Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Looking to buy a piano $12k-$17K Range: A Neophyte's odyssey

I went to look at pianos yesterday because I finally convinced my wife that we need a grand piano in the house. I visited a few piano stores (Steinway gallery, large dealer store, and a used only piano store) free of any biases; I wanted to play as many pianos as I could play regardless of price, brand name, or age.

I don’t remember the model number but I played a Boston in the mid $30ks and an Essex that was $16k price range. They both sounded nice, but I didn’t like the action. The action felt heavy and stiff. In all honesty, I prefer the action on my digital Roland HP605. Then I tried a Steinway Model A and wow, the action and sound were just beautiful. That piano was out of this world, but so was the price haha. The salesperson said that if I wanted that same action but in a smaller and more affordable piano that the model M was something to consider. Unfortunately, the model M was not in stock so I didn’t get to try it. The Steinways are out of my $12k-$17k budget lol but hey, at least I realized what I want in a piano.

I went to a second store where I tried a few Bosendorfers, one was a 225 and I forget what the other model was. They sounded beautiful, but they were too large, expensive, and the action was just ok to my liking. I also got to try a Yamaha CFX and again wow, the action was light and smooth like the Steinway A, but again the piano was too large and too expensive. I know these pianos are out of my league and pieces of art that most people would love to have, so it sounds dumb when I say the Bosendorfer’s action was just ok. But again, I wanted to go in there free of biases, positive or negative, and truly be honest with myself about what I like and dislike in a piano.

I finally started playing pianos in my price range. I played a Kawai model KG-7D (7’4 feet) that was on sale for 17K. It sounded beautiful and played nicely, but it is too big for my livingroom. If it wasn’t for the size I might have taken this baby home. I tried a few Young Changs which were just ok. I also tried the Yamaha GB1K which sounded nice, specially for the price, but the action felt stiff. I already have chronic hand pain (not piano related) and thought, this action would end my piano career haha. The salesperson said, “I want you to try this other one.” It was a Yamaha GC2 and wow, the action was really close to that Steinway M and the Yamaha CFX. That GC2 is super easy to play and the sound is really nice. My wife was tired of shopping with me and kept saying just get it will you. But I want to try as many pianos as I can so that I don’t regret my purchase down the line and I want to get a good price because that’s a lot of money on a luxury good.

Finally I went to a store where it looked like all pianos go to die. They mainly had really beat up pianos. They had a Kawai GL10, which was supposed to be new, but it sounded like there was something wrong with one of the bass strings. Some techs were walking around but there was no one to help me so I don’t know if that piano was faulty. The action on the GL10 felt just as stiff as the Yamaha GB1k. This was disappointing because I’ve heard so many good things about the millennium 3 action. I also read that the same action is found on the GL20 and GL30, so I don’t know if that takes those out of the list for me. Maybe the GL30 being a little larger will have longer key length and it will play as easy as the Yamaha GC2?

For now, I really like the Yamaha GC2, but I realize that I want it with the Silent Piano option. The purely acoustic version at the store I visited had a sale price of $21.4k and the silent version sale price was $25k. The SMP from piano buying guide is about $27.5k for the regular GC2 and $31.2k for the silent version. If I get lucky and get 30% off the SMP prices, I’m looking at $19.25K for the regular version and $21.84k for the silent version. That’s a bit above my budget, but I might be able to stretch it if I can buy it when Yamaha has those 24th months with 0% interest. I can put half down and pay the other half in 24 months.

What are other pianos with silent options that I can look at in the $12k to $17k price range? I will have to play the piano with headphones about 50% of the time. My other option is to wait it out until I find a used GC2 with the silent feature, but I don’t know how often those show up.

It sounds like you've made a good start!

Are you in the US? Have you looked at used, private seller info online at all?

I can't help you re silent, but I bought a used Yamaha C2 (same length as the GC2) and I absolutely love it. But I spent over 6 months piano shopping and finally found this from a private seller.

Also, if you are interested in the piano now but the financing deal isn't advertised, just ask for it. You might be surprised! Also, you might check Allegro, which is a piano financing company, I heard they were bought by Synchrony (which does lots of CC and financing programs, include for dept. stores and places like Lowes).

Some people will say don't finance, but I think if you have a good credit score (and aren't planning to buy a house in the next two years), there's no reason not to take advantage of financing options, esp. if it allows you to get a better piano now.

Good luck!

“ I went to look at pianos yesterday because I finally convinced my wife that we need a grand piano in the house.”

You had me here. What magic trick did you use to convince your wife that you needed a grand? Were you playing on a upright before that?

