Hello,
Can anyone help me with the following?
I'm a loving mom with little knowledge about piano
who is buying a piano for my sons.
Many people told me to buy a Yamaha U1, but the
prices have raised dramatically in US since Oct. 2003. Then many dealers told me that to buy a compatible Kawai K25 or even k50 instead of paying
too much for Yamaha's ads cost. Beside Kawai is
co-op with Stainway to buil Boston.
Having looked at www.pianoguide.org or on both
yamaha and kawai homepage, it sounds to me that
Kawai piano has better specs than Yamaha at the
same price range. I'm pretty confused.
Please help me compare Yamaha vs Kawai.
Kawai vs Yamaha
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Barrie Heaton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
- Location: Lanc's
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They are both good midrange pianos Yamaha is better known However, Kawai is getting there, their co-operation with Steinway to make Bostons had done them a lot of good with regards to their quality control. The Kawai concert grand is nicer than the Yamaha but that is only what I have read and been told by tuners who have tuned them both. All the Kawais I have tuned, I have found them very nice to work on.
As to the better specs all manufactures can list reams of specs at the end of the day it is all down to
1 do you like the sound
2 do you like the touch
3 will it fit in the space in your home
4 can you live with the looks and colour
5 can you afford the price
If it fits all of the above make is not important.
Barrie,
As to the better specs all manufactures can list reams of specs at the end of the day it is all down to
1 do you like the sound
2 do you like the touch
3 will it fit in the space in your home
4 can you live with the looks and colour
5 can you afford the price
If it fits all of the above make is not important.
Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
Yamaha vs Kawai
Barrie,
Thank you so much for your quick and helpful advices.
When I listen and touch (I don't play) Yamaha U1, I
do feel its rich sound and heavy touch. According to
dealers, the compatible one should be Kawai K25 or
K30, but these do not have the same effects as
Yamaha U1. Kawai K50 and K80 do. If I would
buy a Kawai which is compatible to Yamaha U1 (48"),
should I go for Kawai K25 (48") or K50 (50")? Does
it mean that Yamaha deos make better sound at same
string length?
Some others also advice me to consider hand made
models as Petrof or Chales Walter of some German
brands made in Asia. For the first two, I guess I
need to pay few thousand dollars. After reading
the article about ABS system from the Kawai web side
www.kawaius.com, I'm impressed by their new substitute technology. Is it the trend that even
the triditional piano have to follow the computer-
aided design process? As Stainway did to Boston,
Volvo car changed its original shape or even Ericsson
mobile phone had to step behind Sony?
In short, is it wise to buy Japanese pianos with
plastic parts if seeking durability and quality over
the triditional hand made with wooden parts.
Thanks again and best regards.
Thank you so much for your quick and helpful advices.
When I listen and touch (I don't play) Yamaha U1, I
do feel its rich sound and heavy touch. According to
dealers, the compatible one should be Kawai K25 or
K30, but these do not have the same effects as
Yamaha U1. Kawai K50 and K80 do. If I would
buy a Kawai which is compatible to Yamaha U1 (48"),
should I go for Kawai K25 (48") or K50 (50")? Does
it mean that Yamaha deos make better sound at same
string length?
Some others also advice me to consider hand made
models as Petrof or Chales Walter of some German
brands made in Asia. For the first two, I guess I
need to pay few thousand dollars. After reading
the article about ABS system from the Kawai web side
www.kawaius.com, I'm impressed by their new substitute technology. Is it the trend that even
the triditional piano have to follow the computer-
aided design process? As Stainway did to Boston,
Volvo car changed its original shape or even Ericsson
mobile phone had to step behind Sony?
In short, is it wise to buy Japanese pianos with
plastic parts if seeking durability and quality over
the triditional hand made with wooden parts.
Thanks again and best regards.
-
Barrie Heaton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
- Location: Lanc's
- Contact:
Na the Kawai K25 is more e like the Yamaha T116 the Kawai K50 is the closest to a U1 and it is 49” not 50” in height. It is not just the string length that makes a nice sound in a piano there are a lot of factors
I would not put Petrof in the hand made section (but that all depends on what you call hand made)
As to plastic in pianos they have all tried it at some time from the 1950s onwards so it is not new even Steinway had a go ABS type plastics seem to work, well defiantly better that nylon. Some parts caused more problems than others. However, damper flanges with real bushings and Jacks with real bushings have been OK. The manufactures learned the hard way in the 60 and 70 about plastics one in particular. The same can be said for aluminium beam rails but most manufactures now use them they are not the godsend that the sales folk would have you believe.
Your biggest problem is that you don’t play so you may not pick up on the small changes that come with different makes of piano in the same price range I would take along some one who can play and I would get them to play 3 pieces on each piano in the same order get them to comment and see if it matches your thoughts
Barrie,
I would not put Petrof in the hand made section (but that all depends on what you call hand made)
As to plastic in pianos they have all tried it at some time from the 1950s onwards so it is not new even Steinway had a go ABS type plastics seem to work, well defiantly better that nylon. Some parts caused more problems than others. However, damper flanges with real bushings and Jacks with real bushings have been OK. The manufactures learned the hard way in the 60 and 70 about plastics one in particular. The same can be said for aluminium beam rails but most manufactures now use them they are not the godsend that the sales folk would have you believe.
