SHIGERU KAWAI pianos are KAWAI’S premier line of pianos.
A SHIGERU piano is much more than the intelligent application of material, labor and design. It is an art form born not from the head, but from the heart. Thus, the craftsman does far more than simply “build” it—he brings it to life.
The sensitive nurturing of every part, every joint, every subtle nuance vests each piano with an intangible quality—a soul—that lives on from generation to generation. And those who own a SHIGERU piano know that they possess not merely an instrument, but a partner in the musical pursuit of dreams.
Although, we are not an authorized dealer, we felt it necessary to include SHIGERU pianos to highlight all the craftsmanship KAWAI has to offer.
The GX-1 BLAK (5’5″) Series Classic Grand offers the professional pianist a superb range of tonal expressiveness and a level of elegance and craftsmanship that is unsurpassed for a piano of its size. Slightly smaller than than the traditional “classic” grand, but larger than a baby grand, it adapts well to any smaller home or studio space without sacrificing performance.
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Winner of the 2017 Product Excellence Award from Music Inc. Magazine, the GX-2 BLAK Classic Salon Grand combines the stately presence of a classic grand with an exquisite clarity of tone. With a rich history of international acclaim, the GX-2 (5’11”) is the popular choice for homes, schools, churches and teaching studios.
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The GX-3 BLAK Series Conservatory Grand Piano impresses with a dignified elegance and distinctive tone evoking the qualities of a much larger grand. It is a favorite among music schools for the way it performs admirably over time in teaching studios and smaller recital spaces. With outstanding tone and touch in a versatile size, the GX-3 (6’2″) is a preferred choice of professionals.
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The GX-5 BLAK Series Chamber Grand is the artist’s “grand for all seasons.” With resplendent tone and superb power in a flexible 6’7″ size, it adapts to an exceptional range of musical requirements and performance venues.
Starting at $71,495
The GX-6 BLAK (7′) combines exquisite tone with stunning beauty to offer an instrument befitting the finest concert hall or professional studio. It was designed with performance in mind and is equipped with intelligent design elements that will help the artist communicate at the highest-level with excellence and ease.
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At the lofty pinnacle of the GX BLAK Series, the regal GX-7 Semi-Concert Grand (7’6″) speaks with the transcendent character and authority that has made it the definitive choice of professional pianists. Respected worldwide for its superb tone and responsiveness, it will delight artists and audiences alike in any performance setting.
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ABS-Carbon, the new composite material in our revolutionary Millennium III Action, combines the long-term stability of ABS Styran (a composite used in Kawai actions for over 40 years) with the extraordinary strength of carbon fiber. ABS-Carbon produces more dynamic power, greater durability, improved control and unparalleled speed to enhance the playing experience.
Carbon fiber has been called the lightest, strongest material on earth. In Kawai pianos, it allows a lighter design that helps to make our Millennium III Action tremendously fast and effortless to play while sustaining exceptional tone. The rigid character of ABS-Carbon also offers pianists more power with less effort. Its resistance to shrinking and swelling helps to provide these benefits consistently over many years – something conventional wood components are unable to deliver.
The Kawai GL-10 is KAWAI’S smallest grand piano. At 5’0″ baby grand it offers a beautiful tone in a compact size. The GL-10 has everything a pianist needs to succeed – superb tone, exceptional touch and a range of exclusive design elements that will sustain its outstanding performance for years to come.
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The GL-20 possesses every design element of ground-breaking GL-10 Professional Baby Grand Piano in a larger 5’2″ size that provides greater bass resonance and a more impressive visual profile. The tone of the GL-20 is further enhanced by the addition of Dual Duplex Scaling that produces greater complexity of tone. With its exceptional combination of touch and tone, the GL-20 is a potent performer with a petite profile.
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The most distinctive feature of the 5’5″ GL-30 Classic Grand is its flexible size that is substantially larger than a baby grand piano, but not quite as large as the traditional classic grand. This intermediate size allows it to adapt easily to a wide range of home, studio or institutional spaces. Regardless of venue, the GL-30 is an instrument of outstanding quality that will always provide a level of tone and touch worthy of GL Series, MMR Magazine’s 2016 “Product of the Year.”
