, the Yamaha YC-45D offers a dependable and immersive playing experience. Its legendary sound and robust functionality make it a timeless addition to any musician's collection.

Key Features:

  • Dual manual keyboards for versatile performance
  • Authentic tone colors with customizable drawbars
  • Percussion effects for dynamic sound layering
  • Bass pedalboard for enhanced musical depth
  • Durable construction suited for live and studio use
Dan Baker

Dan Baker

Yamaha YC-45D demo

Video thumbnail for Yamaha YC-45D demo by Dan Baker

Yamaha YC-45D demo

Dan Baker

Dan Baker

Video thumbnail for Yamaha YC-45d Tour by slippast

Yamaha YC-45d Tour

slippast

slippast

Video thumbnail for YAMAHA YC 45D SAMPLES 2 by JBELIZ

YAMAHA YC 45D SAMPLES 2

JBELIZ

JBELIZ

Video thumbnail for ESK - Yamaha YC-45D Sound Demo by Metunar

ESK - Yamaha YC-45D Sound Demo

Metunar

Metunar

Video thumbnail for Yamaha YC-45d & YC-30 deeper Review (Dreadbox, B.Box, Boss, Meris...) by Knobs & Switches

Yamaha YC-45d & YC-30 deeper Review (Dreadbox, B.Box, Boss, Meris...)

Knobs & Switches

Knobs & Switches

Video thumbnail for Inside my Yamaha YC45d by Kandikev

Inside my Yamaha YC45d

Kandikev

Kandikev

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Yamaha YC-45D.

Setup and maintenance

  • A common issue is loose leads on the input jack; re-soldering can resolve audio output problems.

    Source
  • A 24V 5W lamp is specified for replacing the touch vibrato and mute circuit bulb; a suitable mini lamp can be an 1818 T3.25 bulb with a BA9s base.

    Source
  • Owners recommend testing the circuit by shining a torch on the photoresistor to confirm bulb failure before ordering a replacement.

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  • A persistent oscillating tone in the 8' and 4' drawbars might be linked to the sustain circuit; checking diodes and transistors can help diagnose the issue.

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Features and functionality

  • The YC-45D utilizes a "master oscillator per top note" style, offering subtle detuning and warmth compared to single master oscillator designs.

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  • The organ includes a pitch ribbon and keys that move sideways for vibrato, adding unique expressive capabilities.

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  • The touch vibrato and mute are activated by a light bulb and light-sensitive resistor; a burned-out bulb can disable both features.

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  • The YC-45D sometimes experiences sustain issues where notes continue after release, potentially due to faulty diodes affecting the sustain function.

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Use cases and applications

  • It's noted for its use by artists like Miles Davis and Fela Kuti, indicating its suitability for jazz and Afrobeat styles.

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  • Terry Riley's "Shri Camel" performance is highly recommended for those interested in the YC-45D's capabilities.

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Comparisons

  • Compared to cheaper organs like Lowrey, the YC-45D's multiple oscillators provide a more dynamic sound.

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User experience

  • Owners express difficulty with the organ's size, describing it as cumbersome, but appreciate its vintage aesthetic.

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  • The organ's sustain function can cause unwanted tones, especially when the Upper 8' 4' Sustain or Vibraphone settings are active, indicating possible circuit failures.

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Value and pricing

  • Despite its original high price equivalent to $20k today, it can occasionally be found for under $100 at thrift stores.

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Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings

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Artist usage

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See how Jerry Garcia uses Yamaha YC-45D

Jerry Garcia

Singer, Guitarist

Grateful Dead

...
Verified via Photo

According to roadie Steve Parrish, Jerry Garcia played this Yamaha YC-45D organ on his first solo album, Garcia. The organ was up for auction by Sotheby's in 2021.

See how Chick Corea uses Yamaha YC-45D

Chick Corea

Keyboardist

Return to Forever

...
Verified via YouTube

Chick Corea can be seen playing the Yamaha YC-45D Combo Organ with Return To Forever in the very first seconds of this video. Can be seen more clearly at 4:36.

This clip is from their 1976 performance on the Old Grey Whistle Test program on BBC.

See how Miles Davis uses Yamaha YC-45D

Miles Davis

Keyboardist, Composer

Miles Davis Sextet

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo, Miles Davis can be seen playing a Yamaha YC-45D organ on stage at Avery Fisher Hall in New York on July 1, 1975.

See how Philip Glass uses Yamaha YC-45D

Philip Glass

Composer, Music Producer

Polyrock

...
Verified via YouTube

Seen in this YouTube video being played by Philip Glass. This was posted on Youtube in October 2020 and the video is from the the South Bank Show (S10, E12) which aired on January 18th, 1987. This means that this interview/music was initially taped in late '86 or early January '87. Skip to 17min, 38 seconds to view the dual-manual Yamaha YC-45D behemoth being played.

