Please help with piano purchase! (Kawai KG-5)

[lisabeckart]

Hi everyone,

I'm considering getting a 6'7ish Kawai (KG-5) from the early 1970s (from a seller in Austin, TX). I've seen the piano and it's in great condition (looks new other than a few mild surface scratches and slightly tarnished strings). It has only been owned by one person, who imported it from Japan back in the day. The action is responsive and I could detect basically no problems with sound other than some very minor buzzing here and there.

I could really use your help with the following:

1. Is there anything in particular I should be looking out for when it comes to Kawai pianos of this age bracket? Potential problems etc.

2. The seller has come down to $7500. Is this a good price for this kind of piano?

Thank you!

Lisa.

[lisabeckart]

Also I forgot to say, while everything seems very well preserved, nothing has been done to the piano by way of restoration or anything like that.

[iansinclair]

Buzzzzzzzzzz.... Try and track down the buzz(es).  In my experience, they can be caused by a very minor and easily corrected problem (sometimes not even in the instrument itself!).  Unfortunately, they can also be caused by something difficult or impossible to repair reasonably -- like a cracked sound board.  It's worth finding out, if you can, as even a minor buzz can become a significant irritation over time.

[lisabeckart]

I'll definitely have a technician look at it before purchase.

It has been played very little and has mainly been used as a furniture piece. It has been moved quite a few times however, mainly within the Austin area.

It has also not been tuned in many years (which may be bad for it?) but it seems to hold its tune well and was still in pretty decent tune when I tried it.

Any other thoughts about the price of $7500 and about the make & quality of these pianos? All I know of its history is that it was moved from Japan to the US in the early 1970s.

[iansinclair]

In my opinion -- and I am not a technician -- the lack of tuning over the years shouldn't be that much of a problem, particularly if it was reasonably in tune with itself when you tried it.  It may, however, if it is significantly flat overall, take several careful tunings to bring up to pitch.  Your technician should be able to comment on that when he or she looks at the instrument.

Nor should the lack of playing have hurt it.  What you may find there is that it is rather stiff at first; if you do purchase it, you would want to play it a lot for a while before any action or regulation issues were looked at.

It always seems to me so sad that people buy pianos and then use them as coffee tables, or flower holders, or whatever...

[hfmadopter]

In my opinion -- and I am not a technician -- the lack of tuning over the years shouldn't be that much of a problem, particularly if it was reasonably in tune with itself when you tried it.  It may, however, if it is significantly flat overall, take several careful tunings to bring up to pitch.  Your technician should be able to comment on that when he or she looks at the instrument.

Nor should the lack of playing have hurt it.  What you may find there is that it is rather stiff at first; if you do purchase it, you would want to play it a lot for a while before any action or regulation issues were looked at.

It always seems to me so sad that people buy pianos and then use them as coffee tables, or flower holders, or whatever...

I agree with this message almost to the letter.

 I would add that some cracks are not the end of a piano's sound and are repairable restoring completely the pianos sound, but they kill the value of the piano none the less on a just because basis. You don't want to go there ! So don't let a tech talk you into going there if that turns out to be the cause and suggested cure..

[silverwoodpianos]

An early seventies instrument is now forty years of age. Grand pianos typically require hammers and string at the fifty year mark.

I have a 1971 KG-5 in my inventory and those replacements are coming due shortly. This one is played a few times a week.

[lisabeckart]

Hi everyone,

Well I ended up getting this piano for $6900! Thanks everyone for your help.

Lisa

[iansinclair]

I hope you are really delighted with it!  Congratulations!

[hfmadopter]

Hi everyone,

Well I ended up getting this piano for $6900! Thanks everyone for your help.

Lisa

Congratulations ! I gather that it is in good shape then, that's great.

[unholeee]

uh wrong thread

edit - yayy congrats!

[chopin2015]

Ya, you could replace the strings and level out the action, clean it up, replace felts....a lot of hassle. It sounds like a good deal as long as you are happy with it and it works with your needs. Sound board could be a really big deal, cause sou d to be dull and lack bass resonance and the tone of piano suffers greatly from this. Sometimes technicians will tell you if it is minor enough to get another 100 years out of the piano.

[lisabeckart]

Hi,

I definitely plan to do a bit of restoring work to it as needed. Luckily, the strings seem to be in pretty pristine condition, mainly due to the fact that this piano has hardly been played. I know they would probably tend to deteriorate anyway just due to their age (40 years old after all), but two technicians so far have said restringing is unnecessary, so I'll go with that for now. The only things that have been recommended are regulation and voicing.

[hfmadopter]

Hi,

I definitely plan to do a bit of restoring work to it as needed. Luckily, the strings seem to be in pretty pristine condition, mainly due to the fact that this piano has hardly been played. I know they would probably tend to deteriorate anyway just due to their age (40 years old after all), but two technicians so far have said restringing is unnecessary, so I'll go with that for now. The only things that have been recommended are regulation and voicing.

Excellent, you must be excited !!