Kawai Baby Grand Pianos

[pianosrule]

I am thinking of buying a used Kawai baby grand piano.  It is about 10 years old.  The owner will settle for selling it for Canadian $6,500.  Is this a good/fair price?  It may be model GE-1 or maybe GM-1.  He said it was about a five-foot baby grand piano.  It has not been tuned for about 2 years.  Are the Kawai baby grand pianos any good?  Do they sound good and do they hold their tuning?  Does a 5-foot Kawai baby grand sound any good?  Is it loud?  Does it sound metallic or tinny?  Please offer any advice and/or information.  Thanks.

[sirpazhan]

thats about half price (ebony gloss) ,, if I'm not mistaken,,  I think the price is fair...
yeah kawai's are good pianos.. my second choice for an asian made piano (yamaha 1st) --

don't worry about it holding tune,,, there are many factors that can change this,, things like climate, humidity, playing styles, etc, etc.... so as long as you take care and service your piano,, it should hold tune,,, its only 10 years old,, the pin-block shouldn't be in bad shape. 

as far as sound,, it should be fine,, you can always alter the sound of your piano with a good tech,,, they can voice your piano.

the sound being loud?  well,, its only 5 foot,,,  and sound all depends on the room you have it in,,, high ceiling, position of piano,, wooden floors, carpet floors, walls, everything will change the sound/volume of your piano.

Does it sound metallic or tiny? well,, thats pretty much like the previous question... and no,, I've never played on a kawai that sounds metallic,, and even if I did,, I'd get a good tech to prep it for me.

the final decision is yours... sit down,, play it,, and if you like it, then buy it.

[invictious]

It seems like a fair deal to me, but it's 10 years old, so that might be a problem.

It might have some tuning issues, some squeaky keys, or even dead keys. Make sure you check everything out before you buy it.

If it's possible, ask him to bring in a technician to check everything and fix a few things.

[jolly]

It's worth it, if it checks out.

Personally, I like the small Kawais better than the Yammies...it's all personal preference....

[electrodoc]

First, decide on how much you can afford to pay without getting into serious debt. Many aspiring pianists would love to own a top concert instrument but cannot afford one. From your list it looks as though you may be looking for a mid-range piano.

Having amde a short-list, go to different dealers and try as many different instruments as possible - not only different makes but the same model of the same brand. Even mass produced instruments can sound and feel different. If at all possible go to a dealer that stocks all of the brands that you like and try them in the same show room. It can be quite revealing to try two different instruments that you like side by side.

Having narrowed the search then check the eveness of each note. If the instrument has been well prepped then no single note should stand out . There should be an even sound throughout the whole range. Does the action feel good to you? Is there a good tonal range from ppp to fff ?

The Kawai is a good work-horse and will take a considerable amount of punishment but it would be my last choice. I once owned a smaller Kawai grand but it lacked a good tone.

If at all possible and if it is in your price range I would look for a Yamaha S series, preferably the S6. This has a superb action and a mellow tone. The "C" series does not compare. Here in the UK the S series can be obtained at a very fair price. I recently purchased one myself and having had it now for about a month I think that it compares favourable with a Steinway B.  (I play a good Hamburg B regularly and have to say that I prefer the S6).

Having finally made the purchase let it settle for a period after moving it in and then get a good tech to tune, regulate, and voice it to your liking.

Finally, treat it well and you have a good instrument for life.

Best of luck!

[jeremyjchilds]

sounds like a good price..

But have you thought about a really nice used upright?
the sound from small asian grands has never tickled my fancy...though they do have the touch figured pretty well out.