Drvenom-my first piece of advice is not to rush the decision. Take your time. Continue to play pianos. It sounds like you have pretty definite ideas about what you like more and what you like less in pianos. That’s great. I’d keep notes (I think your post is a good record of your first day shopping and your feelings on that day).

2nd piece of advice is maybe to go shopping by yourself, at least until you’ve narrowed things down somewhat (unless your wife also plays? I didn’t get that sense from your post). You will probably feel less rushed and more comfortable with evaluating the pianos.

If you are coming from exclusively playing a digital (which was how I interpreted the post, although this was not explicitly stated), it’s also possible that your feelings about acoustic actions may evolve a little over time, as you play more acoustic pianos. So just give yourself time and continue to be open minded about what you are experiencing. Also along that vein, all acoustic pianos are individual instruments, and I would not discount all of a manufacturer’s pianos based on not liking the action on one or two pianos you played (I would not yet cross off all Kawai pianos).

If you tell us about your location, forum members may be able to point you toward particular dealers, private sales that may be of interest, and also piano technicians who work on and sell a few pianos (or who may have clients looking to upgrade, etc). Given that you were able to visit three piano stores in 1 day, my guess is that you’re in a fairly large metro area.

Good luck! And have fun on the piano search! It’s definitely a journey, but I found it to be a fun one. And if you haven’t checked it out, please take a look at the PianoBuyer.com website; it has a lot of great information for people looking to purchase a piano.

I used our daughters as leverage lol. I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old. The 6 year old started piano lessons 2 months ago and she loves it to the point that we threaten to take her piano lesson for the week away if she misbehaves. She would rather lose tv time than a piano lesson. We have to find a better discipline method lol. We'll get the 3 year old started with lessons in a few years too.

My wife is also into heirlooms so I said it is something we can leave to one of the girls, which is true. When I mentioned heirloom she was like buy the Steinway, but that’s crazy talk lol. I rather leave them that money in an index fund to get started with life. My wife also knows how much I love music and playing instruments. I have no vices and all I do is hang out with her and my girls, my hobby is music and reading math and econ textbooks. I also listen to her talk about her work everyday for an hour or two because it is fun, and I give her management advice. So she says we deserve this piano, as long as it is glossy black and no bigger than 5’11. Well she said no bigger than 5’8 lol.

I started playing in one of those huge uprights when I was a teen, then didn’t play again until my late 20s on a Yamaha motif xs8. Then three years ago I got a Roland HP605, which is just fantastic, and after playing so many pianos I realize that its action is quite nice, but my dream has been to have a real piano despite the fact that I still kind of suck at piano. I can play a few songs, the first 10 hannon exercises, all my scales and arpeggios. I just took up piano lessons again. The last time I had a lesson was back in my teens haha.

I purchased a new Cunningham Parlour Grand for not a whole lot more than $17,000 and I am very happy with it. I can talk more about it if you would like to PM me.

Yea, my wife was done after the second store. All she cares about is that the piano looks and sounds beautiful in the living room.
This journey has been fun so far and I’m learning a lot. I am definitely open to any brand. I play the guitar and my dream was to get a Taylor or a Gibson one day. When I was buying my main guitar I went to a big shop and put on a blind fold. I told my friend to hand me guitars at all price points. My favorite guitars ended up being a Yamaha LL16 and a Yamaha CPX1200, which are a fraction of the cost of a Taylor or a Gibson. If anything, the Taylor and Gibsons ended up being a the bottom of my blind fold list. So I’m trying to do the same with my piano purchase.


I’m in Ventura County in Southern California, which is 1.5 hours away from Los Angeles.

I'm in Ventura County, which is 1.5 hours from Los Angeles in Southern California. I haven't checked private sellers because I was hoping to get warranty with the piano. This is a big purchase for me and I don't want to risk by buying privately, but I'm not discounting the possibility. I'll definitely look into it. If I can finance with 0% I'll do that. Most stores had a 12 month 0% financing. But if I can do the 24 month I'll do that. I don't want to finance if it is not 0%. Thank you. I'm glad you like the C2, I hope I get to try that piano out too. I'll check to see if yamaha has a silent option and the price point.

Anyway, I just realized that I didn’t get approval from my wife for any piano purchases. She went off to study in Paris for two years while I stayed in New York. I bought a keyboard and didn’t tell her I started piano lessons. Later, I rented an upright, and then ordered a Yamaha DYUS5, still while she was out of country, lol.

