Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Kawai KG-2A vs. RX-2

I just saw an almost identical thread from a year ago haha

Piano 1: 1995 KG-2A $8k delivered. Seller is a doctor and says has barely been played through the years. Original owner.

Piano 2: 2006 RX-2 $11k delivered. On consignment in a store. Store owner says it is pristine and was in a little old lady's house.

Obviously I need to go look at both. Assuming similar condition, tone, action, etc. Is the extra $3k worth it for a piano 11 years newer? If I've done my research correctly, the RX-2 evolved directly from the KG-2A. I was hoping to find a bigger piano, but I can pay cash for one of these, save another year or two, and hopefully trade up eventually. My "dream" piano is a new or "newish" 7 footer, Steinway or German in all likelihood.

The other option is just keep looking. A decent one seems to pop up here about once a week or so.

Both pianos are regarded pretty well, particularly the RX-2. I'm not sure if $11k is a good price or not (seems pretty good to me), but it'll have a "current" generation Millennium III action, and if I could pay $3k to get 10 years taken off the age of a used grand, that doesn't seem like a bad way to think about it. I would expect an RX-2 to be quite a popular "used piano" akin to a Yamaha C2/C3, so if your idea is to trade up in a few years, that's another notch for the RX-2.

Presumably the KG-2A is a private sale? I've always assumed you'll get a somewhat better price privately than if you bought the piano from a shop? If so, then maybe the prices are even closer than they're presented.

Hi Marcus,

I'd look at, and play both, and then decide which one you like best.

Based on my acoustic piano experiences, (which is not a lot) I've come to the conclusion that newer is usually better, as a general rule, but not a given guarantee. For $3K more, and 11 years newer, and the next generation beyond the KG series, the RX is something to think about.

On either piano, make sure the action is not too heavy for you...

Good luck!

Rick

Facebook Marketplace just drives me crazy. (At least the sellers do). I was lined up to go see the KG-2A tomorrow after the tuner was there today. Seller just messages me and says, "sorry, SOLD". What??

Hopefully the RX-2 lasts more than the two days the other one did on FB.

There was a RX2 in my area recently, it was 11k too! Also 2000s.

If you want a RX2/KG2A then take a look at them, if not, then keep looking! Don’t force yourself to a piano you don’t really want just because it’s the only ones you could find. 🙂

KG2s are the predecessor to RX2s I believe.

It goes KGs > RXs > GXs?

Both are 5’10” correct?

Seems to be online, people love the KG2s, there was a thread that said KG series is very warm compared to others.

One KG2A online is 8k from 1993, from a dealer.
Another is 8k 1995 KG2A, dealer.
13k KG2A, doesn’t say year, dealer.

These are old though, prices might have gone up?

RX2 online is around 10k from what i see.

Hope you get a good piano!

I was here first but was writing my reply LOL, researching which took me a while and writing while doing that.

EVERYONE BEAT ME!

I might also add to my previous comments, newer is better, IF you can afford it. That said, condition usually trumps age, as a general rule, IMHO.

Also, I've learned that when a really good deal on a nice piano comes along, you have to act quickly, or someone else will. I saw what looked like a nice, not real old, Yamaha U1 (3 pedals) on FB Marketplace a few weeks ago, private sale, that caught my attention. Had it been closer to home, I would have responded immediately. They were asking $800 for it. I think it sold in a few hours after the ad was posted.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Rick

I suspect the tuner TODAY had a buyer in mind that he called. Even though I know I was the first to talk to the seller. I messaged him 10 minutes after he posted it and we had a time worked out and everything. I even told him I was a cash buyer. Oh well, wasn't meant to be.

Maybe a German semi concert is meant to be! 🤷‍♂️

Years ago, when I bought my Yamaha C7, which was located at a large Church, just over the Georgia state line, in Tennessee, (150 miles?) I rode with the mover, whom I had used before, and had known for many years. On the way up he asked me if I knew for sure the piano would still be there when we got there. I told him the only thing I knew for sure was death and taxes, but I was confident the piano would still be there, and I trusted the sellers. I also told him that if the piano was not there, I'd pay him the agreed upon moving fee anyway.

He said he was just asking, because he had been hired several times over the years to move a private sale piano, and when he got to the seller's house, the piano had been sold to someone else, other than the person who hired him to move the piano. "It happens", he said.

So, at least you didn't get that far into it, in terms of arranging a mover, etc..., and, you still have another prospect to check out. But yea, the tuner may have been the one who bought it out from under you.

I had a seller back out on me once, which would have been my first baby grand piano, after I had paid him some earnest money, and he wrote me a bill of sale. But I did get my earnest money back.

Hang in there, Marcus!! Hey, many of us here have been where you are now...

Rick

KG-2 pianos are solid instruments, but the RX pianos are substantially better, especially if you can get a newer one with the Carbon Composite action.

The KG-2 sold. So now it's either the RX-2 or something else entirely (and likely more $$). I can get the RX-2 (2006 model) for $12k delivered.

Probably a solid choice with this market.

I would think it would be a good piano.

Based on...?

Assuming it’s in good condition, mostly talking about the model.