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Hi, I was looking at a 1970ish Kawai. The case looks pretty good and the action is wonderful. I liked the touch and the sound was a vintage, mellow Kawai sound. The seller is asking for about 12000 dollars. Did they have any typical problems? Thanks.

David,

Wonderful action, you like the sound and touch, sounds like you've answered the important questions yourself . . .

No problems I know of other than age which may or may not be enhanced by church setting (read humididty and temp swings, er, times of exhuberant playing)usually alleviated by new strings, pins, felts, and hammers, etc. Might check what kind of work has been done . . .

Tuners selling a piano usually sell at retail and should have no problem with independent inspection . . . the price, at least for the bay area, reflects the typical retail within a 30% range for a piano of that make, size, and age . . . depending on negotiations, condition, and current market conditions . . .


Mike

I’m not a piano technician, and I don’t know a lot about Kawai’s of that vintage, but I purchased a 1978 vintage Yamaha C7 (and from a church) several months ago, and it is a superb instrument. However, there was evidence that the C7 had been professionally rebuilt at some point in time (though it still had some wear on it).

If the quality of that 1978 vintage Kawai is similar to my C7, I would say it is a fine instrument.

Also, I’m thinking the asking price is not bad either… I’d have an independent tech to check it out, just to be on the safe side.

Plus, it sounds like you like it a lot already.

Good luck!

Rick

David.

To follow up on the price and give you an idea about the range in price and kawai models, a dealer in my area is retailing a kg6c for 15k, don't know the exact year, and a church is selling an '84 gs-30 for 8k, both in "superlative" condition, of course . . .

I haven't played any kg6's recently but a while back played an '85 gs-70 in walnut, at 7'5" a tad larger than 7'4" model you are looking at and a slightly different model . . .

The '85 gs70 was sitting next to a barely used hailun 218 and while it was okay the gs70 shined . . .

Mike

Another bit of pricing info that might help you…

Before I came across my C7, I had my eye on a late 1970’s vintage Kawai KG-5 at a dealer in Chattanooga Tennessee, just across the Georgia state line. I exchanged a couple of emails with them about the KG-5 but they wanted $12.5K and wouldn’t budge. I just couldn’t come to terms with the price.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

Rick

Interesting. Where was that, Mike - here in the Bay Area?

At church, I play a 1980 Kawai KG-5 that is a killer piano. Although it needs some minor work such as regulation and a couple of strings replaced, it plays and sounds wonderful.

Having said that, I have played a similar age KG6 at another church that hadn't been maintained well and it was not good at all compared to our KG5 that had been maintained well over its life.

So, if that KG6 has been maintained and you love the touch and sound of it, it probably wouldn't be a bad deal. Of course you could always offer a little less.

Hi everybody,
Thank you all for your responses. I have decided to continue to buy the piano. I have another problem though because I would like to buy casters the Kawai footsies. Considering that this Kawai is 7'4" and about 850 lbs, which of these casters at these link might be alright for this?

http://www.pianosupplies.com/pianos/WCC5.html

http://www.jansenpianobenches.com/grk.caster.cups.html

Thank you so much.

The caster cups are pretty much the same though marketed via different vendors. The casters themselves on a KG6C are not extra wide so you really don't need those wider caster cups.