Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards My Kawai CA95 has arrived!

They are the sole Kawai dealer in my country. If things don't work out, accessing another Kawai piano will be tough for me.

It seems that they have very limited resources in maintaining the pianos they have sold. I was told that their boss, a technician by training, still goes out and tune pianos. Since piano tuning tasks might not be that frequent and each tuning trip only makes $55 USD, I think it might not be economical for him to hire someone just to tune pianos. But the boss is 80+ years old and uses a walking cane!

I wish I can do that. They don't even have a CA95 in their store. I ordered my CA95 unsighted from them.

I think if they give me a full refund, I might not want to buy anything from them again. Not because they are bad folks, but because they don't have the expertise to fix the things they sell.

Case in point: the technician doesn't even know what a Grand Feel key action is and isn't aware that the CA95 has a transducer that hits a soundboard.

Thinking out loud:-
I play on a Yamaha U1 the other day and find it okay. If they mess up the key-bed, I'll probably write-off my CA95 and just get a new U1 (while I like the Kawai K5, I really don't feel like getting a new one from them).

Sounds like you are better qualified to fix it yourself, especially since you are spotting things that the technician did not (e.g the loose cover). Ask for instructions from Kawai and be as cautious and attentive as you wish the technician was.

As far as I can tell there are no "certified technicians" from Kawai that work at local retail piano shops that happen to sell digital pianos. I found this out after buying a CA95.

Don't feel too bad as your experience sounds almost exactly like the one I had with my CA95 (before it was traded in for a CLP-480) as the technician did not know how to adjust the keys for clicking sounds or for proper spacing of keys. He also messed up the sliding keyboard cover and left it making a lot of noise and rattly when opening or closing it.

I am only critical of the technician's inexperience and not the minor issues with the piano itself which should have been routine knowledge in which to make the correct adjustments. This is why I now own only Roland and Yamaha digitals as I have qualified techs that can service and fix them.

My current Yamaha tech was able to order a circuit board for the pedal assembly on my 13 yr. old CLP-990M and knew how to solder on a new pedal connector plug using the original cord.

Why look for another Kawai piano, after what you've had to deal with? I was talking about getting a refund, returing the piano, so you'll be free to choose whatever brand you like.

Especially in light of what pv88 says, that Kawai doesn't even have certified Kawai repairmen in their service, I think you should look elsewhere. It may be that the service is better in Europe and the States, than in Singapore, but qualified service is important, if something goes wrong, which has certainly happened in your case.

I would ask for a refund and take a serious look at the higher end Rolands, with the Supernatural sound engine, if you are looking for pianos in the price category of the Kawai CA65/CA95 line. Assuming Roland's service is any better than that of Kawai.


Being old and using a walking cane, doesn't give a boutique owner/boss any permission to deny his customers their rights to get a fully working version of the product they have paid for.

"Thinking out loud:-
I play on a Yamaha U1 the other day and find it okay. If they mess up the key-bed, I'll probably write-off my CA95 and just get a new U1 (while I like the Kawai K5, I really don't feel like getting a new one from them)."

Don`t write off something like a CA95. Do what it takes to get this refunded. There is a legal entitlement for this to be put right. If it`s any consolation, I had to fight a year to have issues resolved with my local dealer who gave every impression he was on my side! "Never sell Kawais again", he said . , . . He does.

I really think the clicky key on my CA95 should an easy fix for someone who knows what he's doing. And so far, that's really the only problem I have with my CA95 (well, thanks to the technician, the sliding cover is now a new problem).

If they can fix this problem properly, I'll be happy to be their customer again.

Yea, it's like watching a drunken surgeon operates on your loved ones. Very painful to watch.

Iceporky, whatever you choose to do, I hope all works out well for you and you will enjoy your piano playing, and the rest of us, if you share your playing.

I can only speak for myself, I would not accept even a small fault on a new piano. At least if it's a production fault, I think we can safely say that some keys should not click, while the other ones don't. Either they should all be equally noisy or equally silent. But it's your piano and up to you.

On my Casio PX-5S, I would prefer the keys to be more silent, when the volume is down, but that is not a build fault. All the Casios are like that and all keys are equally loud, at least if it's not a faulty product. It's a quality issue, while some keys silent, other clicky, is a build/production issue.

So why is it that Kawai seems to have so few recognised techs?

It's extremely easy to find techs for Yamaha and other companies, recognised or not, but it seems that as well as Kawais being harder to try before purchase, one also finds a lot of non expert techs if a problem arise, and that if one finds a tech.

In the UK it seems that there is only ONE Kawai recognised tech co, WD Greenhill & Co, and they are in Rochford. You only have to have a look at a map of England to see the problem.

Why is not Kawai offering workshop training sessions to all those tech companies in all countries that work specifically on digital pianos, so that there won't be worries about potential/real problems?

Kawai make beautiful and very good quality pianos, it just a pity that it feels they lack behind regarding after sale service.

You know, there should be no problems with any of this stuff. Quality assurance should detect this before it ever gets into manufacture. Are they becoming so complex now, that management can`t keep up? Wouldn`t have expected it from the Japs after all their experience. . . .not even the Chinese these days; they turn out cracking electric kettles for a fiver . . . .

[the Chinese] turn out cracking electric kettles for a fiver

I bought a German electric kettle for about £15 (form Lidl, no less). You'd expect that to go on and on, wouldn't you? But no. It leaks.

Respectfully Peter, I believe 'Japanese' would be a preferable term.

Regarding the general theme of your comment, I don't believe the country in which a product is manufactured should have any bearing on its quality. A single clicking key can occur on any instrument, from any brand, manufactured in any country.

Kind regards,
James
x

Ha ha! Glad you appreciate my economic writing style . .

It could also have occurred during shipping, too, which is not the fault of the manufacturer.

I think 'Japs' has a somewhat derogatory meaning here in the US in previous generations, so perhaps the abbreviation is an unfortunate shortcut.

Yes - a word best avoided. It's a curious fact that abbreviations, in themselves, somehow become 'offensive': 'Iti' & 'Brit' are apparently 'offensive' to some people though I can't for the life of me see why. 'Scots' on the other hand is less offensive than 'Scottish'. A minefield!

....people take offense at anything these days. Or people take offense on behalf of other people. Outsourcing.

This might be true, or not. In general some manufacturers, and hence their countries, have become associated with quality of some products. German and engineering and some brand of cars, Japan and consumer electronics also some car engines and cars. No doubt others can provide examples, including the reverse case. It's historical fact versus political correctness (which I am not accusing you of).

That reminds me that in 2005 some silly Bank PRs looking to "improve" social relationships said the biggest stupidity ever here in the UK: he said that in order to avoid "offense" to Muslims, the British should avoid using things connected to pigs, such as piggy banks, figurines and similar. They were to ban piggy banks.

Obviously, some intelligent Muslim people immediately said that there was no problem from their part and that they were part of British Christian culture, so they managed to stop the tensions created in the Christian community.

They did remove the piggy banks from their ads, which I think was disgraceful, but at least they are still around.

...Another case of bad political correctness that would only increase differences and separation...

Yep. This is what happens when formality takes over from real feeling. Political correctness is often common courtesy, which is fine. It's mostly pretty harmless, but taken too far, can be infuriating!

It`s something to come against at every opportunity . . .when you get to my age, it`s mandatory! NEVER submit!!!