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Joined: May 2021
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Hi all, After a deal on an Estonia (private seller) fell through, we are having a hard time finding a piano my daughter loves. Her teacher suggested a Kawaii RX2. We found one from 1998 asking $7500 (private seller). Assuming there are no major issues with it (I will have a tech look at it), does anyone have any idea if this price is fair? Any thoughts on the RX2 (cant really go bigger than 5'10")? All 3 of my kids are taking lessons but my eldest daughter LOVES it and I believe has surpassed what our 40 year old upright Yamaha can do.
Thanks in advance!
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Hello, and welcome to Piano World!
Sorry the deal fell through on the Estonia, but that can happen sometimes with private sales, and dealer sales too, on occasion.
If the Kawai RX2 is in good condition, I wouldn't think the price is too high. Kawai is a very well regarded brand, and they are nice pianos.
If it is another private seller, you could always try to negotiate the price some. You could do a broad search of Kawai RX2s for sale, and see what comes up regarding price. That would give you some kind of ballpark, maybe.
I would suggest having the Kawai RX2 checked by a qualified piano tech pre-purchase, regardless of price.
Also, it is probably worth factoring in the cost of most things is inflated nowadays. Some say it (inflation) will subside some, as post-Covid19 settles down, and some say it won't. I'm not sure.
Good luck, and keep us informed of you decision!
Rick
Piano enthusiast and amateur musician: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Yamaha C7. YouTube Channel
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That’s a ripping good deal for a used RX-2, assuming the tech inspection reveals no significant issues, and you like the touch and tone.
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FWIW, I was looking at a 2006 RX3, single owner on Ebay during the pandemic in 2020. It was listed for $12k and sold after about 4 months with only one bid. If your piano is in excellent shape, that sounds like a reasonable price. Anything less than excellent, I'd think there is room for negotiation.
Main battle axe: Yamaha N1 Living room axe: 1999 Petrof III Road axe: Yamaha P515 Office axe: 1927 Kurtzmann upright Neighbor's axe that used to be my axe: Kawai GL10 R.I.P. axe: Kawai MP11SE
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My only concern would be the touch - as an RX2 from 1998 would not have the current Kawai Millenium III action. The prior Kawai action had a reputation for being somewhat heavy. If the touch is too heavy, it will be difficult for your daughter to play certain repertoire. I would encourage you to pay particular attention to the action, both when auditioning the instrument and during the tech inspection.
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My only concern would be the touch - as an RX2 from 1998 would not have the current Kawai Millenium III action. The prior Kawai action had a reputation for being somewhat heavy. If the touch is too heavy, it will be difficult for your daughter to play certain repertoire. I would encourage you to pay particular attention to the action, both when auditioning the instrument and during the tech inspection. Good advice, Carey. I started to mention the heavier action on some Kawai models but didn't. Rick
Piano enthusiast and amateur musician: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Yamaha C7. YouTube Channel
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My apologies for my ignorance, but would someone be so kind to help me out with this heavy action concept and explain a little? I only took lessons for a few years as a kid so my knowledge is minimal. My daughter is 13 and has been playing for 5 years, just finished Alla Turca and has now started working on Chopin, but she also very much loves fast pieces. I do know that on our 1982 Yamaha upright says she has to push the keys hard and then when she goes to lessons the teacher's piano is so much easier to play (1994 Kawai KG-2A). I am a bit concerned about leaving the decision on liking the piano to a 13 year old, but I suppose don't really know what to look for. There is also a 1990 Schimmel 174T for sale near us its a bit above our price limit of 10K but the possibility of negotiation is there.
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If they’ve been playing for 5 years and have some maturity, I wouldn’t worry about leaving the assessment of the action up to her (particularly if she’s the primary player in your household). If that piano inspires her, go for it!
Otherwise, you could see about bringing her teacher over to evaluate touch and tone. I doubt the piano will be on the market for long at that price.
