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I looked at beautiful Kg-2d grand piano.....or maybe it's still considered a baby grand, but it is big. I believe it is 5'10". This is in a piano store, and it is going to be marked down this weekend. It looked beautiful to me, although if I end up seriously considering it, if the price is good, I will have a technician check it out. They told me it was "about 20 years old", the serial number says it was built in 1988. I took a picture of it but I'm not sure how to add it on my phone, but when I get home I will put it on here. Does anyone have an idea of what would be a good price for this? I'm sure I would end up paying more for it, since it's in a store instead of a private seller, but I have heard that when they have this sale they are having this weekend, that
You can find some great deals. I can put $100 to hold it too, but I thought I'd do some research on it first.

There was also a Baldwin F series grand piano, the young man that was in the store was not sure of its age, thought it was built in 1969. It was beautiful, it was $13,000. Not sure about it but it caught my eye and played beautifully.

Snatch up that Baldwin if you can. That was a terrific year for those instruments for a number of reasons. There is actually a really interesting backstory to that instrument but suffice it to say that if that piano checks out it would be a fabulous instrument. Make sure you have a tech take a look. That instrument would be dramatically better than the old Kawai.

It is actually a Kawai Kg2. I am not sure of the difference, but I am still waiting on a price. As much as I would LOVE to have that Baldwin, it is just way out of my price range, but maybe some day. Here are a few pictures of the one I looked at yesterday.

Lee Ann, I made a comment on the KG-2 in your other thread. That is a nice looking piano!

Good luck!

Rick

Rick, thank you for your comments. It may not be the highest quality piano out there, but it is probably good enough for me.

Lee Ann,

Looks familiar (like Rick, I have a similar Kawai-made Howard 550-C 5'-10" piano).

If you push the music desk back, the model designation should be casted into the plate in front of the treble tuning pins. It should have a letter designation after " KG-2," probably C or D. Many people say Kawai really "arrived" with the D models, although the earlier C's can be good, as well. 😀 You can also note the serial number, which should be stamped in black somewhere in the front plate area. This number will indicate the date of manufacture.

http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/pages/serial_manudate.html

I think the mahogany veneer on the inside of the rim of the ebony pianos indicates a later model than C, but I'm not sure.

Gook luck in your piano search!

Lee Ann,

This quote is from member pianobroker

"The predessesor of the KG2D was the KG2C which was of the late 70s to the early 80s. The successor of the KG2D was the KG2E in the later eighties. The KG2E mdl. was considerably brighter and the action design was a bit different and heavier in some respect.Persons liked the KG2D so much they kinda reverted and reissued the newer KG2A and S more like the KG2D."

I went back to look around this afternoon. The piano is a KG2, not a 2d. I played it again, and I do like it. I also played a Kawai RX-2, It was the rosewood color (I think). I took some pictures of several of these pianos, and I will post them later. This RX-2 was very, very nice also.

I played the Baldwin SF-10 for a while. They have had it a year, but it has had some work done on it, although the young guy that was working alone today did not know much about what was done.

Then I surprised myself, I tried a Yamaha G5. I have tried a few other Yamahas and I thought they were very nice, but I didn't like them as well as the others I had tried. When I tried the G5 today.....it had a beautiful sound. It was pricey here, but I put it on the list of potential pianos to keep me eyes open for.

I was the only one in the store, besides the salesman, and he was in the office on the phone the whole time, so I played the heck out of these pianos for about two hours. That was fun!

That's great to hear, Lee Ann!

It's nice to be left alone while you play and can decide on what piano you like without a salesperson breathing down your throat.

I played the heck out of my Howard 550 a little while ago, and it was fun! I played some of my oldies boogie, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ray Charles, just to mention a few. It's amazing how well the Howard stays in tune. I have it located in my detached piano shop with no HVAC system; just a dehumidifier. I'm sold on the benefits of the whole-room dehumidifier for acoustic pianos.

I've promised the Howard to my 13 year old granddaughter, but she seems to have lost interest in piano lessons at the moment, and my son can't seem to find room for it in his house. So, I guess it's still mine until they decide they want it. But that's okay with me!

I play my Yamaha C7 when I feel sophisticated and classy. I play the Baldwin R when I feel like I really do know how to play a piano. I play the Howard when I'm in feisty and hyperactive mood.

Heck, everyone needs more than one piano, depending on what mood their in.

But any nice piano is better than no piano at all.

Good luck!!

Rick

That's great, Lee Ann, so glad you have many different brands to try! I almost purchased a Kawai RX-1 but the dealer wouldn't budge on the price, which was just a bit too high. The RX series are lovely pianos. I like the KGs, as well. Hope you find the one soon!

