Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Yamaha CX vs Kawai GX Grand Piano.

Right, it only makes sense after you've put all the other concerns to rest.

that's exactly the problem...i like both
so I am looking for some reason to sway me 1 way or another

Actually, if you play both and neither of them are clearly grabbing you over the other then either your skills aren't there yet or neither of the pianos are for you. As many of the non-Yamaha/Kawai dealers say around here (paraphrasing because I forgot what they actually said) "there are a lot of other pianos out there." That's code for "check out my pianos (listed in my signature)."

EDIT: Actually, it's not uncommon to play a piano in that C2x range and not get blown away. Keep going up the size ladder. Try a C5x, C7x and then the GX5, GX7 - see if any of those sway you and you might start to figure out which camp you're in - then go back down in size to fit your budget.

Thank you for the link to the good PB article. One thing remains unclear for me though. Is the GX and GX-Blak two distinct line like they were in the RX models. I seem remember that the GX line, when introduced was said to have incorporated the refinement and improvement of the RX Blak series.

Kurt

I think all GX's are BLAK but not all RX's were BLAK. And I think BLAK was mostly cosmetic but some hammer differences. There were RX's w/o the MII action, ones with MIII, and then MIII's with BLAK, and then eventually they decided to change it altogether to GX.


http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1238270/New_Kawai_RX_Black_Ack.html

This might hold true if 'skills' means piano shopping skills, the kind you get from years and years of trying out pianos (to buy or just to play). Most people, when buying their first acoustic, won't have years and years of shopping experience under their belts.
Or both of them are. The inability to try out different brands of pianos side-by-side is always a problem when it comes to making a decision.

Thanks Stubbie, that's exactly my feeling as well...I felt that I would be happy with either choice. (between the Yamaha C2X and Kawai GX2)

I tried the Yamaha again, it definitely feels lighter and easier to play. Sound is brighter...but not as "full" as the Kawai.
I felt that some songs I play sounds nicer with the brighter tone, others sound better on the Kawai fuller tone.

Funny tho, got called from a few dealers I visited all saying they have sale this weekend...(like they are all coordinated)
So prices still roughly the same...hopefully I will make the decision this weekend.

Spoke with some friends who plays piano, they all seems to hold Yamaha in higher regard than Kawai for some reasons. Also, I saw some posts about technician commenting the CX line are really well built when they get it tuned (better than the very popular older C series)

Any tech has experience with the GX line and opinions on the Kawai?

I was going to make a joke about you needing new friends, but most of the people I know would probably prefer Yamaha to Kawai as well simply because around here Yamaha is better known. I'm not a tech and have not played the GX series, but liked the RXs I've played as well as Shigeru Kawais. Yamaha makes great pianos, but they are not (IMO) superior to Kawai. The two are equivalent in quality, so it really comes down to which piano you prefer. However, my real preference would be for a Shigeru Kawai, the SK7 I got to know was a remarkable instrument, but beyond my means. Frankly I preferred it to the Yamaha CFX (concert grand) I played a few years later.

Personally, I've never really liked Yamahas - not keen on the archetypal sound but the newer C2X and C3X I tried really impressed me. I could live with a C2X and it's on my own shortlist. I just need to get some questions answered on how the mass produced pianos stand up to wear and tear over time.

Tried some Kawai RXs and GXs at the weekend which were nice but much preferred the touch of the Yamaha to be honest.

I think I prefer Kawai uprights to the Yamaha equivalents, though - shows how confusing this whole thing can be. I can't echo enough the sentiment of trying as many as possible. Take a more talented friend along if possible so you can hear a more varied repertoire as some pianos seem to lend themselves better to particular styles.

Good luck and try not to let it stress you out - don't let the salespeople push you into anything, either!

Obviously I love the CX series as we own a C2X. As far as durability is concerned, that should the very last thing to worry about; Yamaha has a 50+ year history of making instruments that last.

Correct. For all the talk of carbon fibre action parts in the Kawais giving them a longevity advantage, anybody who's owned a Yamaha knows they are built like tanks. They don't fail unless they are abused or kept in a terrible environment. My 50 year old U3 is still as solid as a rock.

You don't need to consider longevity with Japanese pianos. Just consider what you want to play and hear. Personally, I'm a Yamaha man over Kawai. I find the action a bit heavy on Kawai and I've found the Kawais have things I don't like hearing on every model I play - false beats on different strings. I think Kawais need special attention from a good tech to play really well, but I've played many Yamahas that have been great from day one. All brands have some issues though. If you find an instrument that is perfect for you, you buy it.

