KYOCERA “Kyoto Opal” Utilized in Decorative Design of Yamaha Trombone

The synthetic opal material, showcasing unique radiance, is utilized in the counter-weight* and thumb trigger — adding a luxurious feel to the trombone’s design which appropriately fits with the product concept as a special edition marking the 20th anniversary of Yamaha’s Xeno series. The new model (YSL-882O20TH) is available in North America, Europe, Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries.

* The counter-weight keeps the balance of the long musical instrument. 

Kyocera’s Kyoto Opal

Kyoto Opal is a synthetic opal material developed by Kyocera with a unique aesthetic quality that cannot be duplicated by other molded resin-based products. Using special coloring techniques, Kyocera creates Kyoto Opal in a variety of rich and subtle hues and tints. Furthermore, by overcoming the inherent brittleness of naturally occurring opal, which tends to split and crack, it is possible to cut the Kyoto Opal into diverse shapes, thus it is used in a wide range of applications.

Two types of Kyoto Opal are used in the trombone: The polymer type featuring flexibility and applicability to broad areas is used in the counter-weight; and the resin-impregnated type with various rich and subtle hues is used in the thumb trigger. Other applications of the polymer type include guardsticks of Japanese folding fans and protective film screen covers for smartphones. The resin-impregnated type has also been applied in various products from the face of wrist watches and in unique professional nail gel polishes.

Kyoto Opal has previously been adopted in Yamaha’s saxophones and flutes for the Japanese market, and was selected to add elegance to the limited-edition trombone design. This is the first time the polymer-type Kyoto Opal is featured in a musical instrument. 
 
 
For more information about Kyocera: www.kyocera.eu