Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Help: Purchase Kawai RX-3 for 18k$

Hi everyone,

I'm about to purchase a used Kawai RX-3C. I've played on it and fell in love.

Kawai RX-3 Conservatory
6'1" - 186cm
Polished Ebony
2002
N°2451497
16000€ (= 18300 US$)
Apparently in good shape (checked and tuned by professionals)

Do you think it's a good deal for this price ?
The seller says the action is ABS Carbon, but from my understanding this mechanic has been added from 2004 along with Millenium 3 and piano has been built in 2002...

Cheers,
Luis

Hello makaveli,
You are correct about the full Millenium 3 action not being installed in Kawai RX grand pianos until 2004. However, the action is mostly made of carbon ABS parts in a 2002 RX-3.
As it seems that you are very happy with the piano, the absence of the full Millenium 3 action is not an issue.
I am unfamliar with piano values in France, but that pricing may give you some room for tactful negotiation.

Good luck!
Robert.

I just bought a 2004 RX-3 about 4 months ago. It is is great condition and has full millenium action. Paid $16000 USD in New Mexico. I think I could have negotiated it down a bit. My tech says (who also tunes for the local piano store) says it was a decent price considering the condition of the piano. I also really wanted a piano that was local and acclimated to the very dry climate here.

So, I don't know how to compare that to prices in France. I really wanted Full Carbon action and did get that in this piano, so you would have to decide how much that is worth to you. As I was researching age and serial number, a member of this forum who knows Kawai well advised me that there is not a clear cutoff in terms of installation and evolution of the millenium action, so you could have most or some of the Carbon fiber. Easy to see if you see black parts in the action.

So I agree with Robert, probably room for negotiation if it is local. Just remember to factor in moving costs and tuning after it is moved, it will likely need a touch up in any case. I very much like the tone of this piano and find it has fairly full bass sound for its size so if you like it, you are not far off in price.

Perhaps compare prices with other locally available pianos of similar size and year. Even if you find better deals for those pianos but still want the RX-3 (you fell in love with it after all 😍), you can use them as leverage in your negotiation.

Hi Makaveli,

It's great that you found an inspiring instrument. Are you buying from a private seller or a business? Was the evaluation of the instrument's condition by an independent technician or by the seller? What other pianos have you been interested in?

To me, the price seems a little on the high side, but it depends on the condition of the instrument and if it just happens to be a brilliant piano in its own individual right. I would expect an RX-3 to sell for the same as or a little less than a Yamaha C3 from the same year. Last time I saw a used RX-2 in good condition at a piano vendor in Denmark, the asking price was 12100 EUR, perhaps with room for a little negociation. Here's a link to that shop, with prices in DKK for comparison - there's no RX-3 but many Yamahas: https://www.vilhelm.dk/.

If I was in your situation, I would perhaps test new Feurich pianos as well, such as the 179 model, which are a little bit cheaper than the RX-3 you found. I've recently tried a specimen that was surprisingly nice.

Here in the US the yamahas seem to command a higher price, especially the c3.

Thank you all for yours replies!

It's actually a business and the evaluation was made by the seller. Would it be essential to hire a private technician ? My feeling it that this company is honest.

I haven't been able to try that many piano yet, unfortunately Feurich are not common where I live.

I'm 28yo and I'm not sure about the best strategy :
- Invest into a brand new piano (like the Kawai GX-2 that i love)
- Try to get a good deal with used pianos like this RX-3

16k-18k is already the top of my budget. I'd need to borrow for more.