I'm in the market for a piano, and I looked at a '89 Kawai KG-1E today. I loved it overall, but it took more force to play the keys than I'm used to. Would that be bad for me as a developing pinaist? How does it compare with an RX-1 or a Yamaha C1? I've been playing piano for a little over 9 years now, and I'd really like a good piano to grow into.

Also, does $5000 seem like a good price for this piano?

The KG1E is a very nice piano.It is actually the predecessor to the present RX1 size wise (5'4"-5'5") The KG1E does not have duplex scaling and ? comparing it to the RX1. You are right,the action is on the heavy side though to me not excessively heavy.The original voicing on the E series is considerably brighter than that of the RX series.

5k is a good price for this piano contingent on it being as I refer as being of low milage. Does it show evidense of excessive(hammer/action) wear and or the top end (strings,pins,harp.damper felt.soundboard)being on the crusty side as in being in a non ideal climatic environment ? Noisey/klunky action is evidense of hard action felt caused by excessive humidity. Hopefully this piano shows none of these symptoms in that it is 20 years young. Good luck!

I liked the KG-1E. Although PB feels that the factory voicing was brighter on this piano than today's RX series, it was voiced notably warmer than other KG series pianos.

Definitely have the piano examined by an independent tech. Count on regulation, perhaps new hammers and/or dampers.

Keep us posted,

Rich....It's not healthy for us piano profesionals to agree all the time though this time I beg to differ.
The initiation of the E series was to compete againest Yamaha in the late eighties. The predesessor series of the E was the D series. Now the D series had a dark rich charactor to it's voicing. When Kawai came out with the E series,persons conveyed that they liked that dark,rich voicing,so Kawai came out later with the A and or S series in the early nineties which was characteristic to the D of the early and mid eighties. Now when one sees an E series at present,sometimes it is hard to discern it's original voicing character because one could have voiced it down considerably over the years. Now if you assessing the KG1D I'm with you all the way.

Forgive me, PB. I was thinking of the S series.

To the OP, please change every time I said 'E' series and insert an 'S' there.

I hate the fact that models I sold new 20 years ago are morphing in my distant memory to other models. I suppose I should drink more ginseng tea!

Kudos to PB!

Thank you everyone! I appreciate all the feedback. I had a piano technician check it out, and it was in near-perfect condition, so I bought it! As you can imagine, I'm quite ecstatic. Thank you again for all the advice!

Edit: Oh, and I ended up getting it at $4250, so...quite a steal!

Congrats. Stealing this piano is a felony punishable by hard labor as in grueling hours of practice. Hopefully the seller won't press charges. When your sentance is up that touchweight will not feel so heavy after all.