Kawai GX-6 Grand Piano

Model Overview

So what makes the Kawai GX-6 such a special grand piano? One only has to play the piano and experience Kawai’s Millenium III carbon fiber action to discover how easily it plays and how quick the keys respond. Using extended length keysticks for a more even response from the front to the back of each key and then adding concert-length key buttons that are doubled in length to provide maximum energy transfer and optimum power when the hammer strikes the string. The keys are made of Kawai’s patented Neotex which absorbs moisture from the hands preventing slippage.

The hammers are made of solid mahogany core with double under-felting to keep the shape of the hammer, and the keytops are made of Kawai’s patented Neotex which absorbs moisture from the hands preventing slippage during even the most demanding performances.

But it doesn’t stop there. Vertically laminated bridges transfer the vibrations of the strings quickly and accurately to Kawai’s incredibly straight-grained solid spruce soundboard which is meticulously tapered (thicker in the middle getting progressively thinner to the outside edges) to give the best projection.

Then add in Kawai’s exclusive Konsei Katagi rim uses a blend of distinctive hardwoods to achieve an ideal balance of tone. For the inner rim, small-pored hardwoods that provide superior brightness and projection are inter-laminated with dense, large-pored hardwoods offering warmth and fullness. This synergy of structurally divergent hardwoods produces a powerful, well-rounded richness of tone that is the hallmark of Kawai pianos.

A stretcher bar over-lap with integrated design (almost twice as big as most grand pianos. First, the pinblock is fitted to the plate. Then, the pinblock and over-lapping stretcher bar are integrated into a single structure and solidly anchored to the rim. The extraordinary thickness of the stretcher bar highlights the structural integrity of this framework designed to ensure stable tuning and powerful tone.

You must take the opportunity to try the Kawai GX-6 when you can. Comparable to the Steinway B or the Yamaha C7 – this is a piano that is worthy of its award-winning status!

Features

• Kawai’s Exclusive Millennium III Action – Featuring ABS-Carbon Technology with Carbon Fiber
• Exclusive NEOTEX™ Key Surfaces – With moisture-absorbing properties for greater touch control
• Konsei Katagi Rim – Utilizing a blend of distinctive hardwoods to achieve an ideal balance of tone
• Vertically Laminated Bridge with Solid Maple Cap – For enhanced energy transfer
• Continuous Bridge – For smoother transitions between bass and treble registers
• Elegant Appointments – Brass Lid Prop and Cups, Brass Finials on Plate, Beveled Lid Edges, Spade Legs
• Hard Finish Music Desk – To preserve the piano’s beauty
• Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design (SOLID) – Double-width Stretcher Bar for optimum strength
• Extended Length Keysticks – For more even response from the front to the back of each key
• Concert-Length Key Buttons – Doubled in length to provide maximum energy transfer and optimum power
• Solid Spruce Precision Tapered Soundboard – Permanently crowned for long-term stability
• Advanced Scale Designs – Created in the Shigeru Kawai Research and Development Laboratory
• Dual-Duplex Scaling – For added tonal richness
• Multi-Grip Pin Block – Laminated with 11 plies
• Solid Brass Agraffes – For even string spacing and easier tuning
• Steel-Reinforced, Multi-Laminated Keybed – For strength and optimum energy transfer
• Steel-Reinforced Keyslip – For strength and stability that avoids sticking keys
• V-Pro Plate – Gray Iron with “Crossbone” Design
• Ultra-slow “Soft Fall” Fallboard Closing System
• Adjustable Artist Bench (Polished Ebony finish only)
• KAWAI Ten Year FULL Transferable Manufacturer’s Warranty

Action

For 3 generations, Kawai has worked on developing new technologies and incorporating new materials and design into their pianos, and one of the greatest results is the amazing Millenium III action.

For years, all manufacturers – including Kawai – used the conventional ‘all wood’ action for the piano. However, even back then, piano makers realized that wood actions did have some inherent problems – namely their tendency to shrink and swell with changing climates. This instability badly affected the precision and accuracy in the action, which caused the piano’s touch and tone to suffer. By the 1970s, new types of materials were gaining momentum, particularly composite materials that were known for their superior strength and stability. Kawai introduced their 2nd generation of action using the ABS Styran composite which showed to much more stable and precise than its predecessor. Then, in 2005, Kawai introduced its 3rd generation action, the Millenium III Carbon Fiber Action!

Carbon fiber is now used in all types of modern manufacturing due to its many advantages over wood, and the debate over wood vs carbon fiber which was common in piano circles is now settled with carbon fiber as the definitive victor.

Come and try the Millenium III action for yourself and experience why so many musicians, teachers, and students often say this piano is so easy and quick to play – it’s like a dream!

Tone

The Kawai GX-6 BLAK boasts a warm, powerful, and highly dynamic tonal profile, perfect for a professional studio or the finest concert hall.

So where does ‘tone’ come from? It’s not just one place, rather it is a culmination of all parts in the piano, working in synergy, to produce what would be the equivalent of a fine-tuned engine.

Think about it, you push down a key on the GX6 and the hammer strikes the string at point that is minuscule in size and yet that’s where the journey begins. The strings vibrate at the precise rate, transmitting the energy to the vertically laminated bridges down the awaiting soundboard which then amplifies this tone along its surface quickly and precisely. The tapered soundboard, being thicker in the middle and gradually becoming thinner as it gets to the outside edges means the energy of the vibrations reaches all areas of the soundboard and then to the

Hammers

The GX6 features mahogany core double-felted hammers. Kawai is one of the very few select manufacturers who do not outsource their hammers, and rather make their own in-house. This ensures an extra level of control over the entire piano-building process.

Soundboard

Kawai exclusively uses straight-grained, quarter-sawn solid spruce for the GX series soundboards. The soundboard is an extremely important part of any piano – even if everything else is executed at a high level, if the soundboard is sourced from poor quality wood or not designed properly, the tone will be lacking.

Not only is Kawai using high-quality, slow-grown spruce in their soundboard selection, but the soundboards are also tapered. Tapering involves precisely reducing the mass of the soundboard around the edges, which allows the soundboard to transmit energy more efficiently, and thus deliver more resonance. This is another feature that is quite uncommon for pianos in this class.

Cabinet/Rim

Kawai introduced their brand new Konsei Katagi rim design with the GX series, a huge upgrade over the previous generation RX series. This new rim design features a blend of distinctive hardwoods, which results in a much more balanced and dynamic tone than what the RX series was capable of producing.

A mix of small and large pored hardwoods ensures the rim is capable of reflecting a maximum range of frequencies.