Shigeru Kawai SK-2 - Salon Grand

CLASSIC SALON GRAND

The SK- 2 also features Shigeru Kawai's unrivalled components, including a custom cone soundboard, Shiko Seion hammers, Konsei Katagi structure, integrated reinforcement layering design, Shigeru's acclaimed Millennium III action and a double pivot design for the dampers.

KIGARASHI SOUNDBOARD (KE-GAH-RAH'-SHE)

The conical soundboard of a Shigeru Kawai piano is exclusively crafted from the finest spruce wood, which has been dried using the traditional Kigarashi process. A material can only achieve its natural balance through a long period of air drying. This meticulously executed, lengthy process forms the foundation that gives Shigeru Kawai grand pianos their unique and full sound.

KONSEI KATAGI BELT (KON'-SAY KAH-TAH'-GE)

THE MILLENNIUM III ACTION

SOLID STRETCHER OVER-LAP INTEGRATED DESIGN

THE SHIKO SEION HAMMERS

EXTENDED KEYS

CONCERT CAPSTAN

TEMAKI BASS STRINGS

SPRUCE STRUTS

CONCERT BRIDGES

DOUBLE PIVOT DAMPER

EXQUISITE CRAFTMANSHIP.

The passion for excellence lies deep in the heart of every Shigeru craftsman.

UNRIVALED PROGRESS.

True creativity can never stop striving. It must continually progress and evolve.

THE EXPERT'S CHOICE

PIANOS MADE TO PERFECTION.

UNPARALLELED HERITAGE. 

Shigeru Kawai's dream, passion and honor.

GRAND CONCERT

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand is the pinnacle of the Shigeru Kawai range. Fewer than 20 are made by hand each year, making the SK-EX as remarkable for its rarity as for its sound. Extraordinary tone, incredible range and breathtaking response are the hallmarks of the SK-EX - an unrivalled concert grand piano.

The largest of Shigeru Kawai pianos is worthy of any concert hall and is as dazzling to the eyes as it is to the ears. The unmatched sound, touch, and consistency of the concert grand piano are the result of exquisite materials and craftsmanship used in its construction.

KIGARASHI SOUNDBOARD (KE-GAH-RAH'-SHE)

The conical soundboard of a Shigeru Kawai piano is exclusively crafted from the finest spruce wood, which has been dried using the traditional Kigarashi process. A material can only achieve its natural balance through a long period of air drying. This meticulously executed, lengthy process forms the foundation that gives Shigeru Kawai grand pianos their unique and full sound.

KONSEI KATAGI BELT (KON'-SAY KAH-TAH'-GE)

The exclusive Konsei Katagi rim leverages different hardwoods to achieve the ideal sonic balance. For the inner rim, finely porous hardwoods are used to provide superior brilliance and projection of the high-frequency range of the sound spectrum. These are layered with wider-pore hardwoods that offer warmth and fullness to the sound. The synergy of structurally divergent hardwoods produces a powerful and pleasingly rounded sound, which is the hallmark of Shigeru Kawai grand pianos.

THE MILLENNIUM III ACTION

Our Millennium III action utilizes extremely lightweight and rigid carbon ABS components to deliver faster repetition and more power with less effort. Microscopic surface textures on the action parts provide unique response and control.

SOLID STRETCHER OVER-LAP INTEGRATED DESIGN

The Solid Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design (SOLID) creates an exceptionally rigid foundation to support the immense string tension. With SOLID design, the soundboard is manually fit to the rim. The soundboard and rim are then integrated into a single unit and securely fastened to the rim. The final harmonic structure possesses exceptional strength and rigidity, allowing for stable tuning and powerful sound.

THE SHIKO SEION HAMMERS

Shiko Seion hammers take their name from the Japanese words for "ultimate expression". They are created exclusively and proudly by our master piano craftsmen. Without the use of heat or artificial hardeners, each hammer is hand-pressed and tuned to produce a melodious, well-balanced tone.

EXTENDED KEYS

The overall size of the keys is extended to facilitate nuanced control across the entire playing surface. The key buttons also have an enlarged section to ensure increased resistance and power transmission.

CONCERT CAPSTAN

The use of hardwood maple key buttons adds stiffness to the keysticks for improved energy transfer. The redesigned key buttons on the Shigeru Concert Series instruments have been doubled in length to provide exceptional energy transfer and optimum power.

TEMAKI BASS STRINGS

In Japanese, the term "temaki" means "hand-rolled." During the slow temaki process, the master craftsman patiently hand-spins each bass string for absolute precision and tension, ensuring rich character and superb depth of sound.

