Kawai GL-10 Baby Grand Piano Review & Demo

Introduction

Today, we'll be taking a deep dive into one of the most popular baby grand pianos in the industry (and, certainly, one of the most popular at our showrooms): Kawai's GL-10 baby grand piano. While we've explored this model in the past, we gets tons of questions about the GL-10 and decided to address those questions in this updated Kawai GL-10 review.

With that said, let's revisit and take an even closer look at the amazing Kawai GL-10 grand piano.

 

Kawai GL-10 Background

Kawai GL-10 Baby Grand[/caption] The first time we had a chance to take a look at this instrument up close was back in the spring of 2016, just after Kawai released the GL series grand pianos at NAMM. Upon its launch, it received MMR Magazine's prestigious "Product of the Year" award. It was the first time that an acoustic piano line had won across all categories, which was for a good reason.

The new GL series combined the best of what Kawai was offering with the previous GL series as well as the GE series. There was also quite a bit from the RX heritage that wound up in the updated GL series. By doing so, they successfully unified all three of those lines.

They advanced the pianos in several ways, including a larger selection of sizes as well as longer keys, which won the praise of many Kawai piano customers. The construction quality was also improved and, in particular, the hammers received meaningful upgrades from their previous state. These improvements checked off most of the boxes and rectified the issues that some customers had previously had with the line's predecessors.

Simply put, the Kawai GL10 is packed full of innovations and top-end features. From the V-Pro Plate's crossbone design, stretcher over-lap integrated design (SOLID), multi-grip pin blocks, and solid brass agraffes that ensure even string spacing, it's clear that no stone was left unturned during Kawai's development process for this instrument. Even subtler features like the music rack, lid props, and incredibly smooth-rolling casters showcase Kawai's dedication to quality.

All in all, these initiatives have led to Kawai creating the most advanced and dominant baby grand piano on the market in this price category.

 

Kawai GL-10 Millenium III ABS-Carbon Action

The action is one of the clearest value points for customers to see and understand. The GL10 is unique because, unlike other piano manufacturers' introductory lines, it features Kawai's top action. While the GL10 may be Kawai's introductory grand piano, it is not considered an entry-level instrument by any means. When you look at the entire landscape of the baby grand piano market, you can still get some baby grand pianos from lesser-known Chinese brands in the $6000 to $7000 USD range RRP. At just over the $10,000 USD mark in most major markets, this instrument delivers absolutely undeniable value to the end user. The fact that even some digital pianos sell for over the $10,000 price point puts things into perspective in terms of what Kawai has achieved. The action is where that value starts to become quite clear.

The GL10 features the same action Millenium III ABS-carbon action that you would get on the GL-20, GL-30, GL-40, and GL-50. It's even the same action that you would get with any model from the GX series. In fact, aside from a few tiny design changes, it's also the action that you would get on fully-handmade pianos from the Shigeru series. So, by getting into the GL series and GL10, you're accessing a level of engineering that very few pianos in its price range are going to be able to compete with in terms of touch and feel. Given that one of the most critical parts of any piano experience is how the player interfaces with the instrument, the GL10 is a truly unique offering.

Does playing the piano feel natural? Do you feel unrestrained as a player? Do you feel like there's an organic connection between how the piano responds to you? These are some of the key questions that players should ask themselves when assessing a piano's action. In the case of the GL10, the answer to each of these questions is an emphatic "yes". Featuring ABS-carbon technology, extended-length keysticks, and concert-length key buttons (doubled the usual length for maximum energy transfer and optimum power), the Millennium III action has an exceptional touch that embodies all of the essential qualities you'd come to expect from a top-tier action. With its featherlight touch, it provides optimum energy transfer from the player to the instrument every step of the way.