It was nice to just buy things I wanted without negotiating over them. A grand is a bridge too far, though. There just isn’t enough room for it.

You seem to have very particular tastes with regard to action feel. I might then caution you about buying any piano sight-unseen. Even two of the same model can sound or feel different. This could possibly be compounded by low-priced brands, or lower lines of a brand that offer multiple quality levels…receiving a little less voicing and regulation at the factory, combined with shopping dealers on price, alone (oftentimes the lowest priced sellers do the least prep work on their pianos, prior to sale).

Factory silent and player systems are generally preferred over aftermarket fitments. They also come at considerable cost, and reduces available piano choices. Is there any way you can just keep your digital for those situations?

I bought my first piano (a Yamaha digital) about three months after we got married. I had been living in Japan for about three years at the time. Japanese money includes coins in denominations of Y100 and Y500 coin (like US $1 and $5) and I had been in the habit of always paying with bills (cash) and then taking all of my change and putting it in a huge jar when I got home. As you might imagine, it really adds up that way. I literally had well over Y100,000 (US$1000) in coins. Separate from that, I had been playing classical guitar (which I wasn't any good at) and a friend had lent me a Yamaha stage piano (weighted keys).

So I decided I wanted to get a piano, and I told my husband about it. He was sort of skeptical and said something along the lines of "well, if you don't play it, it will end up just being like a big piece of garbage taking up space in the house." I assured him I would play it, so we took my jar (which, for the record was incredibly heavy) to the bank and got the coins changed for bills, went to an electrical appliance store and I bought a Yamaha YDP (I'm pretty sure it was a 120 or 121). I always joke that my piano was the first big purchase we ever made as a couple.

Fast forward a year. I decided I really wanted an acoustic piano, and I told my husband so. This time all he said was "that sounds like a good idea."

Because by then he knew there was no reason to worry about me not playing!


For every piano purchase since then (I have purchased four other pianos after that first acoustic), we have discussed it almost the way you would a washing machine -- by which I mean, there's no question that the purchase needs to happen, it's part of the necessary items in the household. And he drove me all over tarnation for all of the piano shopping trips I made trying to find a grand. (He also fell asleep in the Steinway Gallery while I was trying out the most expensive pianos on the planet!

My husband is an angel.

On the topic of the silent systems, I guess my thinking is similar to terminaldegree’s. You like your current DP, you are particular about what you want out of a piano, and you will have many more options if you don’t limit yourself to acoustics with silent functionality. So if you have space to keep your current DP, I think that would be my choice (and buy the acoustic piano that’s in your budget and that you enjoy most). I will also say that I had a DP prior to buying my grand piano. I practiced a lot with headphones, and I anticipated that I would continue to use it a fair amount for silent practice. I bought my grand piano last April, and I can literally count on one hand the number of times I’ve turned on the Clavinova. My family doesn’t mind the practicing, and my acoustic piano is really much more enjoyable to play. I am practicing more, not less. Your circumstances may be different, but I would not discount the possibility that you actually don’t ‘need’ the silent feature as much as you think you do. It sounds like everyone in the family is supportive of the piano and of having music (and practice) in the house. That’s wonderful.

I was thinking the same thing, why not get a piano with no silent system and keep my digital piano or upgrade it. But then I was thinking that I really want to play the acoustic piano as much as possible. I can basically play the acoustic piano exclusively if it has the silent system. I'm afraid that if I get the acoustic piano alone, I'll only be playing it during special times when I'm not bothering someone and will still mainly be u sing my digital piano. I figure with the silent system I can play my piano any time I feel like it to my hearts content. Also, my daughter likes to jump on the digital piano randomly so I figure this way we won't be like hey keep it down we are on a call or trying to work haha. I know that once the piano gets here she won't even want to touch the digital piano. She already told me that the digital piano is mine and that the new piano will be hers haha. But yea, I've considered it, specially because I know I can save a lot of $ going that route. But you're right maybe I have to think it over.

That's an awesome story. I feel the same way, my wife is just a bit of a red personality (executive type). She's like, just get the damn thing already would you haha. I'm the frugal one and I want to get something I love and that my girls can play for a long time. Maybe we will upgrade as time passes. My wife has been super nice about getting me some guitars like limited model Takamines. But yea, I'm super excited to buy this piano. I was originally thinking of getting a CLP785GP, the digital pianos that look like baby grands but she was like, no I'm not having that fake piano in my living room. I pitched the grand piano idea and she agreed, specially once I mentioned everything about how our eldest loves playing and the little one will play too. We are hoping for another child, so that's also the reason I'm really thinking about a silent system. Can you imagine how many times the non silent piano would wake up a newborn, specially when my 6 year old likes to jump on the piano randomly haha. If you don't mind me asking how much did you get your C2 for?

