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I was wondering how much a new Kawai RX-2 piano in ebony polish would cost delivered to So. California?

Briguy65,

In my opinion, you are not providing enough information for people in this forum to help you. Believe me, I was full of questions during my search for a piano and information supplied members of this forum was invaluable.

Where are you in the process of looking for a piano?

Have you definitely decided that the RX-2 is the piano you want to purchase or are you open to other choices?

Do you have a budget or are you just looking to buy at the lowest possible price?

Have you given consideration to dealer support?

Have you factored in shipping costs, voicing, tuning costs?

Have you purchased "The Piano Book" or the latest suppliment which has the latest list prices?

Have you asked dealers for a quote of their list price or a quote from the Ancott list?

You also asked this same question in another thread. Even the original poster admitted that he had posted out of date, sometimes incorrect information on pricing. I do believe the general consensus among forum members was that the information was in no way reliable.

You may not want to get ripped off as this poster said he was, but there is a LOT more to consider than price when buying a piano.

What's important to you?

Thanks Trixie for your info -- Hmmm... seems that most of the piano knowledge is out in the NorthEast. Why is that?

Anyway, Mr. Carey:
1. I am just starting to look for a piano.
2. I am familiar with Kawais, and I am looking at their prices as a starting point.
3. I will figure out my budget when I figure out how much piano I can afford.
4. Dealer support? All they do is sell a piano, and perhaps help you voice it a few times and that's it. (Waiting for the flames to come now)
5. Nope -- shipping is immaterial at this time, gotta know how much to bid on the piano before i worry about that. Voicing and tuning is a fixed cost, no worry there either.
6. Nope, I haven't purchased that book. Instead of going analog I'm going digital and asking you guys on this forum instead of reading something that could be outdated.
7. Nope, haven't done that either. Thought I'd do my research here first. :p
8. Assuming I want a Kawai RX2 then price is the most important thing to me. Also, after hearing what Trixie paid for hers, I probably have to get the RX2 used or pick a different piano, as the price she quoted is definitely above the budget I had planned. Which was really helpful. Now I have to go to the drawing board and figure out how much money I can scrape together to get a different piano. I will also lurk on this forum to glean various tidbits from the rest of you posters. I just joined about 2 days ago, and I'm a fast learner

There is a wealth of information here. First, go back and read all the threads from the past couple of years. Then, for those issues that are still unclear, post your questions and you'll get answers. All you'll have to do then is decide which answers you like and which you don't.

And just about everybody will tell you to get "The Piano Book," by Fine. And I like that answer.

Catastrophic failure in pianos is rare, but it does happen. A cracked soundboard in a new piano is rare, but it does happen. A missing or mangled part is rare, but it does happen.

In all of the above cases, your dealer is your link to the manufacturer!

Let me tell you a little story from the car business to illustrate my point: If you buy a Buick in Michigan, and later move to California, warranty work is the responsibility of the Buick dealer in your new abode. And most of the time, your car will be put in que for needed service, just like anyone else.

However, if a dealer (or service manager) knows that you have lived in California all your life just 4 blocks from this fictional dealership, did not give him a chance at your business and bought two hundred miles away simply because of price, guess where your car winds up in que for warranty service? Dead last, if they can get to it today. Fictitious scenario? Heck no, I've seen it done several times. GM says the local dealer has to fix the car, they don't say when.

Now back to pianos - Suppose you buy from a dealer who gives you a great deal on a RX Kawai, and you save $200. Suppose the lyre is damaged during shipment, or set-up. Would you rather deal with someone you can lay the ol' Mark I eyeball on, or someone you call long distance?

I could understand buying wherever the price is lowest in the terms of some pianos, especially if the dealer carries something that may not be common, but any decent size town usually has a Kawai dealer.

Of course, it's your money, and you may do as you see fit. Here's wishing you the best of luck!

Briguy65,

Just so you know I'm a Ms., not a Mr. :p

In my search, I found value in going both "analog" and "digital". I found out about the "The Piano Book" at this forum and ordered it shortly after from my local book store. Many members of this forum provided additional information and advice that I found most valuable. They filled in the missing pieces that the book didn't provide.

Why did I purchase the book? I felt it was unfair to ask other forum members to spend their valuable time providing me with information if I wasn't willing to shell out roughly $20. bucks to find that information on my own. For me it was a small investment considering the thousands of dollars that I (my church) would ultimately spend on a piano.

There are sites on the internet that will give you an outline of the books contents if you are interested. They will also, of course, sell you the book.