While we do not advise that you do so at home, it's incredibly easy to take apart Kawai's action. You don't need any screwdrivers or tools, which is a blessing for technicians. Another blessing for technicians is the optimum strength and stability that the carbon fiber components in spite of seasonal temperature and humidity changes. Upon pulling the action, the quality and value of the GL10 is even more apparent. From the ultra-slow, soft fall fallboard to the steel-reinforced keyslip and multi-laminated keybed, it is abundantly clear that Kawai hasn't cut a single corner.

Unfortunately, the piano industry is notorious for having a huge amount of disinformation circulating about a wide variety of brands. We have even heard customers report that they received some supposedly "expert" advice from an industry "insider" that claimed all Asian pianos were essentially just being put together in a modular way in which one giant faceless factory was making the action parts while another was making all of the frames, while another was making all of the pin blocks, while another was making the una corda, sostenuto, and damper pedals, and so on. They further elaborated that, because of this modular manufacturing process, it really didn't matter that much anymore as to what brand a customer purchased because Kawais, Yamahas, Steinway's Bostons and Essexs, and Pearl Rivers are all essentially coming from the same place. While there are a lot of manufacturing sharing agreements that do occur with some Chinese pianos and other major piano brands, the claims of all Asian pianos being the same are simply not true.

Just for the record, Kawai builds Kawai pianos. So, when you are purchasing an instrument that bears the Kawai name, that instrument has come out of a Kawai factory and Kawai has produced virtually every part that is in that piano. While domestic Japanese customers are able to able to get Japanese-made GL10s, every other market's GL10s are assembled in Indonesia. With that said, many critical components, including the action, are built in Japan. So, not only is the action the same design, it's literally the same action that's going into virtually all of the other Kawai grand pianos. Now, is are you getting anything more when you buy a GL-20, GL-30, GL-40, or a GX model other just the size? Well, yes, of course.

There are going to be small parts of even the action that are slightly different. One of the easiest places to see this on the GL10 compared to other models is the smooth white surface of the keytops. There is a slight texture to it, but really, it's not the same as higher-level grands which feature Kawai's NEOTEX finishing. However, by and large, the main bulk of the action, including the double felted hammers, are there on the GL10. While the action is a primary selling point of the GL10, let's talk about some of the other parts of the instrument because it's not just the action that is delivering really extraordinary value with this piano.

 

Double Width Stretcher Bar

A second aspect of the GL series, and this includes the entry-point GL10, is the double-width stretcher bar. Now, with quite a few instruments, especially in the price range that we're talking about here, this specific piece's function is somewhere between aesthetic and structural, but it's not harmonic. On a higher-end grand piano, is very common for this piece to actually be the same type of engineered material as you'd find around the rim of the instrument, meaning that this piece is actually designed to connect the cabinet in a harmonic sense. It increases the amount of sympathetic cabinet resonance. Because of this, when you play the GL10, you can actually feel the vibrations running through that piece of wood. It's almost like the veins of the piano are connected across the front. In fact, it's quite obvious that you can feel the vibrations through the wood even 10 seconds after the instrument has been played. It's even very easy to detect those vibrations with your fingers.

That piece of wood is actually helping to generate tone. You could try that on any other $10,000 grand piano and see how much activity you can feel in that specific piece of wood and my suspicion is that it's not going to be very much. Ultimately, this is an incredible innovation for the GL line that the GL10 also receives.

While I've known this about the model for several years, another aspect of this instrument that stands out each time I play it is the level of sustain that it has for its price range. Even at a mezzo-forte range, the sustain is gorgeous. Every not sounds truly beautiful. The whole frame is so harmonically active. Even when you start to play into the forte range, there's no "meow" on the attack like you often get in pianos of this size and price range. So, to summarize, you're getting very low distortion and very high sustain out of this instrument.

In order to achieve great sustain and low distortion simultaneously, there are all kinds of things that have to be right with the piano. I don't know any pianist who would try to argue that sustain and distortion are not really critical parts about what makes a piano satisfying to play on, record on, and practice on. It takes good engineering.

