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Does anyone have any information or comments on the KIG and KCG series of Kohler & Campbell small baby grands?

I am a potential first time buyer looking for a new, inexpensive and small (5' or less) baby grand for casual home use. The dealer I visited is offering these particular models at discounted prices ($6000-7000, depending on size), which is about the limit of my budget.

I know that Kohler & Campbell's are made by Samick in Indonesia, but don't know too much else about these particular models, how they differ (if at all), and whcih would be the better choice.

I also know that most piano afficiandos are generally critical of any grand under 5' in size. But these particular models sounded rather nice in the store. Naturally, I was not expecting to get the sound of a concert grand Steinway in this price range, but then again, I'm not looking to give concerts - just playing at home for my own enjoyment.

My main concern is to buy something reliable and well-made, which will last for many years with minimal servicing, and which has a nice appearance and decent sound for private home use.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Howiehowie,

Welcome to Piano World

My family own a Steinway dealership in Clearwater, Fl. We sell the Kohler & Campbell line as our "home and family" piano. It is a quality instrument that is built well and has features that we feel are important to sound, touch, quality and longevity such as: all maple action parts, solid spruce sound board, duplex scaling, hardwood rim, low tension scaling amongst other high end features.

I wouldn't consider it a "performance" piano but we feel it offers the very most at its price-point.

I especially like the KCG-600. It is 5'9" and has an incredible sound for the price, imo.

Considering your budget, the Kohler would be a great option.

Good Luck!

I enjoyed the sound of a 4'11" Samick I played a few years ago. It sounded better to me than a more expensive 5' Kawai that sat next to it. I ended up purchasing a slightly larger Kawai that blew them both away (at a somewhat higher price than the Samick), but if my budget were limited to the price of the Samick, I believe I would be happy with the instrument. I have not played a Kohler & Campbell, but I would assume it is similar.

Yes, the Samick products are very nice values.

I would strongly suggest stretching your budget to get at least the KIG-54. It's 5'4" and infinitely better than the little tiny ones, IMO. Regardless what the dealer quotes for this piano, I know what is what and If you push a hard enough bargain you should pay no more than 7k for it.

Good luck and be sure to keep us up to date!

[I especially like the KCG-600. It is 5'9" and has an incredible sound for the price, imo.]

I tried one recently. The asking price was $9Kish.

I think it's priced right, exactly where it belongs, somewhere between a nice upright like a Kawai K3 and a PE187 Brodmann grand.

It was kind of generic-sounding but adequate, honestly sufficient for most purposes.

I do want more, though.

We went to sing carols this past Christmas at a convalescent home and they had a real short K&C baby grand that appeared to be new and it sounded very good.It sounded very even in all octaves with a pleasant tone.My son the piano player liked the action.I was shocked that the place had such a nice instrument.

I appreciate the comments from everyone thus far. They've been very helpful.

I would especially like to hear more on the following:

1. comments on the smaller models, eg. the KIG 48 (4'8")and 50 (5'0")and the KCG 450 (4'9"). I know that "bigger is generally better", but for various reasons, I'm inclned to go as small as possible without making a "big mistake".

2. the differences (if any) between the KIG and KCG lines.

The KIG is the newer models K&C has come out with and tend to be less expensive than the KCG.

My honest opinion is the KCG is a little better piano, but its close.

I don't think that going smaller would be a "big mistake" but I do feel that if you can swing the extra cost and fit it into your home, you will not regret getting a bigger better sounding piano.

Chances are, the piano you purchase will be the piano you will have for a VERY long time if not for the rest of your life. Be sure to get one you will really enjoy.

Out of the three you mentioned I would look closest at the KCG-450 and the KIG-50, and like I mentioned earlier, check out the KIG-54 if they have it.

double post

There are many brands carrying inexpensive and small (5' or less) baby grand made in China, Korea and Indonasia. Some can be excellent. My advice is to expand your search by visiting more dealers, playing more brands before making any decision.

I wanted to let everyone know that I finally purchased the Kohler & Campbell KIG 48, which was delivered to my home two weeks ago. I am extremely pleased with our choice, and would like to offer several observations to others like me who are first time piano buyers.

First, be wary of attempts by salesmen and others who try to push you into bigger and bigger models. Sure, in some cases, they may be incrementally better in some respects, but you'll pay dearly for those extra few inches and in most cases probably won't notice the difference once you get the piano home.

The same goes for attempts to push you into higher-end brands. For most people, the difference in price probably cannot be justified.


Second, don't underestimate the amount of floor space a grand piano will take up in your house. I have a large home by most standards, and yet this piano (which is at the small end of the size range) takes up a tremendous amount of floor space. Anything bigger would be very crowded and out-of-place.

Finally, don't get stampeded into buying a gloss black piano just because that's what everyone says is the most popular style. We took a chance on a polished walnut model, and were thrilled with the results. It blends in nicely with our furniture and doesn't show the fingerprints/scratches like a black one does. In fact, I'd venture to guess that the polished black ones can look pretty bad after several years unless they're meticulously maintained, and who wants to spend their time polishing a piano when you can be playing it.

As for latter, my wife who had not played a piano since she was a child loves our new piano. It's easy for her to play and sounds quite nice when she does.

As for me, I never played before (I was drummer in my youth). But since getting the piano I've stared to learn and already can play some simple tunes.

I would recommend this piano without hestitation to anyone.

PS. I believe the KIG series has a veneer laminated soundboard, whereas the KCG series has a solid soundboard. We played both models side-by-side in the store, and frankly, I thought the KIG had a cleaner sound especially at the lower end. The KCG sounded mushy and the notes were indistinct.

Congratulations!

The Kohler is a solid choice. That piano will serve you well for many decades to come! Enjoy..

My wife and I bought a black Kohler and Campbell KIG54 a few months ago after our Kawai digital finally gave up the ghost. I play a lot of jazz and she is a part-time piano teacher out of our home. After playing pretty much every piano that we could get in Utah for under 10K, the Kohler seemed the obvious choice to us. The dealer had their tech really spend some time getting everything perfect and it's been awesome! the dealer told me that the KIG part of the model indicates "Kohler Indonesian Grand" and after comparing it to the KCG models, neither my wife or I could tell any difference. Totally love our piano!

I'm considering purchasing a KIG-54 coming off a Kawai digital, as well. This post has put my mind at ease, a bit. Any more recent commentary anyone would like to share on the piano (as well as alternatives at the same price point)?

We purchased a KIG 54 about 4 months ago. We really like it. It has a nice sound and touch, and the size is perfect for our space.