I did buy the book but chose not to purchase the latest suppliment. I felt the book gave me a pretty good gauge/range of prices at a certain point in time and I could factor in any price increases from information found elsewhere. That was close enough for me. Once my search had been narrowed down, I obtained list and wholesale prices, then negotiated the best price I could get from the dealer.

I'm sure you and others might disagree, but I liked the extra security and support that buying from a (almost) local dealer would provide. There were no dealers in my local area.

Briguy65, I purchased a 2001 RX-2 a couple of months ago in Texas and I got it for $11500.

But mine was a "grey market" piano. If you're not familiar with that, I believe that it's basically a Kawai or Yamaha piano that was intended to be sold in Japan and the original owner that bought it sold it and it somehow found it's way to the US. Now the only real problem that you get with that, is that the original Kawai warranty isn't valid when it leaves the region it was built for (Japan). But, the dealer I bought it from offers a 10 year warranty. So there's a slight risk involved but since mine was practically new, and I got it for $11500, I took the chance.

I really love the piano and the more I play it the more I enjoy it. I would recommend it if you're looking in the $12-15k range. Of all of the others that I played in this range (and some that were in a higher range), I enjoyed this the most. Happy hunting!

You can buy a brand new for $10,000 if you do your homework.

OK, I'll bite. How in the world do you buy a new RX2 for $10k? I would be overwhelmed if I could find an RX1 for that price.

Don't pay any attention to the prices hung on the pianos. They are usually extemely negotiable. I paid 16K for my RX-3. It lists for $22,500.00 but only a fool would pay that.

16K for an RX3 is a very good deal, and I congratulate you on getting a great piano at a great price. But, it is a realistic deal. The dealer didn't necessarily lose money on that deal depending on their overhead. However, the RX2 brand new for $10k is impossible, unless the dealer is willing to lose money, and that's not very conducive to staying in business. I just don't see how that's possible at that price.

I would have to agree that an RX-1 at 10K would be more realistic than the RX-2 at 10K. I would have thought at leat 12.5K for the RX-2 but you can never tell what deals may turn up. Actually, 14.5K for a RX-2 might be about an average for those who bargain a little.

I shopped very hard. I pride myself on being good at negotiating price. But barring highly unusual circumstances, I would say it would be hard to find a new RX-1 for 10K, much less a RX-2.

A word about prices bandied about on message boards - some are factual, some are not. Some posters are truthful, but they may not include tax, or some other fee that drives the cost of the piano up.

trixie's price was about what I encountered at most Kawai dealers, without intense negotiation. You might budge that price a smidgen, but I'm not sure it would move a lot.

JBryan's advice about getting hung up on price, may be the most pertinent of all.

I purchased a Kawai grand in the early 70's (actually, my parents did), paid $3,000 cash as I recall.

A couple of weeks after delivery, I found a large crack in the case lamination, visible only if you crawled under the piano.

The dealer came out to look, handled everything very quickly, I selected another one at the store, an exchange was made within a couple of days -- completely satisfied.

If you don't at least try to work with a local dealer. . .

You could be up Kawai Creek without a paddle.

Is the Ancott list available on the internet? What exactly is the Ancott list?

The Ancott Directory is a Music Product Directory normally used in music retail. There are actually several directories, one for electronic and digital products, one for organs, etc.... We are discussing the Acoustic Piano Edition. These directories list all the various models made by each manufacturer, the average retail price, the size, and a description. It will also list some specs on the piano such as country of origin, soundboard size and construction, etccc... I will advise anybody to be careful when dealing with the directory as far as specs go. I've found more than one mistake in the book in the past. As far as being on the internet, I'm not sure, but most dealers I know in are willing to show you the any information you want.

I don't believe the Ancott is available as an "E" version, but do a google search, and I'm sure you will bring up a website where the book is sold to the public.

It has been my experience that the Piano Book pricing supplement follows the Ancott pretty closely, and is nice to have, especially as a quick reference after a day of piano shopping.

Originally posted by William 88 (at another thread)
Speaking as a salesmanager, I appreciated this post. This post might have influenced a board member to decide it's time for a new piano. That member would likely want to compare several pianos prior to making a decision, and may come to my location. If I've properly prepared my pianos and offer them at a fair value with good service, this post may have helped me find a new client. If a dealer offers a good piano at fair prices and runs their business in an honest fashion, they welcome competition, not criticize it.

If there is a point to this please make it.