Re keeping the digital, that is an excellent idea if you have the room!

I will PM you re what I paid for my piano. But for the record, I purchased from a private seller, and also in 2019, both of those details kept the price low.

Presumably you will find one that you all can live with. If it were me with that budget, I'd think about either something good from China (Cunningham or Kayserburg seem to get good reviews here, among a few others) or something that had been recently traded in so you can catch most of the depreciation. Maybe an Estonia that is new enough to be of their recent good run, and not needing major work...

There is a Piano store that I thought had completely closed in my area. It turns out that the store closed but the gentleman who owns the place is retiring so he is selling his last pianos. He basically had the whole GL line up. I got to try the GL10, GL30, and the GL40. The GL10 was a no go, I think people are spot on when they say that it lacks bass. To me, my digital piano sounds better. The GL30 sounds beautiful and very intimate. The action was not my favorite and while I know it shares the same action as the GL10, the action on the GL30 felt lighter. Maybe the lauder sounds gives the impression that the action is lighter. I really liked the piano, not as much as the Yamaha but it was good.

He had two new GL40s, a satin and gloss finish. The satin was the only one in tune and the sound was definitely louder than the GL30. The GL40 has this extra shimmer/resonance that I'm not sure I like. Unfortunately, the action on the gloss GL40 felt sluggish compared to the satin GL40. I made a comment to the owner but he said it is the same action and that Kawai preps the actions so they feel the way they are supposed to feel out of the factory. I'm hesitant to buy a new piano that doesn't feel good to me and taking a tech guy with me to buy a new piano sounds a little strange. Maybe that's what I should do if the price is right?

The prices he quoted me without negotiation are:

GL30 gloss $18,000 plus $300 delivery fee (they will tune the piano)
GL40 gloss or satin $20,500

He told me to look around and bring him prices and he'll see what he can do. He also had a Yamaha G2 that he had just received used, but his tech took the action home to work on it. The piano should be ready on Tuesday. It is from the year 1988 but it had 3 chipped keys and that's why his tech took it home. He is selling it for $8,900. I was told to look into pianos that are 10 to 20 years old. This piano is 33 years old, but I'll probably still go play it.

If those are USD prices, that is a jump-on-it-now possibly deal of a lifetime situation. Just a shade over 50% of MSRP? Crazy deal.

Wow, the retiring piano store is an interesting, but complicated, opportunity.

You want to think of it like buying a piano from a private seller -- no after-care, no buy-back options, no warranty etc.

That's ok, just something to keep track of in your head, and in your expectations.

I'd try a lower counter-offer on the Yamaha GC2 you liked so much with that dealer, on that specific piano. If that doesn't work, consider putting a deposit on the Kawai GL30, have them tune it, and see about bringing a tech with you to inspect it and see if the action can be adjusted to your liking. If you're buying these pianos new from an authorized dealer, the factory warranty would still apply, even if the dealer goes out of business.

Good point! I always have used purchases in mind.

If you find a GX2 Kawai in good condition you will forget that Yamaha even made pianos.It is a "dream piano" if in good condition and a wonderful responsive action.Good luck on finding your piano!

I was tempted by the GL30.However, the silent option is almost a must unless I find a ridiculous price that I just can't pass up on a piano that I'm in love with. I'm afraid that if I don't get the silent option, we will only use the piano from time to time rather than all the time. It looks like I have a baby on the way, so I can't be waking up the baby during the day when it naps and then my other two at night. So yea, I think at this point I'm going to have to limit myself to a silent option. Damn, that's going to take a lot of good pianos and deals out of the picture.

I see the GX-2 has an Aures 2 option, but damn that piano must be expensive. I don't see it on the piano buyer website so I don't know what the SMP is. I'll try to see if I can find it and see what the going price is.

Yea, some of the other stores offer a 100% value trade for a piano twice the price. I mean, I don't know if we'd ever use that option but if life treats us well we might haha.

A little angel arriving! I wish you all the best!

Thank you, I just found out after trying out those Kawai pianos today so my wife said, yea maybe you should really consider that silent option ha. lol.

Someone 2 hours away is selling a c2 for 11k. It is 12 years old. I might go check it out despite wanting a silent system.