Tried the Kawai at the store again over the weekend.
two keys were buzzing really bad (E & F next to each other, only when you play it hard tho)...the salesman said probably the string is loose/went up.
Is this a very minor thing or some indication of quality...??

Kinda lowered my confidence with Kawai...(A bit ironic too since he was talking about how stable and well-built the GX is when I mention the buzzing)

It is quite common on Kawais. It can be fixed, but you need a good tech who can work out the cause and eliminate it. I know a Kawai dealer personally and even he told me that the Kawais come with the most problems out of the crate. His tech has to spend more time on them to get them where he wants them to be on the showroom floor.

Just wanted to update you all I decided on the GX2. (placed deposit today, getting it next week)

It was a really tough choice.
I have a clear preference on the Yamaha Treble. It has a nicer sounding "ring" to me
But the bass sounds a bit hollow...The kawai dealer has a used C2X side by side with the GX2, the bass end sound much "bigger" on the GX. (Maybe they set it up on purpose so the Yamaha doesn't sound as nice lol)

TBH, i felt that the C2X sound has more character to it...the Kawai sounds very "perfect" but ordinary. But a few things that swayed me toward the Kawai
- 5'11" vs 5'8" length, plus slightly bigger sound board...(I have a room with too much space and too little furniture)
- salesman took out the keybed and show me the C2X and GX2 action side by side, the GX's action looks much neater, and higher quality.
- I feel the Kawai shop is a bit more professional when it comes to all the prep, setup and tunning.

Price is pretty much the same between the C2X and GX2 ($100 difference)
Hope these information can help the next person shopping for a piano!


Btw, also tried a Mason and Hamlin, it sound amazing and different! It has a very dreamy tone to it. I actually like the sound more than the Steinway (forgot model, but is huge) and Shigeru SK2 in the same room!

Congrats, wabbit!

I'm so happy for you as a GX-3 fan! To my ears it sounds kinda close to Steinway B but without the shiny and upfront character. I like the modest yet very regulated, clear, coherent sound of GX-3.

This GX-3 I have regular access to was tuned about 3 months ago and it's still going pretty well. The thing about this piano is that the tone is so clear that you can hear the string resonance beating even at the slightest offset. So it sounds best when perfectly tuned, but still nice with a bit of detune.

One thing I'd like to mention is that this piano seems to require a degree of patience for break-in period, especially with keys. I can still feel the key bushing causing a small friction which makes it feel sluggish, but it is noticeably becoming smooth. As an adult beginner, I take it as a good chance to practice scales by going from the lowest A to the highest C and such tedious routine is still fun with this pianos because the tone is so beautiful!

Yes, Kawai's treble is mellower than something like a Yamaha, but it gets brighter as the piano breaks in.

I don't think I mentioned it in this thread bc I didn't want it to affect your decision but I own a Kawai RX-5 (predecessor to the GX-5). I had the same thing - when I got it the treble was pretty mellow but still have a very warm and pretty tone to it. I asked a tech about it and he said he could speed up the break-in period by shaving a hair off the hammers, basically fast-forward about a year's worth of playing. But I declined since I'm in no hurry really and actually sort of like the mellower treble. Just keep playing it and in about 6 months it'll start to open up.

how much do you get for gx-2?

I have an offer from my dealer for around USD17,900,-
is this a good price?

I am curious about shigeru sk-2.
do you try it?

Tirta,

You could help us by indicating your location, and other details like whether your sales tax is included in the price, delivery details, included services, type of bench, etc. You are looking at purchasing floor models, right?

There are a few SK-2 owners on the forum. Although I haven't even played an SK-2, what are you wanting to know?

I am in Canada, but it is about the same price after exchange. (pretty much the same if u do 1.3)

Yes, I did try the Shigeru SK2 right next to it, it does sounds nicer, but it is only a tiny bit nicer but at a near $10K premium, which I don't think is worth it. I found the sound very similar to the GX2, which is quite different from the Yamaha, Mason & Hamlin, and also a Hoffman I tried. I guess each brand has their own style of sound.

When a Kawai is too mellow, they often respond to "battery" voicing - pushing the tension on the hammer higher into the shoulders. Hopefully the tech was speaking of "polishing" the hammers with very fine grit paper without removing felt. That is pretty benign, and effective in producing a harder attack, and a bit more power.