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The GL-40 (5’11”) Classic Salon Grand offers the dignified presence of a classic grand with a tonal character. A popular choice for homes, schools, churches and teaching studios, the GL-40 is a superb choice for the sensitive musician.
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The GL-50 Conservatory Grand is especially popular among music institutions and professional studios. Experienced teachers are continually impressed by its stable touch and attractive tone that remain consistent over many years of professional use. Its 6’2″ frame is larger than most comparable conservatory grands, allowing the GL-50 provide tone that evokes the qualities of a much larger grand. In a versatile size that is ideal for studios and smaller recital spaces, the GL-50 is a favorite among skilled pianists.
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ABS-Carbon, the new composite material in our revolutionary Millennium III Action, combines the long-term stability of ABS Styran (a composite used in Kawai actions for over 40 years) with the extraordinary strength of carbon fiber. ABS-Carbon produces more dynamic power, greater durability, improved control and unparalleled speed to enhance the playing experience.
Carbon fiber has been called the lightest, strongest material on earth. In Kawai pianos, it allows a lighter design that helps to make our Millennium III Action tremendously fast and effortless to play while sustaining exceptional tone. The rigid character of ABS-Carbon also offers pianists more power with less effort. Its resistance to shrinking and swelling helps to provide these benefits consistently over many years – something conventional wood components are unable to deliver.
The Kawai 506 was specially designed to meet the needs of those who require high quality and durability in an instrument, without a premium price tag. Churches, schools or other venues seeking longevity and value will find the 506 to be a solid musical choice.
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The Kawai ST-1 is everything an institutional piano should be – amazingly strong, exceptionally playable, and built to last. It combines the world’s most advanced upright piano action with many new design enhancements that allow it to outperform every other piano in its class. For institutional settings that demand consistently high performance amid the rigors of heavy use, the Kawai ST-1 is the ideal choice.
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The 53″ K-800 is the epitome of upright piano craftsmanship. Its elegant form and exceptional tone will fulfill the needs of any professional teaching studio or intimate performance setting.
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With its taller 51″ height and newly-designed scale, the K-500 Professional Upright Piano offers a rare combination of power, dynamic range and tonal richness to meet the musical demands of any studio environment.
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The uniquely practical 48″ K-400 features a grand-style music rack that places music at eye level and provides a solid surface for sheet music and oversized music books. A New England Style, dual-hinged fallboard adds to its distinctive appeal.
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The K-300 builds upon the success of its award-winning predecessor, the K-3, that was named MMR Magazine’s “Acoustic Piano of the Year” for four consecutive years. The K-300 proudly extends this distinguished legacy.
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With outstanding tone and touch in a beautiful 45″ frame, the K-200 offers the dependability and character needed to please any performing pianist from the novice to the seasoned professional.
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The 508 Decorator Console is specially designed to meet the needs of those who require elegance, high quality and exceptional durability in an instrument, without a premium price tag. This finely-crafted, superb-sounding instrument will provide satisfying musical enjoyment for years to come.
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The K-15 provides an excellent introduction to Kawai upright piano quality. Featuring a solid spruce soundboard and the highly-regarded Ultra-Responsive Direct Blow Action with ABS Styran parts, this continental-style instrument produces a rich, clear tone with performance qualities that rival much larger upright pianos.
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WE SERVICE THE FOLLOWING AREAS
EASTERN WASHINGTON: Tri Cities, Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, Greater Spokane Area, Pullman.
NORTHERN IDAHO: From Moscow/Lewiston → North. (CDA/Sandpoint).
STATE OF MONTANA
If you are not in one of these areas, please contact your local dealer.
The Premier Piano Showroom Of The Inland Northwest
Having the soundboard made out of solid spruce is the first step. But there’s a lot more to it. That’s a bit like saying a car has tires. There can be a drastic difference in quality.
THE SCIENCE
Think back to those early science classes in elementary or middle school where you learned about tree growth. When you cut a tree in half, you can count the rings telling you how old the tree is. You can also look how close the rings are together. This tells you how fast or slow the tree grew.
The closer the rings are together, the slower it grew. It also makes it stronger. These trees are more expensive so not every piano uses the best quality spruce.