I'm one of those old purists who believes that grand pianos are compromised by the addition of silent or player systems. I currently own a 7 foot grand, 51 inch tall upright (with practice pedal) and a digital. I find that I play them all equally depending on what is or isn't going on in the house at a given time. I also enjoy the variety. I believe your best bet would be to hang on to your Roland digital and find a terrific grand you enjoy playing. With up to three pianists in your household, having access to two instruments (including one for silent practice) could be a life saver.

Whoa, that's a great price, esp. for a 12 y/o instrument!!

I think this was discussed above, but do you have room somewhere to keep the digital you already own?

You’re doing life right, my friend.
To the OP looking at a 12 year old C2, that price is really low…almost suspiciously low. Make sure the piano actually exists, that the seller is the actual owner, that the age is correct (serial number), and that it hasn’t been damaged.

Regarding this, yes, brighter pianos "feel" lighter to the player than mellower ones. But the key stick length on the GL30 and GL10 are probably not the same, and I suspect the amount of factory regulation is also not the same between them. I don't know if other aspects of the action geometry are also different between them, or not. They do share similar materials and technology. If KawaiDon sees this, he'll know for sure.

Yea, this is the decision that is kind of killing me. I don't think I can get a good deal on a silent piano. Most stores I've called only have the accoustic versions of the pianos I'm interested in the GC2 and the GL30. Well, one store has a disklavier option but that's a crazy 15K above the asking price of the acoustic option. Since most stores don't have the silent options in stock and would have to order the piano for me, I think I'd basically have to pay what they are asking for. I doubt they'd negotiate much if they have to order the piano rather than them having it in stock. I'm not sure though.

We have two living rooms, the main one and another that's combined with the kitchen; I don't know which is called the family room lol. The main living room is 15x16 and that would have to fit the acoustic piano. I have my Roland digital in the second living room right now. And in my office room I have a motif xs8 and a small studio. I'm definitely keeping my roland where it is currently located. I mean, if i get a used piano maybe I can convince my wife that I need the acoustic a better digital down the line, and my current digital will go in my office and I'll sell the motif xs .

In that case, I agree, you should just go with an all-acoustic grand, you’ll probably get better piano for your money that way as well.

My understanding is that you can absolutely negotiate when ordering pianos and that you can get a good price this way — after all, the piano is not taking up floor space, it is not taking up a technician’s time, nor does it represent a big chunk of capital that the dealer needs to recuperate with a sale. However, if the piano is sent directly to you, it will not get any dealer preparation (which depending on the dealer, can be very little or quite a bit). And at least as significant, you will not be able to play the instrument before you buy it. Therefore, you are taking a risk that you will actually like the piano that arrives to your doorstep. Even with Yamaha and Kawai, there can be substantial differences in touch and tone between pianos that are identical models. Given your initial post, I think you would notice these differences and have preferences for specific pianos.

Sgisela, I wonder how much the pandemic and supply chain issues have changed that…

Damn, why are my fingers so picky. I'm less picky about sound haha. Thank you for the input.

I dunno, my fingers are pretty picky too... Well, I'm pretty picky about sound too...

But I think being picky about action and sound is how you get a good piano, so in the end it's definitely a good thing!

Ditto

All I can say is that I joined PianoWorld a year into the pandemic, and from reading posts that quote prices on new pianos, the best prices I’ve seen have been on pianos purchased to order, sight unseen, delivered to the new owner in the crate.

That said, I’m not advocating buying a piano this way. I certainly made sure I bought a piano I had played and liked. And I think there is a lot of risk involved in buying a piano sight unseen.

Wow, that's super interesting!

I wonder if there is a lot of variation between the same piano line. If I like the GC2 or the GL30, I wonder if there is a lot of variation between other GC2's and GL30s.

I think it depends on what one means by "a lot" ... When I visited a dealer that had several different models of new Boston and Kawai grands, I found them to be pretty similar from one to the next... But 1) the Bostons were too expensive and 2) I didn't like Kawai action. So I didn't make any effort to consider how those pianos by same maker were similar or different.

OTOH, when I was piano shopping, I never had the opportunity to compare two Yamaha pianos in the same place that were similar enough to say anything about your question here. By which I mean, either I visited a piano at a private seller (only one piano) or I was in a dealers where they had tons of used pianos, but the specific models and ages were different enough that I couldn't compare.

Aside...
You know, for as big a fan as I am of Yamaha pianos, it's ironic (and kind of sad) that I was unable to visit an official Yamaha dealer during my piano search.

And of course, then the stupid pandemic happened and I haven't been able to get back to Japan since then (because if I had, I could have visited a Yamaha dealer in one of the towns I regular go to while there .... some day...)

