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hehehe

I find this hard to believe. There has been plenty of discussion on PW about both Kawai and Shigeru Kawai and this has never been mentioned. And the Kawai part composite actions have been around for a long time.

Haha not sure exactly, maybe 40's but he's been a tech for almost 20 years.

Yeah I was surprised to hear his concerns, but like I said I think it was mostly conjecture.

I can't speak for everyone, but my understanding is that composite action parts are good, reliable and stable. Kawai and WNG both.

Some old dogs don't like to learn new tricks.

If you would like to talk to my tech, let me know. He's very good and I think he mentioned that at one point he was doing work for Kawai, servicing the Shigeru Kawais in the area. He is super cautious and would definitely let you know if he thinks you would encounter any issues.

I'm very surprised that the tech you hired thinks that there could be issues with Kawai's composite parts, especially due to glue failure?! That seems like an odd concern.

Also, if you think the treble of the Falcone is too bright, Portland Piano would voice it to your taste. I wouldn't buy a piano hoping to make it into the piano you want, though. I made that mistake and am living through a very long saga of having work done on my piano. Since you're an accomplished pianist, I really believe that when you find the right piano, you'll just know!

It just occurred to me, was the tech you hired from Artisan Pianos? They are basically partnered with Classic (a Yamaha dealer) so if your tech is from there, he has a bias.

Oh jeez haha. Well then that explains it! Regardless, he did give me good information otherwise.

And thanks for the kind sentiment Twocats! I appreciate your faith in my ability to recognize "the one."

Do you think it would be an unreasonable request to ask the dealer if I could order the SK-7, and in the meantime do a trial period/rent-to-own situation of the SK-6 until the SK-7 arrives, then apply those funds to the piano I end up choosing? They did offer before to put both pianos in my home and make a decision then.

I would definitely recommend that you hire a different tech to inspect any other used piano that you want to get checked out. You want someone who's 100% working in your interest. It was unethical of him to try to steer you toward a Yamaha. You can look on ptg.org for a Registered Piano Technician, or if you'd like, I can send you my tech's info.


You could always ask! I don't think they would do rent-to-own because then it would be considered a used piano that has depreciated. But if they could somehow arrange to let you trial the SK6 without it becoming a used piano in the process, they might do it. If they did this, they would be guaranteed to make a sale, so I think they would be motivated to work something out!

Just curious - what are your concerns about the Falcone? It is almost as large as an SK-7 and a lot more affordable.

Quite honestly, my concerns lie more in just the uncertainty of making a final decision. I'll have a better idea once I play it again, but I also was in love with the SK-3 pyramid mahogany, so I just feel a little conflicted.

And Twocats thanks for the offer for giving me your tech's info. If I need another evaluation down there I will definitely take you up on that.

The other part of it is just choosing between purchasing used vs. new.

To me it doesn't seem you are anywhere near choosing a piano with multiple models in mind and also not having decided between new and used. Perhaps just keep playing every piano you can find until your thoughts crystallize a bit?

ScrubNinja, did you get to check out some pianos in Portland this weekend?


Carey, from having played that Falcone it's obvious that it's an almost 30 year old piano that's gotten a good amount of use. The action has wear, and to me the upper treble could cut glass. It's still a nice piano, but it's not like buying new, especially when the contender is a Shigeru Kawai.

I did! Though we got there much later than I wanted to because the weather and traffic was so bad and I spent my entire time at PPC. They had some new pianos in so I spent about 5 hours playing those and replaying the Falcone and Shigeru’s, but I also fell in love with a 2000 S&S model B. It literally made me cry when I played it. I guess the original owners didn’t play piano so they had a player system installed and only used it a couple times a year, but maintained it very well. The dealer removed the QRS system when it got to them.

I’m off tomorrow and am going to check out the rest of the dealers near me I haven’t made it to yet so another full day of playing!

Twocats and Cassia: while the Falcone is bright at the top and the action is a bit worn, do you think it’s a wise investment or should I just move on? It’s right at the cusp of being too old but still would be fine with regular maintenance, and it’s a good price.

And oddly, I played the SK-6 again, and just like the first time, I was completely underwhelmed by it. For one it was out of tune so it was not prepped well, but I also don’t know if it was just the placement in the store or something because the SK-3 still sounded and felt more satisfying for some reason.

I remember liking the Falcone, but don't remember much beyond that. If you like the way it sounds and plays, and a good tech gives it the green light, it could be very well worth it. It's likely a piano that would be worth extra investment down the road if you intend it to be your forever piano. If this piano is a step to your next piano, it may not be such a good buy just because it will need work some point in the not-too-distant future, and it may be difficult to sell down the road just because it doesn't have the name recognition of a Kawai or Steinway.

Is the B in your price range? If it is, it sounds like that is your piano.

Given your description, the Falcone may be a tad overpriced.

That B sounds promising !! Have fun tomorrow.

Yeah at this point I think I’m going to rule out the Falcone. While I love it and hope it finds a good home, I don’t think I’m ready for a piano that’s going to need a lot of work and don’t want to pay more than $20k.

And the model B is in my price range. It’s less expensive than the SK-3 I have on reserve. I asked if they would go down more because it has scuffing on the fall board and because of the former QRS system.

Thanks Carey!

If you loved the B, that makes it obvious choice!

My Shigeru SK-7 action does not have a single place where wood part is glued directly to ABS carbon. Maybe I'm missing something here? The action itself is as good as they get, and probably is more stable and has longer lifetime than wooden action.