Kawai K5 v Kemble Centenniel?

[spiltmilk_2000]

Tried these two out today and cannot decide which I like best... I know its a matter of personal opinion but what would you choose? Very similar on price... kawai has a more powerful sound, kemble action feels a little faster and easier to control to my amateur fingers... kawai has a few nice features like the soft fall lid... kemble just doesnt look as aesthetically pleasing to my eyes.

Does anyone have any nuggets of wisdom regarding the build quality of these? I know the K5 is built in japan and the kemble in indonesia but how much difference does that actually make these days?

Thanks in advance for any help/thoughts/opinions/advice...
Russ

[joe]

Would go for Kawai K5 as i personally prefer a heavier depth of touch and a fuller tone piano at the 125cm height,otherwise whats the point,also better to buy Japanese as the resale is better if you are ever selling or upgrading in the future,best of luck.

[Colin Nicholson]

Just tuned a K5 last week, and rock solid. Would agree with Joe - the K5 would be my choice. Not sure about the new Kemble action mechanism, but the Kawai is carbon fibre - very durable, an extra rear body post (5 I think?) for greater stability,/ sound ports on the front board for good acoustics.... and after visiting Kawai for 2 days (nearly 2 years ago), I was very impressed with their training convention/ set-up/ tuning/ and fine regulation processes...... along with some fine food & beverages!!

My personal opinion of course, and a good buy for about £7K new. Its a bit like choosing between 2 new cars.... one has air con, the other one doesn't - so its weighing up the pros & cons. The soft fall mechanism screws are a pain at times to remove & relocate - without one of the screws dropping inside the piano!!.... and after tuning a couple of K2's recently - finding out the previous tuner lost one screw on BOTH pianos!!.... so if you get the K5 - just check that both screws go back on the fallboard bracket. Slight snag (but only minor) - make sure you check all the brass screws are located for the fallboard hinge.... a few I've found have been missing or come loose.

Hope that helps

[vernon]

Colin
try leaving the screws out altogether.The top door seems to keep everything firm

[Colin Nicholson]

I was thinking of that.... but would that not put excess pressure on the end of the fallboard hinge? .... and possibly why the first 2 screws had threaded themselves, and almost hanging off the hinge - this is the first 2 screws on the left side - directly above the soft fall mechanism. I screwed the hinge screws back in, but mmm - couldn't tighten them up properly like the others.... if they get back to me about it, I might pop some thread lock on! ......

Its not a major fault - just something I noticed..... and for some daft reason, those black screws dont magnetise themselves! .... so I pop a screw in, then lower the bracket into place.... then a few chosen words "$%^££**" when the screw drops behind the pedal rockers!! ha ha

[vernon]

haven't had any problems with the fall hinge on any Ks by leaving them out. They can put a 1/4 hour on a tuning!
You're lucky if you can find the fallen screws anyway

[Colin Nicholson]

Thankfully they were the last 2 tunings of the day.... a local grammar school, but they insisted I started the tunings "after hours" - so started about 3pm.... 2 X k2's (brand new) took me till about 6.15pm.... and yeh, messing about with finding black screws combined with poor classroom lights! .... and trouble is, I am too honest - I like to "leave things as I found them" (with the expection of the one missing screw) - so I told the caretaker!!...... I also told the admin lady that these pianos take a few extra mins to undo things & put them back - but they dont understand. Even a sticking key is like doing a grand action on these K2's - with all those extra bolts to undo the key slip rail...... the joys of tuning school pianos!

[spiltmilk_2000]

Thanks so much for the advice guys... The Kawai was what I had expected to like most but Im worried about such a powerful sound in my lounge (wooden floors) and the effect on my neighbours. The Kemble did seem easier to play gently...

I guess its personal preference... My wife and father in law both prefer the mellowness of the kemble possibly as they were weaned on classical music and Im leaning towards the power of the K5 as Im a bit of an old rocker with heavy hands. Perhaps the kemble might teach me to play with more finesse?

It's a lovely quandry to be in as they are both great instruments and Im sure whichever i take home I wont regret... Maybe I need to suggest to the wife we get one of each

I'll keep you posted on the decision in case anyone is interested
Thanks again
Russ

[Barrie Heaton]

haven't had any problems with the fall hinge on any Ks by leaving them out. They can put a 1/4 hour on a tuning!
You're lucky if you can find the fallen screws anyway

I was told that they are looking to change it to a wing nut as Blind tuners find it a pain to locate but not so bad to put back in with a screw starter

Barrie

[Barrie Heaton]

Thanks so much for the advice guys... The Kawai was what I had expected to like most but Im worried about such a powerful sound in my lounge (wooden floors) and the effect on my neighbours. The Kemble did seem easier to play gently...

I guess its personal preference... My wife and father in law both prefer the mellowness of the kemble possibly as they were weaned on classical music and Im leaning towards the power of the K5 as Im a bit of an old rocker with heavy hands. Perhaps the kemble might teach me to play with more finesse?

It's a lovely quandry to be in as they are both great instruments and Im sure whichever i take home I wont regret... Maybe I need to suggest to the wife we get one of each

I'll keep you posted on the decision in case anyone is interested
Thanks again
Russ

The Kawai can be toned down and rubber castor cups helps as well on the wooden floor. The Kemble has a Yamaha Action. The general rule is if you are a thumper you should go with the heavy action as the light one will runaway with you

But both pianos are nice

Barrie,

[joe]

Detest pianos and wooden floors as they amplify,and often cause resonances which have nothing to do with sounds produced by the instrument,rubber castors cups do help but i go farther always suggest that if a grand piano get a rug to put piano on,and if upright a thick piece of carpet cut to size and placed under piano,saves on the dreaded call "do you know the piano has a buzz".

[joe]

Would doubt the Kawai K5 would require excessive toning as they are generally mellower in tone than the Yamaha Indo-Kemble which from my many years of retail and piano prepping always required time spent toning and ironing out the poor prep service pre-delivery when Kemble where based in Milton Keynes.Light touch to me is a false touch at 125cm ok at 110cm and would hardly call Kawai a "thumpers piano" nice to be able to feel a slight resistance when playing if wanting light touch buy a keyboard.The Kawai,Boston,Zinnerman,etc have tonal character which is pleasing to my ear the smaller Yamahas below U1 and the whole Kemble range are TONELESS.

[joseph]

Which piano did you go for in the end? I would have probably gone for the Kawai in this situation because I think they are a bit more meaty in tone, and I prefer a piano with a heavy touch.

That's without hearing them though - in that situation when it's between two individual pianos you can only pick the one you like best, forget the name on the fallboard. As a generalization though, I prefer Kawai to Kemble, although I really like Kemble pianos.