Having made its debut in 2001, the original Custom Z was borne out of the company's long and close partnership with legendary trumpet player Bobby Shew, who has been a Yamaha artist since 1992. An exceptionally versatile player, Shew wanted to create one super-efficient instrument that could alternatively scream out a powerful lead, or play soft, mellow ballads. The result of this collaboration was a hugely popular, world-class instrument—the YTR-8310ZII—one that is lightweight, has a brilliant sound, and incorporates a step-bore design to maximize efficiency and comfortable resistance for live music.While maintaining many of the design features that made the original Custom Z trumpet so unique, the new Ytr-8310Zii has an updated leadpipe and a precise valve casing design. These modifications combine to offer unprecedented tonal richness and depth, while maintaining maximum efficiency and comfortable resistance for players in any setting and genre—from the jazz club stage to the recording studio.