Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai CA99 vs Casio Celviano GP510

Just wondering. The Casio GP510 is 500 euro more expensive (CA99 3900 euro, GP510 4400 euro). Worth it ?
Edit : my bad, the CA99 in polished ebony is actually the same price as the GP510, which also comes (only) in polished ebony...
Can't compare the normal black CA99 to the GP410, as this 'matte' black Celviano doesn't exist yet.

However, which is better ?

The CA99 hasn't landed in the stores yet, so not many can really tell yet.

Kawai

Did you actually play both?

I think there's still this 'thing' about Casio being 'a toy', as opposed to the other brands.
These are expensive pianos and I'm sure many people would probably say Kawai (in this case, could be any other brand) instead of Casio, because who would pay that much money for a brand that makes 'toys'...

Of course, we all know better. Or do we ? I've been comparing cheap portable pianos over the past weeks, since I'm looking for a portable second piano (already have a Kawai MP11SE). The Casio PX-S1000 ticks all my boxes, and yet, there's something in my head saying that I might be sorry buying a 'Casio'.
I know I'm wrong, but I can't seem to be able to convince myself.
Something inside me is always saying : "Casio ? Nah, can't be this good..."
Anyway, I digress somewhat...

I don't know, I think Casio is a bit of the Behringer of digital piano's; a brand historically associated with very cheap products but with a recent push towards higher quality. Behringer has done that very well the last five years or so, and Casio might do the same. It just takes time.

But for now buying a 510 and putting it in your living room will have guests assume you bought a beginner's instrument. Whether one should care about such things is another matter. Do they have a 510 near you you can try?

That's a very interesting analogy and I actually believe it holds up...




What people think, shouldn't be bothering one as a musician. However, you're right, though. I only got back into music last year in April and when I told a friend that I was getting back to playing the piano, he jokingly said : "What are you buying, one of those toy Casio keyboards ?"...
And that's how it still is in people's minds.
Wouldn't bother me, though.

I'm not really in the market for a cabinet piano right now. But I was just wondering. And to be honest, even without trying either of these two, I'd be inclined to go for the Kawai (prejudiced or not)...

Kawai.

Perhaps I get a skewed view of Kawai from reading this message board, but based on what I've read here over the past few years it seems like a lot of folks have trouble with their Kawai when it's new. Basically, if you buy one and it's a good one it's a really good one, but there's a significant number of people who take it out of the box and have issues with it. Those issues seem to be solved by taking the piano back to the dealer for servicing, but questions about this sort of thing seem to come up relatively frequently.

Again, maybe that's just because I'm reading this board where people with issues post about them but there don't seem to be as many people posting about similar issues with their new-out-of-the-box Korg, Yamaha, Roland, Nord, Casio, whatever. Maybe those people post about their issues elsewhere or are just faster to run back to their dealer with issues rather than posting about it here. Or perhaps Kawai has poorer quality control, less robust boxes or rougher shipping methods.

I've never made a real study of it, but that's the impression that I get.

Kawai

Well... Casio does make cheap toy keyboards. Too.

Kawai doesn't.

But Kawai does have a history of some arranger keyboards (Z1000) and some SuperBoards(TM) with cheesy features like "one finger adlib".

Or Kawai outsells Yamaha in the CA range. I've heard from numerous dealers they have been struggling selling CLPs for a few years, whereas Yamaha was the 'easy sell' before that...

I never got past playing a few chords on the big Kawai (98) but I quite liked the CS11. I had occasion to try the Casio GP510. I did this when fishing for my latest acquisition along with a host of other stuff.
If you want a Kawai, the CLP58 is very good. I wouldn't worry about the shorter pivot. It's well long enough and allegedly more reliable with strong sounds. I expected, hoped, to be impressed by the Casio, but wasn't. The sounds seemed contrived, the action OK, on a par with Roland's latest.
They would all sound in anyone's house really. But worth all that money?
The law of diminishing returns, surely. You will make your own decision when you try 'em out. It is fun doing this.

Personally, if I was in the market for a cabinet piano, I'd probably buy a Roland, the HP704 for a reasonable price, or a LX708 is money was no object...

The piano that is preferred by the player.



May I ask why you would chose the LX708 over the CA99, GP510, or CLP-685?

Kind regards,
James
x

Kawai is where the action is.

Well, I guess the modelling. It's just different from all the other brands which use sampling. Not that any of the other pianos aren't as good, far from it. But Roland sounds 'different'.
Still, very happy with my MP11SE, don't get me wrong. Love the touch and sounds, but if I were to get a cabinet piano, it'd be nice to get something different. That's all

Interestingly these are the ones that I am comparing (LX708, CA99, and GP310).

Although the LX708 isn't that expensive (here it's USD $4,400 including tax and delivery).

The Casio GP-310 is about USD $2,600 including tax and delivery.

The Kawai CA99 will be smack bang in the middle at about USD $3,300.

What I'm waiting for before I decide is the FP-90 replacement.

If Roland put the LX708 keyboard into that new FP then I'll buy two of those (to share amongst me and my two daughters - no one should have to fight over a piano to practise on!). Or perhaps we can have one Roland and one Kawai CA79. We will be spoiled for choice this year

Thank you for your explanation.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with owning different brands of piano - it provides a nice variety of touch and sound.

Cheers,
James
x

I always assumed that the problems that I and others have had with Kawaii were limited to the digital side. But yesterday I went in to play a K15 having heard good reviews of it and it being the only acoustic with a silent option that I could get upstairs. When I first played it I thought I had forgotten what an acoustic sounded like. So I continued for the best part of an hour during which time I discovered that the Celeste option didn't work in the treble - this one didn't have the 'real' silent option. But towards the end other pianos were played and I realised that it wasn't my ears or my my memory that was at fault but the piano. It was a poor honky tonk.

Fortunately as I was leaving I met the piano tuner. I had been upstairs at the far end of the building and he had been downstairs in the front section tuning a Steinway but he had still heard me. We got chatting - I had been playing, or trying to play a favourite piece of his which helped - and the upshot was that he said he would go up and tune it after he had finished with the Steinway. Haven't heard whether he did or not, though I rather fancy it needs proper regulation as well as tuning. And then there were the plastic Kawaii clips which I was offered as a substitute for proper music holders. Totally useless. Not deep enough and slipped at the slightest touch.

Be interested to try out the piano when/if it gets sorted.