That sustain is coming from the fact that we've got a solid spruce precision tapered soundboard in this piano. Again, pretty unusual for this price range. That soundboard has to be fitted precisely to the rim. So, you're not getting all of this energy that's just flying off the side of the soundboard, and nothing is really containing it and reflecting the energy back through the soundboard. For this to occur, the bearing has to be engineered properly, so there's not too much or too little tension on that soundboard.

The bridges also have to be fitted properly. The bridges in this instrument are capped. They're not vertically laminated. You do not usually get that at the $10,000 price point. You do not usually get that at the $20,000 price point in the industry anywhere. Alas, in the GL10, you have a capped maple bridge that is very tightly constructed. The tolerances are extremely fine.

The lack of distortion also speaks to the quality of the felt on the hammer, how well the scale design has been built, and how precisely the strings terminate even on the capo bar. There are just all sorts of these little footnotes that you pick up as you start to get to know this instrument a little bit better that exemplifies the fact that the GL10 punches above its weight.

Now, where does the GL-10 fall short? Because, obviously, we sell a lot of grand pianos at Merriam Pianos for a lot more than what the GL10 sells for. Customers are regularly investing $20,000 or $30,000 on grands and a few very lucky individuals are investing $100,000. So, where does the GL10 not deliver? There obviously has to be some drawbacks both to the size and to the quality. Naturally, there are a few things.

If a GL10 is next to a GX model in the Kawai line, or let's say a C1X Yamaha or C2X Yamaha, where are you gonna hear the differences? Well, first, the length of the instruments. At 5-foot-1, there's only so long a bass string you can cram into the instrument. So, for me, as soon as you get down into the break and below around the note F2 for example, you start to hear more upper harmonics on your bass notes than you're going to if you're playing a 6-foot grand piano or a 50 or 52 inch upright piano. There's still lots of presence there. There's lots of colour, but it's not as clear on the fundamental pitch as if you were to spend more to get a larger or a higher quality bass string.

With that said, the bass strings are not cheap. They're thicker bass strings because they have to be when it's a shorter piano. Therefore, just by the nature of the beast, you get a big, thickly wound bass string and you're going to have some higher harmonics in the lower part of the instrument's voice. However, even through this range, the instrument provides a positively gorgeous sound.

Now, on the top of the shorter bass strings, the GL10 does not have duplex scaling. So, it has a thinner treble. It's still very clear and, as we were discussing earlier, the sustain is lovely. But, nonetheless, there's still less colour in the GL10s treble than one would get from a piano with duplex in many cases. There's a number of extra harmonics in that range that aren't present, or at least much less present, if you had the duplex. Does that make it less enjoyable for playing? Probably not. 98% of people wouldn't even notice, but it might take it out of the running for recording, for example, because there's just not enough meat there for those notes to necessarily compete with the thickness of the mid-range.

Another thing about this piano is the warmth of the tone overall. It's a very warm, nice, lush broad tone. That's coming from the fact that it's using a really nice high-quality piece of spruce and with high-quality hammers striking the strings. Overall, there are lots of aspects harmonically to the piano that are directly related to the engineering choices that Kawai has made.

 

Conclusion

For somebody who enters the market looking either for the aesthetic quality of a baby grand piano or you're looking for the best possible instrument around the $10,000 budget range, I am unaware of a baby grand piano that can sit side-by-side with a GL10 with a similar level of prep and outplay it. Of course, there are many pianos that are going to be able to outperform the GL10 when you get into the $20,000 and $30,000 price points. But, in its price category, the GL10 remains, to me, as one of the best constructed, best designed, and fully-featured grand pianos you can find and I continue to encourage people to put it on their shopping list. It's a specific tone. It's a specific sound.

It's a specific touch and feel. So, of course, you have to try it. These are my opinions as a piano player. These are my experiences working in the piano sales side of things. But, I hope as there were in 2016, there will be people out there that find these thoughts helpful as they dig a little bit deeper into the research phase of their purchase.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our review. Hopefully, you know the GL10 a little bit better now than you did previously. Shop more Kawai acoustic pianos.

