Kawai GM 10

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quinie
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Kawai GM 10

Post by quinie »

I've just come back from a visit to Vale Pianos nr Worcester where I tried out a Kawai GM 10. I really really liked the piano and it's pretty much what I am looking for.

The price tag was £7K which looks about right from what I can see from a bit of research.

Does anybody know if these pianos have been out long enough for there to be any on the second hand market? The one I viewed was brand new (I think!) and came with a 10 year guarantee.

I originally looked at the Yamaha G1 about 6 months ago and I really wasn't impressed with that one at all when I tried it out. It put me off getting a new one altogether but then I heard a few things about the Kawai from my piano tuner and a couple of others so I thought I would try one out and I am really keen!
PianoGuy
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by PianoGuy »

If you like it then it's a good price, but it's a very basic Kawai, and the RX series is so much better in every way. It's a Kawai grand for those who can only just afford it, and build quality has a few compromises. I find them less accurate to tune than more sophisticated Kawais, but your own tuner may love them! A good 4 to 5 million serial Yamaha G1 will better it too, but you need to shop around and find a good one. Second hand GM10s are around, since the model's a few years old now, but you'll need to find one!
PG

The opinion above is purely that of PianoGuy and is simply the opinion of one person ....

If you're buying a piano, try as many as you can and buy the one you like, not a similar one of the same type.
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

Kawai GM10 is the best 5 footer grand in its price range,tonally pleasing,nice touch,and a delight to play.Would go new as the used yamaha and kawai grand market is full of "grey imports",go cheaper and its dodgy chinese grand with poor actions,go more expensive and you will get better quality, but the price jump to £15 k for a RX1 or C1 may not be in your price range.Recently seen one new going for £6k,tuned,prepped and delivered the RRP was £8,499,sound like a good deal not to be missed.
mdw
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by mdw »

joe wrote:Recently seen one new going for £6k,tuned,prepped and delivered the RRP was £8,499,sound like a good deal not to be missed.
Wow at that price I would be concerned that the dealer is either having a really hard time and is desperate for a sale or they are going out of business and are giving the stock away just to get rid. Either way I would be careful!
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

Dont think they have business problems and are able to offer full kawai manufacturers warranties,they have a huge stock,30 grand pianos on display, they are known for impartial no nonsense advice and competitve pricing on quality brands.Try add to tread with positive comments instead of your usual tit-tat,and negativity.
mdw
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by mdw »

:lol: fair enough then joe. For the the OP, if you tried it at Vale Pianos and liked it then it seems you ve found your piano................... at Vale Pianos. Ring them up , get the serial number and buy that specific piano. Not another one nearly like it from anywhere else in the country but that specific piano from that dealer.

Ps Im a Kawai dealer as well but as Im not going to travel that far to tune , maintain, move it when you get new carpet laid, fish the pencils, glasses etc out of it , repair the chipped case corner and all manner of other things you need a local dealer for.................I am not going to offer to sell you one. Use your local dealer.
Last edited by mdw on 24 May 2009, 14:10, edited 1 time in total.
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

Mature reply,come back on and lets talk pianos,what you sell,whats good value for money,your submitting to a public forum let share in your knowledge and expertise or will you need to ask your daddy what your are allowed to say?
mdw
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by mdw »

:roll: Sorry youve lost me on the daddy comment!
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

The OP is asking the question on an international forum and quoting the price so they are looking for advice outside their local area,there are plenty tuner/techs who are able to offer solutions to the problems you are creating before they have even purchased piano "negativity".People are entitled to buy whatever piano they chose from whoever they chose and in 99% of sales its usually down to price 1st,not service.Would never dream of selling Chinese or Eastern European pianos on a national basis,but kawais amd yamaha fine as the quality of the products are superior and are 99% of the time problem free.
PianoGuy
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by PianoGuy »

Yes, it's always best to buy locally if you can and you find the right piano. I must say I'm surprised that Kawai dealers are starting to discount products, since Kawai UK don't like the practice.
PG

The opinion above is purely that of PianoGuy and is simply the opinion of one person ....