Rick - maybe one day your son or granddaughter will realize what a treasure you have to offer and will be happy to have it

I was glad no one was around to listen to me play, because I have not really played (except for the past three months) for more than a decade. I used to know so many songs by memory, and now, I have to have music for everything. I hope I get to the point again that I can memorize songs. I brought music with me, I felt kind of silly, but at least no one was watching me.

I am going to be looking for a teacher very soon!!

I took a picture of the Baldwin SF-10. It was lovely! Sorry for not so great camera phone pic though.

I posted on another thread, I got a price on the KG-2, of slightly over $8,000. It is in great condition, sounds wonderful, but I think this is too much. I'm going to mosey on into the store on Saturday, supposed to be a big sale, and we will see if they want to reduce it anymore than that. I don't want to be unfair, but I don't want to pay too much either. They were trying to push a brand new Kawai GM 10K, but I didn't care for it at all, and my husband pointed out that there was a huge scratch all the way down the front of it. I think even if they bargained on that one, it was not the one for me. I could tell it was not of the same quality as the KG-2.

Hi Lee Ann,

On the surface, yes, that does seem like an excessively high price for the KG2, and I agree with you. On the other hand, if you Google Kawai KG2 for sale prices, you will find that the $8,000 is a good average asking price. Dealers know they can get that price or at least close to it. Plus, most dealers price their pianos at the upper-end of the market spectrum and may (or may not) negotiate down from there. Plus, their high initial asking price will benefit them in any trade deal.

If you really like the the KG2, and can negotiate down to around $5 to $6K, that might be a good price for the piano. Me? I'd be tempted to pay $13K for the Baldwin SF10 than $8K for the KG2. It is rare to find a nice 7 footer of most any make for less than $10K.

On the third hand, ( ) I've seen older Kawai KG2s for sale close to the $8K price range remain unsold and still for sale for years. If a dealer can wait that long to get their asking price, good for them.

From what I see of your piano shopping progress in your posts here on PW, you are headed in the right direction, doing your homework, and will likely find a very nice grand at a price you feel comfortable with.

Good luck, and keep up the good work!!

Rick

Thanks Rick. I found out that the Baldwin SF-10 they have had for a year. They have done minor things to it.....he told me on the phone this afternoon, and I was in the car and didn't write it all down, but he said nothing major was done to it. Overall, I thought it sounded great, there were a few keys that sounded odd....like it was a really old piano, which it is. It is from 1969......just like me, lol, maybe that's a sign! I'm going to see if there is any room for negotiation on that one, and if so, I will send a piano technician out to thoroughly check it out for me. He is very reputable and I've known him for years, as well as everyone I know and every church around uses him and he has a great reputation, and he is not affiliated with this shop, so I know he will tell me the truth. But this is only if they are willing to negotiate with me. The thought of having that gargantuan piano in my house....OMG, it's seems unreal. It will fit....I am in the process of getting rid of my huge dining room set, and it would take up the room, but is open to the living room, one big room, so I think it would be fine to have a piano that big in my house. My husband's uncle has a full size huge grand piano in his little 1200 square foot home....his home is pretty much the piano, lol, and I love it! I have to find out what kind he has, have not been able to talk to him yet, but I'm sure he also has an opinion on all of these different pianos I've been looking at.

It's so funny, no one even looks at that Baldwin, because it's not shiny and new, and I'm hoping they keep passing by it so that they will want to get rid of it. I plan to find out more of the story of this piano on Saturday. We are starting to bond.

OMG, if you can fit the SF10 in your house and can negotiate to a price that's comfortable....wow, that's a fantastic piano!! That KG sounds great, too, I hope one of them work out for you!

That would be a selling point for me: I dislike ebony polish--grew up in the satin era!

Lee Ann, It sounds like that Baldwin has just been waiting for you to come along. Your plan is a good one. Have it checked out, offer what you feel is a fair price...and hope for the best.

As someone who went through this process 2+ years ago, I have been reading your thread and nodding throughout the various installments. Best Wishes.

I guess we'll see. If it's meant to be, it will happen. All I know is that I want to go back and play it tomorrow. I wish I could bring someone who plays better than me so I could really here it. Except for the past few months, I had not played in over ten years. The most difficult song I can play right now is the entertainer, the original one, and it has taken me months to get it down, lol.' If that tells you what level I'm at. I want someone to sit down and play some Chopin on this! I used to play pretty well, but it will take me a while to get back to where I was. But I am dying to hear some great classical pieces on this piano.

Thanks to all of you, you have been so encouraging and helpful.

Why not ask someone at the store to play it for you? That's what I did when trying to decide between two Yamaha U3's. The owner was more than willing to play both for me. Coincidentally, he favored the same one that I did.

That's what I did, too. The young salesman was a recent Masters grad in piano. I had him play the pianos I was most interested in, while I listened from multiple angles, including UNDER the pianos. LOL