Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum buying a new piano.... how will the action/tone develope?

I will be getting the opertunity to try a range of new kawai k3's side by side to choose my exact model.

I would like to know what i should expect from the piano in terms of the action/sound developing as the piano matures...

Is there a standard developement of a piano action... if i choose an action i feel is right for me now, is it likely to ease up over years so is it better to go for a slightly more resistant action to start with?

I did search but couldnt find any info on this...

Plus, one last question...(well....2)

Purchasing a new kawai k3 now, are they produced in japan,indonesia or china? Were they produced in japan until recently?

Many thanks in advance.

Paul
(Who is going back to sleep at 3.48 am after just taking his daughter to the toilet... the joy of parenting!:-) ...)

Only speaking from personal experience I've noticed that my piano has, over time, developed a broader dynamic range and a slightly brighter tone. Also I feel like the "tonal palette" has gotten wider--but that might just be from getting more familiar with the instruments abilities over time.

Thanks ajf.... did you find the action has chamged with use? I know we adapt to a new piano but i dont know wether an action will ease over time... i imagine each piano is different however since im getting a range of the same model to pick from i wanted as much info as possible to hopefully find my perfect piano...

Hi Paul,
I can't help you much i'm afraid.I purchased a brand new Kawai K3 exactly one year ago today,they say they get brighter with age but i can't say i've noticed anything yet.I can't fault the piano, nothing comes close to it for the price.
I'm from the midlands, whereabouts are you?

Enjoy

Glad your enjoying your k3 mate.... this will be my first new acoustic and i'm more than a little excited! Your opinion holds weight as your k3 has ,in your opinion ,remained consistent after a year.... cant wait to try them out but it'll be a week or so till my appointment.

Yes the action has eased a little (thanks for the reminder)
The nice thing about the Kawai composite actions, though, is that they stay incredibly stable. I've played the sh$t out of my piano for 4 years and the action is still perfect. I wonder if I'll ever need to have it regulated.

@onehandonly i'M from berkshire mate, aprox 50 miles from London... getting to grips with our joyeous british autumn weather at the moment... thankfully the piano will have a stable enviroment.

@ajf i guess the k3 and kawai's in general benefit from having composite materials used in the actions... although used and improved for many years.. no doubt there will still be a polarised view on whether kawai actions are better than "standard"....

Hello Paul,
Piano wisdom is that you should always buy the piano you like best at the time of purchase. I would not advise that you buy a piano in the belief that the action, for example, is going to become lighter or more responsive as the instrument is played over a period of time. Of course, adjustments can be made both to the action and to the sound, but they may not give you the result you desire and may add to your costs.

Pianos do change with time. The hammers become harder with repeated striking of the strings and this may increase the clarity of the sound and brighten the tone colour. As a rule of thumb, some say that the first 10 years are the best years of a piano's life. I would be cautious in stating an arbitrary number as everything depends on how the piano is maintained and cared for, as well as how the piano is played. Obviously, someone pounding a piano many hours a day will more quickly cause the hammers to harden and the striking points to flatten, with the latter change having a deleterious effect on tone.

I believe that the "K" series of Kawai vertical pianos are made in Japan as they are their premium upright range. However, things can change very quickly in the piano manufacturing business in these uncertain economic times.


All the best for your purchase.

Robert.

Better? Definitely a matter of taste.
More stable and consistent over time? Not much to debate. Wood is wood and responds to humidity like...wood. Composite materials are impervious to the effects of humidity so in that respect it's a no-brainer.

Good luck with your piano search

Cheers fella, probably be next weekend for the viewings so will have to organise an unsuspecting relative to entertain the daughter.... she'll be a nightmare if she comes... though she does play a mean fre ro jaque, and starts on the correct key every time, go go magic 3 year old mozart! :-)

Four weeks ago I took delivery of a new Kawai K3 bought from an authorised dealer here in the UK. Made in Indonesia. I am delighted with my piano. The tonal character is quite rich, mellowish but with good clarity and an impressive bass. Treble areas are not the last word in refinement but at this price point there are compromises of course.

I feel the piano in general is getting better (more responsive) although the tuning has drifted very slightly (obviously to be expected with a new piano). Very happy with the action - weighting seems perfect to me.

I hope you find one you really connect with and then enjoy it for many years!

Steve

This is where a good tech shows their worth.

Glad your enjoying your transition steve... it was one of your earlier posts that helped me in the direction of trying my luck with a deal on a k3 :-)

Dave, a friend of mine has tuned pianos commercially and played for many years, i'm going to discuss my situation with him tomorrow and he'll no
Doubt give me much advice but unfortunately his deteriorating health means his spine cant cope with car journeys of any length, so the 90minute trek to the depo is completely off the table.... his opinions will be sorely missed but after having a few acoustics in the past i hope i will be somewhat prepared for the challenge ahead...

Yaaaaay! My price has been accepted and have now arranged to visit the milton keynes kawai office next thursday. I will be met by Joe, my contact from kawai who has been helping me since the start of my issues with my current dp and an engineer... they will aid me in my choosing between 3 or 4 k3's to pick the exact one to be delivered....


I'm joining the acoustic club for christmas! :-)

Top marks to kawai and dawsons, i'm a very happy man! :-)

Excellent news! I hope you enjoy the whole process as much as I have.

Cheers,

Steve