Yea, the pandemic really messed a lot up. I got lucky enough to visit one yamaha dealer that's how I got to play the Bosendorfers and the Yamaha CFX. Personally, I thought the GC2 action was not far from the CFX action. I'm probably crazy but that's what my fingers were telling me. The sound on the other hand was worlds a part. At least right now, I'm waiting for that C2 for 11k to respond and the kawai dealer that is closing up shop has that G2 from 1988 also. I'll look at those too. I agree with you about what you said in another post. The Bostons do sound nice, I just couldn't get my fingers to like the feel.

I just spoke with the lady selling it and she gave me the serial number. Yamaha says the piano was built in 1996, but she says she purchased it 12 years ago new at a store in Ohio. It looks in great condition from the pics. The piano is a bit far so I told her I'm interested but I'd only go see it if she is willing to get it tunned first as it hasn't been tuned in over 2 years.

OK - so 12 years ago the piano would have been 14 years old. I'm having trouble believing that the seller purchased it "new" in 2010. Where was it for 14 years? Even if the seller is a bit 'confused," the piano still might be worth checking out if you feel the price is right and she gets it tuned per your request.

I'm thinking the same, but if it is in good condition and she is willing to go down in price it might be something to look at. She said she'll have it tuned.

re getting it tuned first, that's definitely a good development! Ask her to give you name of the person who tuned. Even though that person will not be a totally neutral source, you might try to follow up and ask the tuner what they thought about the piano.

Re the age, 26 years old isn't bad. But you probably will want to have it evaluated by a tech if you're interested in it after you play it.

Re the discrepancy... it's hard to know what the source of the confusion is, but in the absence of other information, I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume it's an honest mistake.

If you find out it wasn't an honest mistake, then you can come back here and we can all help you trash talk her!

j/k

Working hard at it. Our kids are in their 40's and independent, our mortgage is paid off, our cars are 10-14 years old and still going strong, and I was able to purchase all three instruments "new" for a combined total of $33K plus tax - so things have worked out well.

Seems promising !!

I agree, Carey. Pre-owned Yamaha grands are very popular and seem to command a hefty price these days.

Also, I do think private owners get confused about their pianos age, or when they purchased it. Heck, I lose track of time myself. Sometimes I may recall something that I thought happened 10 years ago, and it actually happened 15 or 20 years ago.

Also, FWIW, I've experienced first hand that some dealers will be mistaken about the age or their pre-owned inventory.

I too think the Yamaha C2 is certainly worth checking out...

Rick

I think I seen you talk about new asian pianos. If that was you mentioning asian pianos, which do you recommend I look at?

I think you have me confused with someone else.

So im going to go check out the gl30 again. The dealer said he’ll give it to me for $14,600. It makes me want to just get it.

Fingers crossed for you!!!

"The GL30 sounds beautiful and very intimate. The action was not my favorite and while I know it shares the same action as the GL10, the action on the GL30 felt lighter. Maybe the lauder sounds gives the impression that the action is lighter. I really liked the piano, not as much as the Yamaha but it was good."

The asking price is now $14,600 versus $18,000. That's about 53% of the SMP - which is a very good deal. If the piano is in a finish other than ebony, it's an even better deal.

To the OP - I assume you've read the following profile in the PianoBuyer:

https://www.pianobuyer.com/brand/kawai/

It's funny that you should mention this because that is exactly 100% my take away. I played the two gl40's he had there and while I think the sound of the GL40 was more full, far more depth in the bass, and significant overtones, the GL30 was just super clear and very intimate. I almost want to say that it reminds me of a really nice upright piano in sound. The other shop would let go of the GL40 for about 2k more. I prefer the sound of the GL40, but the GL40 made a very faint rattle when I was playing. He couldn't hear it so he's going to schedule his tech to come in and I'll also go in and see what the issue is. He said he makes no promises though because he can't hear it and I also felt the action felt more slugish on the GL40. I know people say that those things can be adjusted, but I'm not going to bank on that. He also had a GL30 in Mahagony Sepele that I just love but that's about $2k more expensive than the ebony. Weirdly enough the action on the Mahagony was lighter than the action on the ebony GL30.

I really want that Mahogany or the GL40. I think the GL40 won't pan out because of the rattle. Also, I feel crazy for even thinking of paying an extra $2k for the mahogany. Lol. At this point I think I might just bite the bullet on the GL30 ebony. I'm sure I won't get a better price for that piano plus the 10 year warranty. Anyways so my take away:

1. GL30 Gloss ebony: Very intimate but lacks a bit of basss.
2. GL 30 Mahogany: Very intimate, lighter action than on the GL black, but $2k more expensive
3. GL40 GLoss ebony: Deep bass, a lot of depth and overtones. It has a rattle, slugish feeling action, and $3k more than the ebony GL30.