Another source has the Yamaha YC-45D being played on the PG's "Glass: Dance Pieces" album: http://philipglass.com/glassnotes/dance-notes-by-michael-riesman/

Michael Riesman (Philip Glass Ensemble's Music Director) notes "The three sections of "Dance" that were restored and are now being performed are Dance I, Dance IV, and Dance III. These are the only sections for which film was made. In the original production, Dance II and Dance V were performed without film. In recent years, Childs has presented the work with film sections only, with Dance IV replacing Dance II as a middle movement, and renamed "Dance II".

The restoration involved both image and sound. The image was transferred to digital along with the audio from the film. Since this audio was of relatively poor quality, due both to its optical format and to film deterioration, I was approached by the people involved in the restoration to find out if it could be improved. I went back to the original source materials and, using time-adjustment tools to synchronize with the film audio, replaced the entire audio track.

The album "Dance" was mixed from the same source tapes as the film track for Dances I and III. However, on the album, Dances II and IV were re-recorded. The re-recording of Dance IV was done without reference to the original and thus could not be synchronized with the film because the tempos are too different.

On the original recording for Dance IV the organ was a Yamaha YC45D dual manual electric organ, which was also used on the album for Dance II. On the album, pipe organ samples were used for Dance IV. As far as I know, no chords were changed in album version, but the use of samples, which are less aggressive than the electronic original, would have softened the dissonances."

See how Jerry Harrison uses Yamaha YC-45D

Jerry Harrison

Singer, Guitarist

Talking Heads

...
Verified via YouTube

In this video of Talking Heads live at The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978, you can see Jerry using a Yamaha YC45D with a Yamaha CP80 underneath, you can see the YC45D at 0:54

See how Terry Riley uses Yamaha YC-45D

Terry Riley

Keyboardist, Composer

The Theatre of Eternal Music

...
Verified via Photo

Seen in this image pulled from a YouTube video, Terry Riley is clearly using a Yamaha YC-45D dual-manual organ. While Philip Glass also has used this model of combo organ for compositions (Glass: Dance Pieces and Einstein on the Beach mostly), it is Riley who had his Yamaha detuned with alternative tunings. This is possible because the YC-45D (and most "vintage" analog combo organs) have individual circuit boards per note and this could be accomplished by an electronics technician tweaking the voice coils / pots.

In the interview linked below, Mr. Riley states that his YC-45D was put into just-intonation and modified to output sound stereophonically:

"Around 1970, the Vox was replaced with a Yamaha YC-45D, 2-manual organ that my technical assistant, Chester Wood, modified to output stereophonically. He also added a tuning function that made playing in just intonation possible. Chet built one of the first digital delays fashioned out of an old 1950's computer we purchased from Don Buchla. This new digital delay dubbed "the shadow" made possible live performance in quadraphonic sound. The last phase of this organ performance period came in 1980, when I finally made the move to synthesizers and started using 2 Prophet V synthesizers stacked like a two manual organ in tandem with a polyphonic sequencer."

https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/48888/At-the-Royal-Majestic--Terry-Riley/

See how Graham Massey uses Yamaha YC-45D

Graham Massey

Guitarist, Keyboardist

808 State

...
Verified via Photo

can be seen in this post from September 10, 2020

See how Kerry Minnear uses Yamaha YC-45D

Kerry Minnear

Keyboardist

Gentle Giant

...
Verified via Twitter

In the X account of Gentle Giant, Kerry Minnear's workplace is shown. It includes a Yamaha YC-45D on the left. This organ is also shown in the YouTube video "Gentle Giant - Live at BBC Sight & Sound 1978" (https://youtu.be/9z5IPrO9vjM?si=lq9dKsjl4UpoC257).

See how Michael Hoenig uses Yamaha YC-45D

Michael Hoenig

Keyboardist, Music Producer

Tangerine Dream

...
Verified via Photo

Seen while Micheal was a member of Tangerine Dream & is pictured in his Equipboard profile photo.

See how Moonlight Matters uses Yamaha YC-45D

Moonlight Matters

...
Verified via YouTube

In the video in which Moonlight Matters is taking Future Music Magazine on a tour of his studio, at 1:06:46 he says "Next, this is the Yamaha YC-45D. It's actually an organ, a really basic organ".

See how T Lavitz uses Yamaha YC-45D

T Lavitz

Keyboardist, Composer

Widespread Panic

...
Verified via YouTube

In the YouTube video titled "Dixie Dregs - Punk Sandwich (Live 1979)" uploaded by Ajone Rousey, a Yamaha YC-45D can be seen in the background at 1:48 during T Lavitz's keyboard solo. This organ is also prominent on the live album "Radio Travel Tunes (Remastered) [Live At the Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA, June 17Th 1979]," where it can be heard clearly in the left ear on "Country House Shuffle" at 0:30. Additionally, it can be heard faintly on "I'm Freaking Out" between 2:16 and 2:30, playing the lead line.

See how Mike Barson uses Yamaha YC-45D

Mike Barson

Keyboardist, Composer

Madness

...
Verified via YouTube

Mike Barson is playing a Yamaha YC45D; it can be seen quite clearly at 0:25.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Yamaha YC-45D, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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