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Joined: Jul 2012
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So I was thiking weather I should buy a kawai baby grand or a yamaha baby grand. Sp far I think the yamaha has a clearer souund in the bass. the kawai has a powerfull but not clear bass. The Yamaha is cheaper,but I have heard that Yamahas will last only 10 years while Kawais last a long thime. Also Kawais have the carbon action, but Yamahas have better speed.
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Joined: Oct 2010
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are you talking about new pianos? yamaha will be more expensive if your buying new.. i think its safe to say any brand new piano will last more than 10 years..as for yamaha or kawai, its all preference.. some people like the new actions on the kawai's. some people like the yamaha sound better..
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Joined: May 2011
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What is a 'baby grand' for you? How much are you going to spend?
There are 'baby grands' and 'baby grands'... The entry models of both Kawai and Yamaha are not very convincing, to my tastes. It might be better to buy used, for the same money. With the C (Yamaha) or RX (and perhaps GE, Kawai) series, things get more serious. But you'll have to listen and play for yourself.
Shigeru Kawai SK-2, etc.
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Joined: Feb 2010
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I totally agree with maurus above. I've played new entry level Yamaha and Kawai baby grands that I considered to be horrible pianos while at the same time I have a used Yamaha C5 (1984 6'7") in my home that is a wonderful instrument. Our church has a Kawai KG5 (1980 6'8") that was bought slightly used from a local Kawai dealer that is marvelous piano and has never had anything major done to it. Both these pianos perform very well and sound great. I'm so glad they were chosen over using the same amount of money to buy lower grade new baby grands.
Also I have helped several churches in our area to seek out used Yamaha, Kawai and Baldwin pianos that fit their budget and they have been very happy with their choice to buy a larger used grand than a smaller baby grand for the same amount of money.
Some churches that have not taken my advice and bought the entry level grands are still happy with their choice; however, there were no advanced pianists in those churches that helped with the purchase. When I happen to visit and play them I am underwhelmed to say the least and still feel they would have made a better choice by buying a larger used grands for the same amount of money.
Jack in TN
Plays:
Yamaha C5 grand (home)
Kawai KG5 grand (church)
Roland RD300GX digital (jazz group)
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Joined: Jan 2005
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The statement that Yamaha pianos only last 10 years is ridiculous to say the least. I have a yamaha piano built in 1961 and have had no problems at all. After 45 years I had new strings, pin block, hammers etc. installed. I still play it every single day.
I have never even had a stuck key or anything else. It's an incredibly reliable piano. I expect Kawai would be as good. Both are excellent pianos and I'd Buy the one you like to play the best. Over a long period of time, small differences in price don't really make much difference.
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Also, don't restrict yourself to Yamaha or ********. Check out other brands in your price range. You may find a gem. Only thing to be sure of, is to get any used piano checked out by a good technician.
Last edited by backto_study_piano; 10/03/12 07:11 AM.
Alan from Queensland, Australia (and Myra - my KAWAI K-800 Piano & Allen Organ (CF-17a)).
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Joined: Aug 2011
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Specifics would help. To some, a baby grand is around 5 feet, but to others, it is any piano under 6 feet. I would recommend going bigger if possible. The small grands usually aren't that great in touch or tone. If you are talking Kawai, go for the RX-Blak models, and with Yamaha, the C series. Both pianos are very solidly built and will last for decades with just normal care, tuning, etc. The sound of each will be different so you need to play them and find out which you prefer, of course. I found the action on the Kawai to be the best because of the Millenium action, but again, you may prefer the other. In used, both companies offered a dizzying variety of models and there are pianos out there of all ages, so take a tech to evaluate any used piano after you have played it a lot and are sure you like the tone and touch as well as the price. You can get a lot more piano used but a wrong choice can be expensive. Just my opinion, but if you can afford it and have the space, I would try for at least 5 foot 10 inches or more.
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I have an older Yamaha C7 as well as an older Kawai 48" professional upright, and they are both fine pianos, even at their age... so, the comment about Yamaha's not lasting more than 10 years is a false argument. By-the-way, whoever told you that, I'd go out of my way not to do business with them...
Either piano would serve you well... get the one you like the tone and touch the best.
Good luck, and keep us informed.
Rick
Piano enthusiast and amateur musician: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Yamaha C7. YouTube Channel
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Joined: May 2012
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Hi Pianoguy4590 - Welcome to Piano World!
New piano buyers will always receive tons of advice when shopping and asking for opinions here in the piano forum. The more info you can provide will help us give more focused advice.
As mentioned by others, the term "baby" really has no concrete definition. Please let us know the approximate length you are considering.
Are you basing you reaction to single instruments or have you played several examples of each? Though both Yamaha and Kawai are known for their consistancy in touch and tone, there are always slight variations.
Why are you only focusing on these two brands? If it is only due to name recognition, you might explore other options available.
You are considering pianos in roughly the $20-25K range. There are a wealth of options available and you might find instruments which might more closely match what you desire in a piano.
Do your have a copy of the "Piano Buyer" by Larry Fine? It is the "bible" for piano shoppers and piano junkies alike.
Let us know more about your needs and we'll flood you with opinions.
Marty in Minnesota
It's much easier to bash a Steinway than it is to play one.
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Joined: Aug 2011
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I have played 1 Kawai Rx-Blak and 1 Yamaha G and 1 C series and like the Kawai a little more, but I have not had a chance to play any big ones. Everything was under 6 feet. Around Rochester they don't carry anything big except at the Steinway store and one smaller dealer where I found the Albert Weber AW76 (Seven foot six, I think.) I liked it. When I get to Raleigh, I will look around and see if anyone has any used larger pianos. That would be great.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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I have a Yamaha C-3 from 1984/5 which is a wonderful piece of furniture, but a real mediocre instrument. It's a bear of a piece of wood, in perfect shape in all basic ways, tuned nicely, holds tune forever+, and ... has awful action and tone. The action is either on or off; it has no piano and is all forte. It also has an extremely muffled tone even with lid open. That voicing might be easily solved with a technician's visit going over the felt on the hammers, though. The action is just sad!
