Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Kawai grand? Which model.

Hello,

I am new to the forum and I hope to learn lots on here.
I am looking to upgrade from a digital piano to a baby grand as my three children have progressed well and now need the real thing. We have tried lots of pianos, more Weber and Yamaha and Kawai than other makes. We really like the Kawai grands as they sound less bright than the Yamaha and have a nice feel to the keys unlike the Weber.

We are restricted to size the max we can fit in is 164cm. 150/154cm would be an even better fit. Price limits us to the GM10 and GE20 and 30. Having only had the opportunity to play the GM10 can anyone tell me if there is a great deal of difference betweent them?

I had a GM12, and wasn't happy with the sound, so I'm assuming that the GM10 would be even worse. I've never played any of the GE series, but I've heard that they are a step up from the GMs.

In my limited experience with the Kawai line the GM-10 was a great 5' piano. The GE-30 being longer sounded much better, but still had a bit of that short piano sound on the lowest notes. For me the RX-2 was where the bass got real. Before you limit yourself to a 5 1/2 foot instrument I'd suggest getting the templates from your dealer. This will let you know what size piano you can really fit. To bottom line it the GE-30 is a great piano for its size, but I liked the RX2 better.

What Steve said! The RX-2 is really worth trying if you can squeeze in 178 cm.

Good luck with your search.

AJuff,

I had a GE 30 for a few months before trading it back for an RX 2. I can't really tell the larger piano takes up that much more room. But if you are squeezing to accommodate the GE 30, I see where it might be an issue.
The GE 30 is a very nice sounding piano and I would rather have it than the smaller ones you have mentioned. Usually you will find that the members of the forum suggest you get the largest piano that will fit your space and budget. The GM 10 doesn't have the Millennium III Action from what I remember nor does it have the slow fall fall board.

you can always squeeze in as few moire inches

you have to have priorities. Some people get rid of their sofas!

If you could stetch financially a little further and consider an RX1, you would be investing in a higher quality, better sounding piano. The RX1 would still meet your space constraints.


Good luck with you choice!

Robert.

Just out of curiosity, why not also look at high-quality uprights? They'll meet your space requirements and will sound better than little grands (at least in my limited experience).

We have also just purchased a piano for our kids. Their teacher was very adamant: if buying a grand, it had to be at least 5'7". Anything smaller, buy a 48" or 52" upright instead.

Yes, the feel of the action is different, but this difference isn't as significant in the better uprights.

So, it seems that the GE30 is close enough, but for training their ears, a big upright would be better than the smaller grands. And less expensive!

Note that the above is my opinion only, not fact. This opinion was formed based on what I was told by my kids' teacher as well as by several of my piano-playing friends and, of course, by listening to pianos during our buying adventure. There are also several threads on big uprights versus little grands elsewhere in the forum...

RX-2 if you can stretch your budget and stretch your room. You won't be sorry.

Good luck,

Bear

What about a RX-3 ? =)

What about a RX-4? :-P

I mean a Mazda vintage Rx-4 ... lol!

But wait, why not an RX-6?

No, really, the GE-20, though only an inch bigger than the GM-10/ GM-12 models, is different in construction and is a very different instrument. The bass is not really deep sounding, of course, but the action is excellent and the tone, with a little quality prep work especially, is even and has better dynamic range.

Hi there, I also had the GE30, but traded it for the RX2. The RX2 has a better low end bass and overall nice scale design. However, I would advise this person to highly consider the GE30 as it is a lovely piano with a georgeous sound and touch. It is by far THE BEST baby grand available at this price range. Forget all the other smaller Kawai grands.

Go for the Kawai GE30! Do not under any circumstances buy any of the other smaller Kawai grands or the Yamaha smaller grands. All these smaller ones are too lacking in tonal quality and have a poor bass response. For a baby grand, the GE30 is FANTASTIC! It has resonance and a nice overall tone. The GE30 is an excellent baby grand piano for a reasonalbe price. You will NOT be dissapointed. Oh - and the action is superb!