Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Atlas A22H or Kawai BS-1A?

Hello, I'm new to this forum and has very little knowledge about pianos so please help me out. Here's the thing, I need a piano at the price around $2000, and I'm looking forward to having a piano with best sound + key feelings. As I went to the pianos reconditioning factory in my city, I found 2 pianos that fit my requirements (I tested them myself) are:

1. 1990+ Kawai BS-1A (Serial: around 2000000+) - $2300
2. 1970+ Atlas A22H (Serial: around 900000) - $2000

The Kawai has a lil bit better "surround" sound, which means where ever u stand u hear the sound has the same quality to when u stand infront of the piano, and its keys are a lil bit lighter (I mean they're not so heavy to play, and easier to press).
The Atlas 1 has better sound feelings, especially when u play slow and love songs, but its sound changes when u stand at different spots around the piano. Also, its keys are pretty much heavier, though still playable and I think it’s better to train your fingers and ur skills, since it reflects ur actions (like feelings, strong pressing, light pressing,...) pretty exactly.
According to above infos, the Kawai can play hard pieces which require high level skills to do fast “fingers running” parts in classic pieces, since its keys are lighter, and to me it sounds better in modern songs. The Atlas can express ur feelings better a lil bit, but its sound really makes me confused, cuz it requires so much exact actions, though it sounds better in old and slow songs…
According to the factory manager, Kawai is a very famous brand, while Atlas bankrupted and is only produced for Japanese (inside Japan), not to export to the world. That’s why I couldn’t find any videos on YouTube or additional informations on this piano.
So if any of you have used 1 of the above pianos (or both) please give me some advice, which should I choose. Thank you very much =D

Though I have had a few preowned Atlas uprts. in the distant past,I don't think I'd recommend them as a piano manufacturer of consideration. In the states,they were considered an off brand gray market piano which the direct importers would import in filling that 40' container to capacity. Most were cheap,old,crusty,no parts availability and with no brand recognition in marketing these in the US. There were other no name piano manufacture stencils coming out of Japan that were a better choice as for an unknown cost effective gray market uprt. Kaiser and Diapason were a bit more known being stencils of Yamaha and Kawai in Japan. That Atlas is too expensive.

I have had a few preowned Kawai BS1A most recently . They are not exactly your most high end 48" uprt. but not bad! They are a newer mdl. and are built to a fairly decent standard as for Kawai uprts. are concerned. There are so....many different gray market Kawai mdls. over the years that most can't keep up as for the differences between them.
My vote is for the BS1A.

"In that nobody else is voting,my 1 and only vote makes it unanimous".

If you reside in Japan, disregard my gray market assessment therefore.... disregard my post.

Thank you for your advice pianobroker, I think you're right, although I'm not just buying the piano itself, it will be reconditioned as a new one (old soundboard, new hammers, pins, strings, finish,...). That's why I'm pretty confused, cuz they say that no Atlas owner has regretted their choice (I dunno if it's true), but since you say it's so expensive I'll consider to buy the Kawai, I will check them again tomorrow and decide, hope til then you can tell me sth. more about them =)

P.S.: I'm just a normal player at a normal level, not a professional pianist, I can only play famous and simple pieces =D

The Atlas is a nice piano, and built more like a European piano than an Asian piano. However, that's old. I think Broker has only seen the crud ones. They were marketed briefly here as "Tadashi" and I sold them for awhile. However, that's a lot of money. If in fact it is restrung, new hammers and it's checked out, then it could be worth the money as it is better than that Kawai, if all things are equal (condition etc.) However, keep looking as you may find something else you like.

Good luck!

Steve