The post Kawai GL-10 Baby Grand Piano Review & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Kawai GX2 vs Boston GP178 | Grand Piano Review & Comparison

 

In today’s article and video we’ve got two classic salon grand pianos that duke it out literally every single day in piano showrooms around the world - the Kawai GX2 vs Boston GP178, which are two of the most popular 6-foot professional quality pianos in the world (both measure just under 6 feet at 5’11”.)

We’ll be doing a grand piano comparison with regard to how they feel and sound as well as looking at the similarities and differences in terms of their designs. Odds are if you’re looking for a 6-foot grand piano with a budget of around $40,000, you’ll have both of these pianos on your shortlist. Let’s start with some background information.

Kawai GX2 vs Boston GP178: Brand History & Information

Let's start with what might be the worst-kept secret in the piano industry - both of these pianos are not just made by the same company, but they are actually assembled on the same production line in Hamamatsu Japan.

Boston as a line is of course owned by Steinway and sold through their dealer network. Steinway had some influence on the overall design of Boston pianos and there are a few components in common with New York Steinway's that wind up on the Boston's.

All of the assembly, construction and many of the materials actually come from Kawai, and as mentioned, Boston’s and Kawai’s are put together on the same production lines. While the marketing literature is pretty vague about this detail, anyone who has ever visited the Kawai factory can attest to this, as many of our staff at Merriam Music have over the years.

If you happen to be looking at either piano in a showroom, there’s a good chance dealers are going to steer the comparison towards the brands themselves rather than a technical comparison and breakdown, but we’re definitely going to cover that here.

Let’s move on to a conversation about how these pianos sound.

 

Tonal Comparison: Construction and Piano Sound

The GP178 has a larger soundboard than the Kawai GX2 as a result of Boston’s "wide tail design". This design increases the overall surface area of the soundboard, though this approach can sometimes be at the expense of the bass register which can lack a tight bass sound. Fortunately, the scale design has been done really well so we’re not hearing any issues with the bass register.

Overall the GP-178 has a nice open sound, but there’s not a lot of cabinet resonance or damper resonance going on. The GP178 generates a ton of fundamental tone, but there’s less nuance surrounding the tone compared to the GX2 which has less fundamental, but more cabinet resonance, likely primarily due to differences in cabinet materials and design.

This is somewhat ironic because the GX2 actually sounds more like a Steinway than the Boston does as Steinways are really known for their warmth.

This warmth we’re hearing is from the use of Maple - there's a ton of hard-rock Maple in a New York Steinway. When maple gets resonating, it has a distinct character and the Kawai GX2 also uses a high amount of Maple hardwood content in its Konsei Katagi rim, which is the part of the piano that contributes most to creating the cabinet resonance.

Back to the GP178, thanks to all of the direct soundboard tone, it's effortless to generate power, even if you’re not feeling as much cabinet activation. The sustain is very good, though it seems to go on a little bit longer on the GX2 due to the cabinet activation.

Both pianos have a very colorful sound, and a big part of this is the vertically-laminated bridges that both pianos possess. This feature trickled down from the handmade Shigeru Kawai series, which was mimicked from the Hamburg Steinway.

In terms of the bass sound, the GP178 has more of a bite on the attack of the note and more of a bell-like sound. The GX2 has a rounder, warmer bass tone.

To our ears, the GX2 is doing a better job on the ‘break’ or transition area where the string material changes - a notoriously problematic area for piano makers.

We’ll cover the action in more detail below, but a quick note on action now as it pertains to sound; the keybed feels slightly deeper on the GX2 which equates to a greater degree of lower dynamic control. The GP178 is so easy to get firing, which is satisfying in its own right, and some people will prefer that.

