Greetings -
I'm a new member, and this is my first post. I'm in the market for a new piano, and have been trying to do my homework. I've read through Larry Fine's Piano Book, including the latest supplement. Been to a number of dealers and listened to several pianos. At this point, I've narrowed my choices to two pianos: A Mason-Hamlin AA, and a Shigeru Kawai SK3. The prices that I've been quoted are almost identical, so that doesn't figure in the decision at this point. My heart is leaning somewhat towards the Mason, but after reading reviews my head tells me the Kawai is probably the better piano.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Always go with your heart. They are both excellent.

Both are excellent pianos. Assuming that they are both well-prepped," you should ultimately select the instrument that "speaks" to you. Be sure to try out the same repertoire on each piano - and then pick the instrument that you can do the most with - both from a technical and musical standpoint.

How good a player are you? Can you give the pianos a technical work out throughout the keyboard? If not, then it may well help to take a friend along who plays well (or teacher), stand back and listen to how the pianos sound when they are pushed.

Couple this with your own views about how each one plays and feels to you.

You can't really go wrong with either.

They're both great and any differences in quality are probably negligible. If it was me, I'd buy American and go with the M&H. If you ever need to sell it (aka upgrade to a bigger M&H), you'll probably have an easier time, too.

I would be happy to own or teach on either. This should be a matter of your personal preference rather than what we have to say.

These are great pianos. I am, however, a Mason fan, so I would be inclined toward that one, and it sounds like you are as well. There is nothing like the Mason bass. . . .

Go with your heart, as others have already said. Being in love with your piano is forever!

I will be the spokes person for Kawai here. I my self own and SK6 and am just blown away by the action, as well as the clarity. It also doesn't help that I am not M&H fan so I will be bias. I'm sure you will have a lot more chime in and say go with the M&H, although I know AJF will be here soon to declare the glory that is SK. Another thing, choose the piano that is to your preference, although when your heads says SK is a better piano technically, you are probably right, but you will have M&H fans tell you differently. My vote bottom line= SK3 all the way

These two pianos sound very different. In my experience the Shigeru is very refined and perhaps a bit restrained. In general the sound is very even and when well prepped the instrument has remarkable control. The M&H is a more boisterous American, big bass, big sound, lots of character. Frankly I could like either one depending on mood, but which will appeal to you would depend on your personality type self restraint vs. self expression. Good luck.

I would find out what action the AA has in it. They have only recently made their composite action standard and this action seems to be a bit revolutionary and gets nothing but praise. If I were buying a new M&H I would insist on it.

True the Kawai has a composite action as well, but the WNG action on the M&H takes the concept to another level, treating every component as if it were a little load-bearing structure on its own (which it is).

There was some talk of M&H using some imported components. I have no idea to what extent this is important or not, but considering the track record of the new management I have some faith in their sense of quality. And remember the Kawai is 100 percent imported.

But if I were shopping, I would let the tone and touch decide for me. I really want to try out that new action on M&H, however.

I agree with Steve's post. Really, these pianos sound nothing alike. They are both top quality, but if you put them next to each other in a room, you would just "know" which you liked more, it wouldn't be a close call. Have you gotten to play them both in similar environments?

Both good pianos.

VERY different tone and character.

Norbert

The bone of contention in past discussions was that M&H uses action parts made in China. Kawai's action is made in Japan. I guess you'd rightfully call them both imported.

Based on tone, I'd probably slightly prefer the M&H over the Shigeru. Why can't they build a Mason with a Kawai action?

The "better" piano is the one you love the most. As everybody else has said, they're both great pianos. I also agree with the sentiment that you really ought to have a clear preference... and if you don't right now, go back and play them both for a long stretch until a preference emerges.

The Shigeru was in my top 3 when I was searching for a grand. I know I would have been very happy with it had I decided on it, and I will say that I liked the Shigeru action the best of all the pianos I tried. But it was the Mason I heard playing in my head while lying in bed trying to fall asleep, so it was the Mason I bought.

Thank you very much for your help. I really really appreciate all of your kind replies!

The recurring theme I think I hear in many of your replies is to go with my heart - and my heart is telling me the Mason. I really do love its rich tone and character; the Kawai is beautiful too, but the tone doesn't quite sing to me as much. It is very sweet and solid, but perhaps not as textured, or rich.