So beware.
I've played other Yamahas out and about and found them all suffering from similar problems, sometimes tone and sometimes action. I'm not very impressed with Yamaha aside from durability and general quality of build. I've never played one of their concert grands.
Kawai Blaks I have played in stores are like heaven compared to the Yamahas I have experienced. The tone is wonderful, the action is far more responsive. They seem very solid and far more consistent than Yamahas from across the last 3 decades. I might be biased because I yearn for the greener grass in another pasture, but the Yamaha experience has left me flat. In the 80s I had a Kawai grand which was truly abysmal: action was tough, tone was dull, it was painful to play for long. What I see made now from Kawai when looking back to that 80s Kawai grand piano is like comparing a 2012 Mercedes to an 80s Yugo.
I'd recommend a Yamaha C as a 6/10 (depends on which you find and play) and Kawai Blak as 8+/10. Everything about Kawai pianos enthuse me more and more.
Currently working on/memorizing...
"It's You" from Robotech
"He's A Pirate"
"Crazy Bone Rag"
"What The World Needs Now"
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Joined: Sep 2006
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I like both. I own a Kawai.
rada
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Joined: Feb 2007
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I have a Yamaha C-3 from 1984/5 which is a wonderful piece of furniture, but a real mediocre instrument. It's a bear of a piece of wood, in perfect shape in all basic ways, tuned nicely, holds tune forever+, and ... has awful action and tone. The action is either on or off; it has no piano and is all forte. It also has an extremely muffled tone even with lid open. That voicing might be easily solved with a technician's visit going over the felt on the hammers, though. The action is just sad!
So beware.
I've played other Yamahas out and about and found them all suffering from similar problems, sometimes tone and sometimes action. I'm not very impressed with Yamaha aside from durability and general quality of build. I've never played one of their concert grands.
Kawai Blaks I have played in stores are like heaven compared to the Yamahas I have experienced. The tone is wonderful, the action is far more responsive. They seem very solid and far more consistent than Yamahas from across the last 3 decades. I might be biased because I yearn for the greener grass in another pasture, but the Yamaha experience has left me flat. In the 80s I had a Kawai grand which was truly abysmal: action was tough, tone was dull, it was painful to play for long. What I see made now from Kawai when looking back to that 80s Kawai grand piano is like comparing a 2012 Mercedes to an 80s Yugo.
I'd recommend a Yamaha C as a 6/10 (depends on which you find and play) and Kawai Blak as 8+/10. Everything about Kawai pianos enthuse me more and more. Rusty: Yeah, well all that is well and good, but let me ask you this: What do you think about Yamahas?
Amateur Pianist and raconteur.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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I think the poster is referring to the entry-level offerings from both Kawai and Yamaha, the Kawai GM-10 and the Yamaha GB1K. They are the same size (4'11.5" which most dealers will call a five foot baby grand). Priced about the same, $10K in the US, it's a matter of personal preference which is better. Build quality is about equal, although the Kawai is assembled in Indonesia and the Yamaha in China. Several people recommended looking at larger models, such as the RX2 or C2, but for a new piano, the price just doubled to $20K. Sure there are used grands out there galore, including many "very used" grey market pianos that have been buffed out to appear "like new", but like with any used commodity, "buyer beware."
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Joined: Jul 2012
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OP
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I am talking about new pianos and yes the kawai is about 1 grand cheaper
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Joined: Jul 2012
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OP
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The Yamaha seems to have much better sound since I play a lot of jazz, sometimes I will play classical, but mostly jazz, but I think the Kawai will last longer.
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Joined: Jul 2012
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OP
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Actually, I cannot get a bigger piano than 5'5 since my house has very little space for a piano. I right now have a digatal Kawai thing, but I want to upgrade to a grand.
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Joined: Jul 2012
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OP
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Thank you for your advice a Stienway sales man told me that, I went to a stienway dealer looking for a used stienway,b tu all the ones avaliable were out of budget. 
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Joined: Sep 2004
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There are plenty of used Steinways around the Bay area, not just at Sherman Clay. You can buy the Kawai GM10 or GM12 (made in Japan) for about the same price as a Yamaha GB1K. Dealers are hungry right now. Don't believe anyone that tells you a new piano will only last 10 or 20 years. They are not being truthful with you (or they are just ignorant of the facts). With proper care and routing maintenance, regular tunings, and keeping the piano in a stable environment, there is no reason your new piano will not last fifty years or more. A grey market Japanese piano that has been beat to death in a music school in Japan for twenty-five years may not have that long of a future life span.
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Joined: Oct 2009
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BTW: the Yamaha GB1K is made in Indonesia, not China. I like both Yamaha and Kawai but as my signature shows, I prefer the Yamaha. I can't speak for years ago, but the action on the more recent Yamaha C series is very consistent and I can play ppp to fff on my C3.
Try both Kawai and Yamaha pianos and some other brands in your price range. Narrow it down to 2 or 3 that you really love and go back and play them several times. Then decide. Both Yamaha and Kawai pianos will last for decades with care and proper maintenance.
Good Luck!
J & J Estonia L190 Hidden Beauty Casio Privia P230 At least half the waiters in Nashville play better than I ![[Linked Image]]( https://forum.pianoworld.com//gallery/42/medium/12292.png)
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