Moving to the top few treble octaves, the tonal differences really start to disappear. This makes sense as we see fewer design differences in this section of the pianos - both have duplex scaling for instance - and very similar string tensions.

That’s pretty much it when it comes to the conversation on sound. To summarize, the GP178 emphasizes the fundamental pitch, while the GX2 has more warmth and cabinet resonance. Onto the action

 

Grand Piano Action: Feel and Response

Much of the sales rhetoric you’ll encounter if you’re considering both of these pianos is related to the action. You’ll find the same thing if you’re looking at a Yamaha piano as well wherein Kawai gets trashed for using ‘cheap plastic actions.’

The fact is, Kawai has been using synthetic materials in their actions for decades now, and the response has been acclaim from players, and praise from technicians for how well they hold up over time.

Today, Kawai is using the same general action (with different levels of refinement) across their less expensive GL series grands, the professional quality GX series, to the handmade Shigeru Kawai lineup including the world-class SK-EX concert grand piano.

That said, despite the fact that any industry debate on the subject is long over, you’re still going to run into salespeople shooting darts at Kawai for their use of synthetics. At the same time, Kawai goes the other way and concedes that sure, they build Boston pianos, but they use an inferior action in the Boston pianos, reserving their premium Millennium III Action with ABS-Carbon Fiber for their Kawai pianos.

Ultimately, both the GX2 and GP178 are receiving very solid actions, though they do play and feel different.

Here’s some factual, objective information about both of these actions; both are assembled and built fully by Kawai. There's some ambiguous language that Steinway likes to use that calls this into question, anyone whose been to the Kawai factory can confirm that Kawai’s craftsmen build and assemble the Boston actions from the ground up, based on a design from Steinway.

Despite their different designs, what’s interesting when you peek under the hood is that both actions actually share quite a bit in common. For instance, the action rails and keyframe are very similar if not the same between the GX2 and GP178.

Both action rails are mounted on hard-rock maple dowels which are anchored into a piece of solid supportive steel underneath. This is a feature that speaks to the solid craftsmanship both acoustic pianos are receiving. Both actions also utilize Mahogany hammers.

Now let’s look at some differences. One of the key differentiators aside from the action material itself, as the GP178 is using wood for the action parts versus ABS-Carbon Fiber on the Kawai GX2, is the key stick length. The GP178 has a standard key length for a 6-foot piano, whereas the GX2 has an extended length key that resembles the length typically found in a 7-foot piano.

The idea behind a longer key stick is to allow the player a greater level of control - a longer lever equals more leverage. This is the main reason that the keybed feels deeper on the GX2 than the GP178 and why it’s easier to play at lower dynamic levels on the GX2. That said, the Boston GP178 overall feels very fluid and very satisfying to play, it just doesn’t offer quite as much control, and also happens to feel lighter. If you like a lighter action, you’ll probably actually prefer the feel of the Boston GP178. If on the other hand, you’d like to be able to dig in more and exact more control, the GX2 is better going to facilitate that.

Both actions have synthetic key surfaces to simulate the feel of ivory on the white keys and ebony on the black keys (Kawai refers to theirs as the exclusive Neotex surface.)

 

Other Components/Features: Materials, Construction & Finishes

At this point, let’s look at some other parts and components of both pianos and see where they are similar and where they differ.

Both pianos feature tapered solid spruce soundboards with a very high grain count, meaning we’re talking about slow-growth spruce here - the older the spruce, the better it transmits energy.

Neither Steinway nor Kawai reveals in their marketing literature whether the Boston soundboards are supplied by Steinway or simply the same soundboards as what Kawai is using in the GX series, but from what we can tell they do appear the be the same.

The beam structure underneath both pianos is quite similar, and the joinery from the beams to the inner rim appears to be the same. The GX2’s rim is slightly thicker. Both pianos have multi-laminated pin blocks, as well as brass agraffes.

You’ll find soft fall fallboards on both pianos, as well brass lid props, and hard finish music desks.

