Hello and greetings from someone who has no idea what she's talking about! I'm planning on buying my husband a piano and he's very keen on Kawais. He's tried out the K2 and K3 in our local piano shop and loves them. I've found a second-hand CX-5 (aged 15 years, regularly tuned and cared for apparently) at a reasonable price and was wondering if anyone knew of any massive difference in action between an older CX-5 and a new K2/K3, before we initially commit to travelling to see it.
Sorry if this is a stupid question and thank you very, very much in advance!
Advice on Kawai pianos
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Advice on Kawai pianos
Absolutely clueless.
Please don't consider an older Kawai.
The current range however is superb, and represents a massive improvement over the predecessors in both tone, build-quality and action. Casework incorporates more wood in the construction rather than a mishmash of disguised metal pressings, plastic mouldings and poly'd woodite as used previously, and the sound quality and action are beyond criticism for the price.
K3 better than the small K2 for tone quality and finish, and is a genuine Yamaha U1 alternative. The carbon-fibre Millennium III Action is streets ahead of the old ABS placky and the latest models have ditched the key-leads in favour of ferrous material which is almost environmentally conscious too!
The CX range was dreadful in comparison with a 'dead' feel to the action (the latest models address this general Kawai trait slightly) and I've always found them nasty to tune. If it's half the price of the new K2 or less you could consider it I suppose.
The current range however is superb, and represents a massive improvement over the predecessors in both tone, build-quality and action. Casework incorporates more wood in the construction rather than a mishmash of disguised metal pressings, plastic mouldings and poly'd woodite as used previously, and the sound quality and action are beyond criticism for the price.
K3 better than the small K2 for tone quality and finish, and is a genuine Yamaha U1 alternative. The carbon-fibre Millennium III Action is streets ahead of the old ABS placky and the latest models have ditched the key-leads in favour of ferrous material which is almost environmentally conscious too!
The CX range was dreadful in comparison with a 'dead' feel to the action (the latest models address this general Kawai trait slightly) and I've always found them nasty to tune. If it's half the price of the new K2 or less you could consider it I suppose.
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sussexpianos
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If you can afford the K3, get it, its a great piano, Mahogany is nice 
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Barrie Heaton
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They don’t tend to come up often only the older ones like
http://www.uk-piano.org/used-pianos-for ... iteid=2395
Get a tuner to look at it before you buy any piano
Barrie,
http://www.uk-piano.org/used-pianos-for ... iteid=2395
Get a tuner to look at it before you buy any piano
Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
Many thanks for the further advice. I'm actually looking around to see what the best price is on a new K2 right now because as you say it's very unusual to find the newer ones secondhand. I'm actually finding it really stressful looking at secondhand ones at all as there seems to be so much to consider! The husband already tried out several Kawais, Yamahas and Kembles at our local piano shop and much preferred the Kawai over anything else, so I guess it's just a case of finding the best price now!
Thanks so much again.
Thanks so much again.
Absolutely clueless.
Once again:
Don't buy an older Kawai!
The oldest you should consider is one from the previous line-up (K15, K18 etc....) ie one about three years old at the earliest. This era represented a quantum leap in the quality of Kawai pianos, but the casework is all a bit gimcrack if you examine it closely. This has little effect on playing or tone quality, but IMO, piano cases are best made of wood rather than pressed steel, plastic mouldings and cheapo extrusions coloured up to look like wood. Less rattles that way. The latest range employs more of the grainy stuff in their construction.
Don't buy an older Kawai!
The oldest you should consider is one from the previous line-up (K15, K18 etc....) ie one about three years old at the earliest. This era represented a quantum leap in the quality of Kawai pianos, but the casework is all a bit gimcrack if you examine it closely. This has little effect on playing or tone quality, but IMO, piano cases are best made of wood rather than pressed steel, plastic mouldings and cheapo extrusions coloured up to look like wood. Less rattles that way. The latest range employs more of the grainy stuff in their construction.