TIGHT GRAIN
A good quality soundboard should have very tight grain. (or grain that is close together) Soundwaves travel through the grain. A tight grain allows more of the sound to be captured; thus producing a longer sustain and better tone.
TAPERED
A good quality soundboard will be tapered. This allows more vibrations and longer sustain. Thus producing a richer, fuller tone.
An advanced version of tapering, The Diaphragmatic Tapered Soundboard, was originally patented by STEINWAY & SONS in 1936.
*Most every manufacturer makes a piano with this feature. It’s just a matter of what price you have to pay to obtain it. Everyone agrees this makes a better piano.
When a hammer strikes the string of a piano, that tone begins to decay. The purpose of everything under the lid of a piano is to capture as much of that tone before it goes away.
The first contact for those string vibrations is the bridge.
There are essentially two types of bridges made in modern pianos these days; a bridge made of a solid piece of wood with a cap or a bridge that is pieces of wood vertically laminated together with a cap.
The difference is quite simple. The premium feature, vertically laminated bridge, is stronger and takes the tone from the string down to the soundboard several times faster that a solid bridge.
Many piano companies choose to leave this upgrade feature off their upright pianos and several models of their lower prices grand pianos.
The vertically laminated bridge was originally patented by STEINWAY & SONS in 1880.
*Most every manufacturer makes a piano with this feature. It’s just a matter of what price you have to pay to obtain it. Everyone agrees this makes a better piano.
A duplex scale design can enhance the treble section of the piano so that it projects and sings to balance out the bass section.
This is done by tuning the aliquot of string between the bridge pin and the hitch pin on the plate. You’ll notice a shinny silver bar with various mounds where the strings goes over. These are strategically placed to create a harmony with the tuning of that string.
This is a feature generally found on grand pianos and is an easy one to spot.
A good rule of thumb is if the manufacturer is cutting costs by not providing this feature that you can see, they are most likely cutting costs where you cannot.
The Duplex Scale was originally patented by STEINWAY & SONS in 1872.
*Most every manufacturer makes a piano with this feature. It’s just a matter of what price you have to pay to obtain it. Everyone agrees this makes a better piano.
The inner rim is where the soundboard is glued and is a critical part in the capture of tone.
When a note is played, the soundboard vibrates. These vibrations ripple through the soundboard and out to all the edges. A Maple Inner Rim helps force the vibrations back to the soundboard allowing longer sustain and resulting in a wider dynamic range.
The outer rim provides reinforcement for the inner rim. The inner and outer-most layer is reserved for the finish of the piano.
Unique feature: STEINWAY & SONS grand pianos use layers of Maple on both the inner and outer rims and form them all at once.
*Most every manufacturer makes a piano with a denser maple inner rim. It’s just a matter of what price you have to pay to obtain it. Everyone agrees this makes a better piano.
One of the most common statements we get in this industry is customers want something that will last and hold value.
One of the most common “upgrade” features manufacturers offer is Hammers With Underfelting.
This is exactly want it sounds like. It is a regular piano hammer but with a dense underfelt. It is easy to spot as it’s usually a darker colored felt such as red or purple.
This extra felt gives you the ability to have more control over your playing and increases your ability to widen your dynamic range. It will also help the hammers to hold their shape and last longer.
As stated before, if the manufacturer is cutting costs by not providing this feature that you can see, they are most likely cutting costs where you cannot.
*Most every manufacturer makes a piano with this feature. It’s just a matter of what price you have to pay to obtain it. Everyone agrees this makes a better piano.
The Sostenuto pedal is that middle pedal on a grand piano. Many people ask us what it’s used for.
The sostenuto pedal allows you to sustain a selected group of notes by pressing the desired keys down and then engaging the sostenuto pedal. This will free up your hands to play other notes un-sustained.
Many people purchase less expensive grand pianos because they feel they’d never have need for or use this feature. And if it was the only feature missing, maybe you wouldn’t miss much.
Unfortunately the piano that doesn’t have this feature will not have most premium features. And…you CAN spend about the same amount (if not less) and get this and other premium features.
*Most every manufacturer makes a piano with this feature. It’s just a matter of what price you have to pay to obtain it. Everyone agrees this makes a better piano.