Sorry for my ramblings. I'm using this thread as a way to document my buying experience and also putting out there in hopes that it helps others.

Exactly what PW is for!!

Well, that and weirdos like me who may never buy another piano but just love hearing about people’s piano journeys!

A rattle and not a buzz or was it a buzz? You could get the manager to have it serviced and regulated before your next visit.Perhaps a technician forgot a tool inside the piano.A buzz could be just the lid or something nearby vibrating.They would have to have it prepared for you before you make your decision.I hope it all works out!

Not really, not if you really like it and can afford it. That piano will likely be with you for a long time, 2K is a pretty normal uplift for a Mahogany finish and, after all, it is not just the finish but the lighter action you are getting as well (I'm assuming that you do actually prefer that lighter action).

This question seems to have gotten a bit buried. I can’t say that I have tons of experience with pianos manufactured in China. However, take a look at the PianoBuyer Staff Picks: https://www.pianobuyer.com/article/staff-picks-recommendations . They have a number of pianos on the list that are made in China, and I think that the pianos they have listed are worth checking out.

Some of these pianos are: Baldwin (I did get to play one of these, and I was impressed), Cunningham (may be challenging to find since you’re on the West Coast, but there are people on PW who own them, and they love them), Hailun (I’ve seen some good reviews from people on PW), Perzina, and Brodmann. Ritmuller and Kayserburg are both on the vertical piano ‘staff pick’ lists. Many of these pianos may not be represented in your area, but I suspect that several of them are.

Some new development and more ranting from me lol. I got to try a c2 from 1997, which is crazy expensive at $18k, but I just wanted to try it because a lot of people talk about that piano. I also got to try another G2 from 1988, going for $7.5k.

I can see why people like the C2 it is bright (crisp) but beautiful sounding. But to me, it only sounded a little better than the GC2 in the bass department. For a moment I thought there was more shimmer to it than on the GC2 but I don't know if my brain was messing with me because I knew I was playing a more expensive model. The action on the C2 felt a little broken in compared to the new GC2 I tried, but they were nearly identical and a pleasure to play. The G2 sounded a little warmer than the C2 to me, and the action felt a little more broken in than on the C2. I wanted to play these pianos to see if I liked them significantly more than the Kawai so that I didn't jump the gun on the Kawai pianos.

I feel like the GC2 and C2 are not any better or worse than the Kawai with respect to sound, they are just different. I agree with most that the Kawai sound is warmer and I prefer that warmth, specially because I will have to have the piano on laminate floor without a rug directly under the piano. Unfortunately, I liked the action on the GC2 better, but I think I can get used to the Kawai action. From all the pianos I've tried the last week I have to say that the GL30 and GL40 are my favorite sounding with the exception of the Steinway A lol. Yes, I know, the Steinway is out of my budget though.

I've eliminated the Kawai GL30 Mahogany Sepele from my list because it is even more expensive than the GL40 by a few hundred bucks. I thought about it and I don't think I'll ever think to myself, "Damn it, I regret my purchase, I should have gotten the mahogony finish."

Now I just have to decide

1. Gloss black GL30
2. Satin black GL40 vs Gloss black GL40.

This choice is where I stand more to regret. I really love that intimate sound of the GL30, but I did notice that sometimes when I was playing a song the bass would come up short. Maybe I just have to strike the bass keys harder. On the GL40 you do lose that intimacy from the GL30, but you gain that nice deep bass, depth, and the extra shimmer (reverb?) on the higher notes. That's the conundrum.

Ok, now that you have narrowed it down, here is my suggestion to you.

Try to figure out whether you liked the GL30 or 40 better ... I mean, try to figure it out in your head.

Then, go back to the shop (sorry!) and play that piano for 30 minutes. Don't play anything else.

If you love it, you could stop right there. Or you could step away (like, literally, go outside or something)... then go back and play the other for 30 minutes, or until you feel like you know which one you want.

If this doesn't get your answer, buy the bigger/longer one.



(but not really joking here!)

Another thing you might consider is re the finish... IIRC, the high gloss finishes are more durable and easier to fix when there's scratch. Assuming that's right, get the gloss because you have little kids and things happen.

Another reason to get the gloss is that's the standard and should sell better when you want to sell this piano for an upgrade.