I read about the technical excellence of the Kawai action, and that in part lead to my wavering between the Shigeru and Mason. But I must confess: I can't really appreciate the difference in actions myself, at least not yet. The rest of my story (I risk too much detail here, I know...) is that I haven't played for 40+ years. I "took lessons" in my youth, but didn't continue. My resurgent interest is in part because my wife and I are expecting (a great but wonderful surprise: I'm mid 50s, she is mid-40s). And we want our little one to learn. And we both want to study again as well.

And while we are learning, we are planning to install the "LX" player system designed by Wayne Stahnke for entertainment, and maybe some added inspiration before practice sessions.

I can never get someone to go for SK. WHY! I'm happy you chose the Mason, its what you wanted.

Congratulations on your new-to-be Mason, Okoa, and of course your new-to-be baby. Please do come join us on the Adult Beginners forum; it's for restarters, too--not that you'll have a whole lot of time for internet forums with a new piano and new baby.

Congratulations on all the wonderful changes soon to happen at your home! I'm glad to hear you went with your heart -- the classic Mason sound is great.

Sophia

LB my next piano will be a Shiguru. I won't need anyone to tell me which piano to buy --but when I do get one in the next few years, I'll give you a shout

Congratulations on making your decision. I too went back to piano after some 30 years between lessons, and bought a Mason, and have never regretted it. It makes me sound good! And congratulations on the baby as well!

There is a real advantage to returning to piano when one can afford a really good instrument. . . .There are perhaps even more advantages to not waiting thirty years between lessons, but that ship sailed long ago!

I have a Mason with Renner parts. WOW, its a european piano!! Thanks for the knowledge!!

i'm going to bump this thread since i played a shigeru yesterday.

i'm currently in the market for a larger piano, 6'-7' range. i currently own a M&H model A which i feel is dollar for dollar the best <6' piano in the world. however, if i find the right piano, i'm willing to move up.

i visited a chicagoland dealer that carries yamaha, kawai and steingraeber. i'll save my impressions of the steingraebers for another occasion. i played the shigeru sk5, and i must admit to being mightily impressed with it. the action was perhaps the best i've ever played, and the tone of the piano was perfectly balanced from tip to tail. aesthetically i dislike the logo, the casket rope around the soundboard, the mahogany finish on the inner rim, the round legs and the shiny finish. some of those problems (the finish and legs) are fixable.

the M&H models AA & BB are also in the running, but i'm waiting to try one with the new composite action to compare with the shigeru, which also has a synthetic action. in any case, god forbid, a japanese piano has made it onto my short list. i can see why shigeru owners are quite passionate about their instruments.

Entheo,

I'm looking forward to your report on the Mason AA and BB with the new WNG composite action, and hearing how they compare with the Shigeru and the Millennium III action. From the reviews I've read the WNG action should compare favorably, I think.

My own search brought me down to the Mason AA and the SK3, and I ended up going with the Mason - I've got one on order with the new WNG action (unfortunately still months away from being delivered!).

However, my decision to go with the Mason actually came down to what my ears told me, rather than my fingers - I'm not yet enough of a player to fully appreciate the differences in touch. Both the Mason and Shigeru were lovely, but the Mason just had a more interesting sound, an extra dimension to the way it resonated, it seemed.

I'm certainly happy with my decision, though I can't say I don't revisit it from time to time in my head. Ideally I would have been able to hear both instruments side by side, in the same acoustic environment played by the same player playing the same pieces. Just wasn't feasible, though. I suspect for most people it isn't.

Good luck, and please post your thoughts after you play the Mason with the new action!

okoa,

no need to second guess your decision -- i too fell in love with the distinctive M&H sound, and have been very happy with my model A. and i think you made the right decision to order your M&H with the new composite action -- if it's anything like the shigeru composite action, it will be amazing.

can you provide more details regarding the wait time on delivery of your instrument? i know the composite action is going into all the CCs already, but perhaps in the AAs and BBs it's taking longer?

Thank you Entheo - I haven't regretted the decision to go with the Mason at all, but I have accepted that in some ways the Shigeru indeed might be the better instrument. But it's a very subjective business, and all things considered I'm glad I've cast my lot with the AA. Actually, one of the draws of the Shigeru for me was the promise of a visit from one of their "Master Piano Artisans", which I think would have been fascinating. Wish Mason & Hamlin offered a similar service!

The delivery date for my AA is the end of September; I'm told it takes the factory 6 months to build a new piano. At the time of my order, there was only one unsold AA in the whole country, and it didn't have the finish I was looking for.

The new WNG composite action is available to order with any new M&H, though it only ships standard on the CC. It is reportedly a $1,200 upgrade option on all the other models, but my dealer included it without additional charge - don't know if he is bearing that cost, or the factory at this point.