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If you want this piano assuming a passed tech inspection, you might want to make a deposit, refundable only for a failed inspection. That would secure the piano purchase while you are waiting for the tech green light.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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If they’ve been playing for 5 years and have some maturity, I wouldn’t worry about leaving the assessment of the action up to her (particularly if she’s the primary player in your household). If that piano inspires her, go for it!
Otherwise, you could see about bringing her teacher over to evaluate touch and tone. I doubt the piano will be on the market for long at that price. +1 The "heavy action/light action" discussion is probably way too long to get into here, but I agree with terminaldegree. At this point, your daughter will be able to compare the feel of the actions between your current Yamaha upright, her teacher's Kawai KG and the RX2 you are considering. If she says her teacher's Kawai is so much easier to play than your current upright, she can determine if the RX2 is easier to play than the upright, and also compare her teachers KG with the RX. I also agree that if the price is really that good on the RX2, you may not have a lot of time to think about it before someone else buys it, in today's current market. But make sure the piano will be satisfactory to your family, good deal or not. Good luck! Rick
Piano enthusiast and amateur musician: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Yamaha C7. YouTube Channel
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If she thinks a 94 KG2A's action feels light, I doubt she'd find the 98 RX2 action heavy unless something is wrong with the piano. Others may know better, but I don't think Kawai's actions got heavier from 94 onward. Older KGs may be heavier, but going forward in time to a newer RX should not result in a piano that has a heavier touch by design. However, on a 23 year old piano, the touch will depend very much on the condition of the action parts and whether the piano is in good regulation.
Hire a tech to check it out, and if tech likes it and your daughter likes the touch, it should be a fine piano for her.
Main battle axe: Yamaha N1 Living room axe: 1999 Petrof III Road axe: Yamaha P515 Office axe: 1927 Kurtzmann upright Neighbor's axe that used to be my axe: Kawai GL10 R.I.P. axe: Kawai MP11SE
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I have an RX-3 of similar vintage and the action isn't heavy at all. Pianos, even of the same brand and model, can significantly differ in touch and tone. I advise you to base your decision on whether the person who will play the piano likes its touch and tone, and on whether a piano technician verifies that the piano is in good condition.
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Hi all, Thank you so much for your advice! My daughter played the RX-2 and LOVES it. Tech is looking at it tomorrow!
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I’m glad your daughter got to play it and that she likes it! I hope the tech inspection goes well! 🤞
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The tech will be able to tell you if the price is fair for the local market and considering the condition. Condition is king; all bow before it. He o r she will also be able to tell you what work needs to be done to get it in excellent playing condition, and can estimate the cost. Your tech may also know whom to recommend to move it to your home---- it sounds like it is headed your way.
I have a Kawai RX-5, and I love it. It seems that it just gets better as the years go by--- maybe both of us are getting better, though I will say my tech has a lot to do with this. The RX-2, particularly, got better as time went by. It was Kawai's top seller, and benefited from incremental improvements during its whole production run.
You must have someone already, if your daughter has been playing for so long. This piano--- I know nothing of its history--- would probably benefit from a cleaning, some tuning and voicing, and some regulation. You'll have the best it can offer if you take care of these issues, and keep up with the maintenance.
If it's not premature, please let me offer my congratulations. Your daughter gets them for sure, no matter what happens with this particular piano.
As for the alleged 'heavy action.' When the action is regulated to the manufacturer's specifications (yes; there is a published spec; it is not merely a matter of a tuner's opinion), the Kawai's action is what I would call firm, but not hard or heavy. My personal finding is that this helps make the keyboard more controllable. It is actually a very responsive and delicate action, with bravura and all the fireworks (or firepower) you want, if that's where you want to go. The range is very gratifying; even the RX-2 has a pretty big voice. That is one reason it was the most popular for residential situations, rather than the bigger models. It will teach a pianist to understand dynamic control, and to know the power that resides in her own two hands.
Last edited by Jeff Clef; 06/14/21 11:09 PM. Reason: a spelling mishap
Clef
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