Some areas where they differ have to do with a few innovations that Kawai has incorporated, including a steel-reinforced keyslip, V-Pro plate, and what they refer to as their Stretcher Over-lap Integrated Design with an extra thick stretcher bar. All of these features are to support the GX2’s tuning stability, though the GP178 has equally good tuning stability as far as we can tell.

Both pianos are available in a variety of finishes, you’ll find them most commonly in polished ebony.

A potentially important difference comes up regarding the warranty; both pianos come with 10-year parts and labour warranty, Boston’s warranty is applicable to the original purchaser owner, whereas the Kawai warranty is transferable.

If resale value is important to you, having a transferable warranty is a big deal.

 

Final Thoughts

What kind of showroom do you have to visit to demo these pianos?

In North America, Boston is exclusively retailed through Steinway’s dealer network, whereas the GX series is sold through Kawai’s dealer network. Most major cities are going to have both a Steinway and Kawai dealer, however finding a Kawai GX2 and a Boston GP178 side by side in the same showroom may be quite difficult.

In Japan, however, Kawai's and Boston's are retailed side by side, which is certainly much nicer for the consumer. In North America, you will have to do some driving around if you are making comparisons.

And ultimately, despite being made on the same production line by the same people, these two pianos do offer different musical experiences that will definitely speak to different people. Be sure to check out the video for some playing examples to hear for yourself!

The post Kawai GX2 vs Boston GP178 | Grand Piano Review & Comparison first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Roland F140R vs Kawai KDP110 Digital Piano Comparison, Review & Demo

Welcome to another Digital Piano Shootout article and companion video here at Merriam Pianos. In today’s piece, we’ll be comparing the Roland F140R and the Kawai KDP110 - two fantastic home-based digital pianos available for under $2,000 that happen to be very popular here in North America. In fact, when it comes to the mid-range home digital piano market, these two instruments are widely considered to be two of the absolute best options available for the price (along with some Yamaha and Casio offerings as well).

We’ll be comparing the actions, sound engines, speakers, and other features. Both of these are excellent pianos, but based on your needs, by the end of this article, one should stand out over the other.

  

Roland F140R vs Kawai KDP110 | Digital Piano Sounds and Tone Differences

Let's start by comparing the sound and the tone of these two instruments as there are actually some pretty remarkable differences when you compare how they sound side by side. And this is important because a lot of folks think that when they're shopping for pianos from the major manufacturers and comparing pianos of the same price, they’re choosing from instruments that are essentially the same.

The reality is however that the major manufacturers are all approaching things quite differently, and even pianos priced essentially the same, such as the Roland F140r digital piano and Kawai KDP-110, can offer distinctly different musical experiences.

 

F140R is equipped with Roland's SuperNATURAL Piano Sound Engine

The Roland F140R is equipped with Roland's SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine, which is a high-quality sample that combines synthesis elements to fill out some of the sonic details, such as damper resonance and key off-resonance. On the Kawai side, they're using their Harmonic Imagining engine, which is sample-based.

 

192 vs 128 Notes Polyphony

Beyond the different sonic experiences, there are some differences in the capability of the sound engines themselves as well. The KDP-110 has 192 notes of polyphony, versus 128 note polyphony on the F140r.

Unless you’re an advanced classical pianist, in normal piano playing circumstances, you're not likely going to really notice the polyphony difference here.

 

40 Watts vs 24 Watts Power Speaker System

The KDP110 has a more robust full sound stereo speaker system with 40 watts of power, compared to 24 watts of power on the F140r.

 

Grand Piano Sounds vs Acoustic Piano Sounds

Comparing the default grand piano sounds side by side, we are hearing a little bit more midrange presence around the tone and color in the KDP-110. The F140r on the other hand offers lots of sparkle at the top of the treble with a bass register that is bright, clear, and lively.