Your biggest problem is that you don’t play so you may not pick up on the small changes that come with different makes of piano in the same price range I would take along some one who can play and I would get them to play 3 pieces on each piano in the same order get them to comment and see if it matches your thoughts
Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
R: Yamaha vs Kawai
Barrie,
I really appreciate your knowledgable and quick
answer.
Thanks
I really appreciate your knowledgable and quick
answer.
Thanks
Barrie,
Thank you so much for your help. Here I have another
question. A lot of people advise to look around and
play/listen to as pianos as possible, or do side by
side comparison, before one finds the one he likes.
As two brands, Yamaha and Kawai, I am focusing on
now, the brand new ones are usually ordered directly from the factories upon customers request. You won't know even the series # until deliver day. Or is any
risk that those new pianos can be made in the Asian
countries, refurbished or from "grey market"?
Please commnet on these.
Thanks again.
Thank you so much for your help. Here I have another
question. A lot of people advise to look around and
play/listen to as pianos as possible, or do side by
side comparison, before one finds the one he likes.
As two brands, Yamaha and Kawai, I am focusing on
now, the brand new ones are usually ordered directly from the factories upon customers request. You won't know even the series # until deliver day. Or is any
risk that those new pianos can be made in the Asian
countries, refurbished or from "grey market"?
Please commnet on these.
Thanks again.
-
Barrie Heaton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
- Location: Lanc's
- Contact:
If you were in the UK and you were buying a new piano and you was sold a second-hand one the dealer would be in big trouble with trading standards, as I understand the US have similar laws. Certain models of Yamaha are made in different country’s Not many piano players buy out of the box as you may not like that one as all pianos even Yamaha have different characteristic, normally the only time that happens is when you are ordering a special finish.
I always tell my clients to take note of the serial number when buying a new piano from a large store the reason is when I use to work for a large company we use to spend a lot of time prepping some pianos for the shop floor, but the buyer got one from the back of the shop, not as well prepped. It’s not just the car trade who pull fast ones
Barrie,
I always tell my clients to take note of the serial number when buying a new piano from a large store the reason is when I use to work for a large company we use to spend a lot of time prepping some pianos for the shop floor, but the buyer got one from the back of the shop, not as well prepped. It’s not just the car trade who pull fast ones
Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
Barrie,
There is something that does scare me.
1. I have a friend who bought an European piano,
stated "NEW" on the contract, from a big local
dealer. There were defects found after delivery.
My friend contacted with the shop and was told that
the model was a floor sample.
2. Asked another two friends who bought Yamaha U1's
in 2003 and 2002, respectively, to type in their
serial #'s into the following website:
http://home.planet.nl/~medevoort/pianon ... yamaha.htm
Both show 1997.
Does it mean that the web site shows the correct year
model or my friends bought second hand or from the
"grey market"?
I am on my way to purchase either Yamaha or Kawai and
had some pretty good quotes from dealers. But all of
them told me that they have to order from the factory. It means that I will not see anything untill
I have it in box. How can I make sure that I do get a brand new one? Some people say that this is perhaps the reason people buy Japanese pianos, since they are the only ones with the consistency.
Thanks again.
Kristine
There is something that does scare me.
1. I have a friend who bought an European piano,
stated "NEW" on the contract, from a big local
dealer. There were defects found after delivery.
My friend contacted with the shop and was told that
the model was a floor sample.
2. Asked another two friends who bought Yamaha U1's
in 2003 and 2002, respectively, to type in their
serial #'s into the following website:
http://home.planet.nl/~medevoort/pianon ... yamaha.htm
Both show 1997.
Does it mean that the web site shows the correct year
model or my friends bought second hand or from the
"grey market"?
I am on my way to purchase either Yamaha or Kawai and
had some pretty good quotes from dealers. But all of
them told me that they have to order from the factory. It means that I will not see anything untill
I have it in box. How can I make sure that I do get a brand new one? Some people say that this is perhaps the reason people buy Japanese pianos, since they are the only ones with the consistency.
Thanks again.
Kristine
-
Barrie Heaton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
- Location: Lanc's
- Contact:
We had this problem in the UK folk were buying pianos and then looking at the SN and complaining to the dealer that the pianos were 5 years old, all the UK manufactures including Yamaha UK(I use to look after Yamaha UK website till 1999) asked me to remove SN form their websites some only wanted 10 years back showing and some were happy with 5 years Pianos can and do sit around for as much as 5 years.
If your friends are concerned that they have been sold grey market pianos as new one. Then go here http://www.yamaha.com/pianoserials/index.asp enter the Yamaha Piano Serial Number it will tell you if the piano was intended for the US market if it is not then contact Yamaha USA they will jump all over this dealer big time – Yamaha get very upset over grey market pianos.
Barrie
If your friends are concerned that they have been sold grey market pianos as new one. Then go here http://www.yamaha.com/pianoserials/index.asp enter the Yamaha Piano Serial Number it will tell you if the piano was intended for the US market if it is not then contact Yamaha USA they will jump all over this dealer big time – Yamaha get very upset over grey market pianos.
Barrie
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
Web Master UK Piano Page