SPRUCE STRUTS

Spruce is known for its unique ability to conduct and preserve sound energy. However, it is generally considered too valuable and costly to be used as a structural material. In Shigeru Kawai pianos, all interior struts are made entirely of the finest spruce.

CONCERT BRIDGES

Identical to those used on our renowned SK-EX concert grand piano, Shigeru Kawai concert bridges are individually made from brass bars to ensure optimal precision and strength. This results in a clear, powerful, and impressive tone.

DOUBLE PIVOT DAMPER

Every feature of a Shigeru Kawai piano demonstrates the meticulous attention given to the needs and demands of professional pianists. The double pivot damper mechanism, originally developed for the Shigeru Kawai EX concert piano, is the only one that allows smooth and precise control of half-pedaling for delicate tonal expression.

EXQUISITE CRAFTMANSHIP.

The passion for excellence lies deep in the heart of every Shigeru craftsman.

UNRIVALED PROGRESS.

True creativity can never stop striving. It must continually progress and evolve.

THE EXPERT'S CHOICE

PIANOS MADE TO PERFECTION.

C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano: THE masterpiece

The C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano is a top-class instrument. Thanks to its stupendous and beautiful sound, it’s the ideal grand for large concert halls.

The C. Bechstein engineers and master piano-makers developed the D 282 model after intensive discussions with international star pianists. This legendary instrument has set new standards with its transparent voice and unparalleled richness of tonal colours. The C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano embodies the synthesis of the brand’s legend and the demands of today’s pianists for power and dynamism.

International star pianists confirm the outstanding characteristics of the C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano: surprisingly powerful sound, elegant and high-precision action.

Main characteristics of the C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano

Unique power:

Tests performed by the Federal Institute of Applied Physics ascertained that the voice of the C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano is outstandingly brilliant and powerful thanks to the new design of the cast iron plate that provides unparalleled sound projection.

Unique action:

The ultra-precise, highly responsive action ensures perfect control of the instrument. It features hammerheads of unequalled quality, specially manufactured by C. Bechstein to meet the acoustic conditions of large concert halls.

Unique voice:

The voice is wonderfully singing, richly colored and without any metallic character. Thanks to its outstanding brilliance, even those sitting in the last rows can hear the slightest pianissimo. And thanks to its lyricism, cantilenas and impressive sound volume, the unique voice of the D 282 model is suitable for all styles of music.

C. Bechstein D 282 concert grand piano: a masterpiece hand-made in Germany.

The GX-6 BLAK combines exquisite tone with breathtaking beauty to deliver an instrument worthy of the largest concert hall or professional studio. It has been designed with performance in mind, and is equipped with intelligent design elements that will help the artist communicate at the highest level with excellence and ease.

Touch

Millennium III Upright Action

The Millennium III Upright's action features components made from ABS-Carbon, a composite material created by infusing carbon fiber into our famous ABS Styran. ABS-Carbon is incredibly strong and rigid, enabling the creation of lighter action parts without compromising strength. The result is a more powerful, faster action offering greater control and stability than conventional all-wood actions. 

Elongated fingerboards made of fir

Fir is the ideal key material - light, yet extremely strong for its weight. It responds with minimal bending and exceptional consistency, conveying every subtle nuance of the pianist's interpretation while remaining stable through years of intensive use. The length of each key has been extended to facilitate playing and offer a more uniform response from the front to the back of the playing surface. The key shanks are also designed with a slightly higher profile for maximum rigidity and increased power.

Tone

NEOTEX key surfaces

Our exclusive NEOTEX key surface, made from cellulose fibers, offers a smooth, unobtrusive texture similar to natural ivory and ebony, as well as a semi-porous silica-filled surface to absorb natural oils and hand perspiration. Because NEOTEX is used for both black and white keys, key feel is consistent across the entire keyboard. NEOTEX resists cracking and fading over years of use, and is also resistant to static electricity, helping to prevent the build-up of unwanted dust. The result is a beautiful, durable key surface offering exceptional playability.

Rigid foundation for key travel

The hammer rail is the "backbone" of the piano's action. GX Series hammer rails are made of durable extruded aluminum with our exclusive double-beam design for added strength and stability. Both the hammer rail and wippens rail are permanently locked in place to preserve the careful tolerances of the action design and ensure consistent touch response throughout the life of the piano.

The entire surface of the hammer rail is finely notched to hold each hammer flange securely in place, ensuring optimum hammer alignment. The surface-mounted hammer flanges are made of PBT resin, allowing the action screws to remain tight without shrinking or swelling. All these meticulous design features form the rigid foundation of the GX series, guaranteeing precise key travel over time.