If you're buying a piano, try as many as you can and buy the one you like, not a similar one of the same type.
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

Buying locally is not always possible because most dealers usually stock the brand which makes them the most money not the ones which gives the customer the best value,and very few have a display which gives the customer a choice of the quality brands.The dealer network is partly controlled by the "WHOLESALERS" you only supply geographically so as to price protect their brand names which in many instances are not worth the ticket price.Quite often the retailers has no choice of what new piano to stock usually its the only brand they can get as we can see from this forum as they battle to give their new piano brands creedance.Always been in a fortunate position of choosing the makes we want to sell new and actively promote them against other lesser qualities at over inflated prices,regarding pricing the ticket price as been reduced from £8,499 to £7k so its open territory.
PianoGuy
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by PianoGuy »

£7k list for a new GM10 is seriously good vfm. Good to see that Kawai are keeping the price of their Indonesian built pianos sensible as opposed to Yam who are pricing them as though they were affected by the strong ¥.
PG

The opinion above is purely that of PianoGuy and is simply the opinion of one person ....

If you're buying a piano, try as many as you can and buy the one you like, not a similar one of the same type.
vernon
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by vernon »

joe is a very cynical old soul.
While he claims to know the mind of most dealers he wrong with a capital Bks..
Reputable and experienced dealers with technical knowledge and tuning expertise stock and sell pianos that they consider good value for money,are tried and tested, technically and tonally sound,cause them and the customer minimal problems.
Not the ones they can have the biggest mark-up on.
Our mission in life is to tune customers--not pianos.

Any fool can make a piano-- it needs a tuner to put the music in it

www.lochnesspianos.co.uk
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

If down to biggest mark-up why dont we sell chinese brands new they make you more than Kawai and Yamaha,its choice and quality that counts in our book not looking to sell a Steimayer,Weber pianos dont rate them and they are overpriced find your postins wayward must be the fresh air up in the north.Why do you sell Steinmayer pianos because no dealer near you stocks them so theres a chance theres money to be made.totally agree but dont moan when other dealers cross your patch cos your choice is limited.
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

PianoGuy wrote:£7k list for a new GM10 is seriously good vfm. Good to see that Kawai are keeping the price of their Indonesian built pianos sensible as opposed to Yam who are pricing them as though they were affected by the strong ¥.
Is £6k not even better value for money or am i missing something?
vernon
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by vernon »

Joe, sorry you find my posts wayward.
As I stock Webers,Steinmayers AND Kawai et al your observation seems rather contradictory. Must be all the smog down there.
Our mission in life is to tune customers--not pianos.

Any fool can make a piano-- it needs a tuner to put the music in it

www.lochnesspianos.co.uk
PianoGuy
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by PianoGuy »

joe wrote:Is £6k not even better value for money or am i missing something?
Yes you are. Read carefully and see if you can work it out.
PG

The opinion above is purely that of PianoGuy and is simply the opinion of one person ....

If you're buying a piano, try as many as you can and buy the one you like, not a similar one of the same type.
vernon
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by vernon »

pg
exactement mon ami
Our mission in life is to tune customers--not pianos.

Any fool can make a piano-- it needs a tuner to put the music in it

www.lochnesspianos.co.uk
quinie
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by quinie »

Wow!

Just came back to see if anyone has replied and there are loads!!!

Thanks so much for the replies.

I have to say I am a bit confused re the argument that seems to be going on and also the bit about where one has been seen for £6K but I am easily confused!

I am a tad worried now though because I probably can't afford to buy the piano right "this minute" and note that somebody said that I should buy that particular piano with that serial number etc.

Am I wrong in presuming that if I like one Kawai GM 10 I will like all of them then as they will be similar? I might have to wait for 6-12 months to get the rest of the money together and doubt whether that particualr piano will still be for sale!
PianoGuy
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by PianoGuy »

quinie wrote:
Am I wrong in presuming that if I like one Kawai GM 10 I will like all of them then as they will be similar? I might have to wait for 6-12 months to get the rest of the money together and doubt whether that particualr piano will still be for sale!
All pianos differ slightly, but there is less variance between Kawai than many other makes, so I doubt you'd be disappointed with another example. Just make sure you try that one to double-check it's what you expected.

The grumpy-sounding "joe" unhelpfully fails to mention where the one is available for £6k, so you may have to wait to see where it is when he inevitably replies to this thread. It appears that £7k is the new list price anyway.
PG

The opinion above is purely that of PianoGuy and is simply the opinion of one person ....

If you're buying a piano, try as many as you can and buy the one you like, not a similar one of the same type.
joe
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by joe »

£8,499 is the list price.
PianoGuy
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Re: Kawai GM 10

Post by PianoGuy »

joe wrote:,regarding pricing the ticket price as been reduced from £8,499 to £7k so its open territory.
I took this to mean that Kawai have reduced the list price.
PG

The opinion above is purely that of PianoGuy and is simply the opinion of one person ....

If you're buying a piano, try as many as you can and buy the one you like, not a similar one of the same type.
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