Having said all that re the finish, it's worth double-checking because I might be remembering wrong.

I do remember that when piano shopping, I consistently liked the high gloss look better. But you're not shopping for me! :P

Finishes:
I would like confirmation from a dealer or tech.
Satin: I believe scratches are less visible but fingerprints are more visible than high gloss. The fingerprints would need to be polished out with piano Polish

Thank you, fantastic advice. I'm taking my checkbook with me next time I go. I'll play them and pick one. I really like them both a lot. I've notice that on bigger pianos you can often hear more of the peddling and the keys feel a bit clunkier, but the action is also lighter. I'm guessing that's what a longer key does. Maybe it is all in my head. Whatever the case, I will go play them for awhile and pick one. Regarding getting the bigger one, I think you are right. I think that if I can't make my mind up I'll get the GL40. I think I'm more likely to say, "I should have gotten the bigger piano." But i'll double check next time I go with my checkbook.

ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy



So, um, when is the "next time" you go?

It sounds like you're nearly there, but I did want to comment on your earlier statement that a 7'4" piano was too big for your living room. Are you really sure about that? That piano is only about 21 inches longer than a Steinway M. I keep harping on this topic because I lived for three years with a 7 foot piano in a 350 square foot mobile home. Call me crazy, but I was determined to make it work, and it really wasn't that bad.

Let me take this opportunity to call you crazy, hahaha. I lived in a 425 sq foot studio and I couldn’t have imagined putting a seven foot grand in it.

My mom grew up in Newport, Vermont. After reading the novels of Vermont writer Howard Frank Mosher, I know that anything is possible, so, you keep doing you, as they say. Have you put a nine foot piano in an RV?

Alright, so I went to LA and stopped by the Steinway gallery and played the model A again. I said f it, you only live once and got it! Kidding, kidding lol. I went back to the Kawai dealer, this time with my checkbook, and with my wife; I figured she'd get annoyed with me if I couldn't make up my mind and help me in the right direction. Per the advice I got here, I sat down and played the GL30 and GL40 again. Right before I could say anything my wife said, take the big one, the small one sounds like a tin can compared to the large one. She said if I have to hear all of you practice day in and day out, then I want it to have that sparkly sound of the large one. I didn't want to risk it with the glossy GL40 because of the buzz I mentioned earlier so I got the Satin. I know I promised myself I was going to wait a few months to decide on a piano, specially because I wanted to try out some of the Chinese brands. However, the price I got on this piano is insane because they are closing up shop. The piano should get delivered by next week, before Chinese new years; per my wife's orders haha. They are going to install it and let it sit a few days in the house to acclimate, then they'll tune it and prep it a few days later. So yup, I'm the owner of a Kawai GL40. I can't believe I finally got me an acoustic piano. I'm coming up in the world haha.

Congratulations! 🎉🎊🎈 please post photos once the piano is in its new home!

Wow, congratulations!

I've been following your thread, and can relate to many of your experiences. Glad you found just the right piano, and your wife helped you to make a decision. Good for you!

Enjoy!!

Rick

Yea, I'm super happy. My wife has been a lot of help most of my life. I don't know if she was testing me to see how much I liked the Kawai because she kept saying, "we can get the steinway if you want, are you sure you don't want the steinway?" She's like you just turned 40, dad passed, people are dying all around ( she runs covid units), our 20th anniversary is coming up in a few months, get the steinway, go all out. I said nah, I like the warmth of the Kawai, even this piano is too much piano for me. If I ever outgrow it or my kids do, I'll try the shigeru. Anyway, I'm counting the days till the piano gets here .

Congrats! We’re al looking forward to pics when it is delivered And BTW, think your wife is AWESOME!!!

Woo hooo!!!! Yay!!!

So excited for you!

Also… you almost had me at the S&S “f it” part!

Oh, and yes, your wife is awesome!!

What would we do without our piano-supportive spouses?

(or is the plural speece…

I thought about getting the S&S but honestly it would have been a waste of money. It’s not like I’m going to sit in front of the Kawai and think, oh this Piano is no good should have gotten the S&S. I really like the sound of the Kawai and at least to my ears it sounds as good as the S&S, it’s just a different sound. Based on that estimation the S&S would be a waste of money as it would just be bragging rights for me haha. Yes, I’m glad our spouses are supportive. Since I didn’t get a silent system and didn’t get the S&S, I’ll probably wait for hybrid digitals to get a little better and get one in a year or two. For now my hp605 will serve as my quiet practice piano.

This forum was super helpful with this purchase, I would have been lost without yalls guidance. Thank you!