Solid spruce conical soundboard

The soundboard is the heart of a piano. Its role is to transform the vibrations of the piano strings into a rich, resonant sound. Kawai uses only solid quarter-grain spruce for the K series soundboards. Each soundboard is strategically tapered to maximize its tonal capacity. Only those that meet or exceed our strict quality standards are selected for use in our professional upright pianos.

Hybrid inner border (Rim Konsei Katagi)

The exclusive Konsei Katagi rim leverages different hardwoods to achieve the ideal sonic balance. For the inner rim, finely porous hardwoods are used to provide superior brilliance and projection of the high-frequency range of the sound spectrum. These are layered with wider-pore hardwoods that offer warmth and fullness to the sound. The synergy of structurally divergent hardwoods produces a powerful and pleasingly rounded sound, which is the hallmark of Shigeru Kawai grand pianos.

Vertically laminated bridge

The bridge performs the essential task of transferring the vibrations from the strings to the soundboard. GX series bass bridges are made from the highest quality hard maple or beech. Treble bridges are vertically laminated with 13 layers of maple and mogno for maximum strength and optimal sound energy transfer.

Specifications

Dimensions and weights

The GX-2 is a classic-sized instrument with exquisite tonal quality.

The new standard in grand piano design is beyond imagination. It combines the latest technology with traditional craftsmanship. It is the application of knowledge and experience handed down from generation to generation. It is the very definition of Japanese piano design philosophy. A lightness of touch usually reserved for the largest pianos. Its rich, lively and expressive sound inspires creative passions. A new era of grand piano performance has begun.

Touch

Millennium III Upright Action

The Millennium III Upright's action features components made from ABS-Carbon, a composite material created by infusing carbon fiber into our famous ABS Styran. ABS-Carbon is incredibly strong and rigid, enabling the creation of lighter action parts without compromising strength. The result is a more powerful, faster action offering greater control and stability than conventional all-wood actions. 

Elongated fingerboards made of fir

Fir is the ideal key material - light, yet extremely strong for its weight. It responds with minimal bending and exceptional consistency, conveying every subtle nuance of the pianist's interpretation while remaining stable through years of intensive use. The length of each key has been extended to facilitate playing and offer a more uniform response from the front to the back of the playing surface. The key shanks are also designed with a slightly higher profile for maximum rigidity and increased power.

Tone

NEOTEX key surfaces

Our exclusive NEOTEX key surface, made from cellulose fibers, offers a smooth, unobtrusive texture similar to natural ivory and ebony, as well as a semi-porous silica-filled surface to absorb natural oils and hand perspiration. Because NEOTEX is used for both black and white keys, key feel is consistent across the entire keyboard. NEOTEX resists cracking and fading over years of use, and is also resistant to static electricity, helping to prevent the build-up of unwanted dust. The result is a beautiful, durable key surface offering exceptional playability.

Rigid foundation for key travel

The hammer rail is the "backbone" of the piano's action. GX Series hammer rails are made of durable extruded aluminum with our exclusive double-beam design for added strength and stability. Both the hammer rail and wippens rail are permanently locked in place to preserve the careful tolerances of the action design and ensure consistent touch response throughout the life of the piano.

The entire surface of the hammer rail is finely notched to hold each hammer flange securely in place, ensuring optimum hammer alignment. The surface-mounted hammer flanges are made of PBT resin, allowing the action screws to remain tight without shrinking or swelling. All these meticulous design features form the rigid foundation of the GX series, guaranteeing precise key travel over time.

Solid spruce conical soundboard

The soundboard is the heart of a piano. Its role is to transform the vibrations of the piano strings into a rich, resonant sound. Kawai uses only solid quarter-grain spruce for the K series soundboards. Each soundboard is strategically tapered to maximize its tonal capacity. Only those that meet or exceed our strict quality standards are selected for use in our professional upright pianos.

Hybrid inner border (Rim Konsei Katagi)

The exclusive Konsei Katagi rim leverages different hardwoods to achieve the ideal sonic balance. For the inner rim, finely porous hardwoods are used to provide superior brilliance and projection of the high-frequency range of the sound spectrum. These are layered with wider-pore hardwoods that offer warmth and fullness to the sound. The synergy of structurally divergent hardwoods produces a powerful and pleasingly rounded sound, which is the hallmark of Shigeru Kawai grand pianos.

Vertically laminated bridge

The bridge performs the essential task of transferring the vibrations from the strings to the soundboard. GX series bass bridges are made from the highest quality hard maple or beech. Treble bridges are vertically laminated with 13 layers of maple and mogno for maximum strength and optimal sound energy transfer.

Specifications

Weight & dimensions