Moving past the acoustic piano sounds, the F140r has a really wide selection of additional tones with 305 in total (some of which are drum sets and SFX sets). The electric pianos are a definite highlight, as are the synthesizers, but the strongest showing other than the acoustic piano tones is probably the various pads which sound great.

The Kawai KDP-110 has only 15 sounds, which demonstrates the fact that Kawai has positioned the KDP-110 as a practice instrument for folks mostly looking to play with acoustic piano tones. That said, the 15 tones it does have, including essentials like e piano, harpsichord, vibraphone, etc. are all very nicely rendered.

With the sound out of the way, let’s move on to discussing their keyboard actions.

 

Roland F140R vs Kawai KDP110 | Keyboard Action Comparison

Roland's Standard Keyboard Action PHA-4

 The Roland F140r is equipped with Roland’s PHA-4 Standard Keyboard Action with Escapement and Ivory Feel. This is the go-to hammer action throughout the Roland digital piano lineup up until about the $3,000 price point.

It’s very well built and reliable, and even though it’s been on the market for several years now, it’s still one of the better plastic actions available. It doesn’t feel too light, nor does it feel too heavy (though the touch sensitivity is adjustable across 5 levels of Key Touch), and is really quite comfortable to play on, even for longer playing sessions.

There’s a texture on the keys that provides a nice amount of grip, and the escapement adds another layer of authenticity, while also aiding in the playing of faster passages. There’s also triple sensor detection which produces high-resolution sensing.

 

Kawai's Responsive Hammer Compact II Action

 The Kawai KDP-110 is using Kawai’s Responsive Hammer Compact II action. At the outset, this action feels a little bit more cushioned, meaning the player has a little more room to dig in.

There is no escapement, but this action also has a texture on the keys that feels quite similar to the PHA4, as well as the triple sensor for accurate dynamic output.

 

Wrap Up

Pitting these actions side by side, it’s pretty hard to pick an obvious winner. They both feel really good, and a preference is going to be pretty subjective. That said, the presence of escapement on the PHA4 gives it on paper edge, and some players will definitely value this feature.

 Still, both are very solid actions, especially when you consider the affordable instruments they are featured on.

 

KDP-110 Functions and Features

Lesson Songs

The Kawai KDP-110 has an assortment of lesson books and repertoire pre-loaded making it a great tool as an educational aid for beginners.

 

Basic Functions

It also offers features like Transpose (adjustable via semitones), Dual, and Four Hands keyboard mode, which means a student and teacher can play side by side in equal ranges.

It also comes with a basic recorder function which is also a potentially useful practice aid, as well as a metronome.

 

Kawai’s Grand Feel Pedal System

The Kawai KDP-110 features Kawai’s Grand Feel Pedal System, which means that each pedal has slightly different spring pressures, just like on a grand piano. The Soft pedal takes a little bit more force than the damper pedal, while the sostenuto pedal is very light. The Kawai pedals are also continually sensing.

 

F140r Functions and Features

Bluetooth

Moving over the F140r, we see Roland with a bit of an edge here. Via Bluetooth, the F140r offers a very intuitive intelligent accompaniment backing band rhythm function feature with different rhythm styles that’s a lot of fun, and great for engaging new learners, easily controlled from your iPad or Android device. The KDP-110 does not have an onboard rhythm feature.

In terms of other connectivity, the F140r has a 3.5 mil in and out for the audio. This is really handy if you want to a device through the onboard speakers that do not have any Bluetooth connectivity.

 

Connectors

The Roland F140r also boasts discreet 1/4” line outputs for connecting to an amp or PA system for more power. This feature alone has made the F140r a very popular choice for places of worship and other venues that need a realistic digital piano without enough power to compete with a band.

Otherwise, essentially all of the features on the KDP-110 are also covered on the F140r such as Czerny and Hanon repertoire, along with an assortment of internal songs referred to as Piano Masterpieces, and Roland refers to their Four Hands mode as Twin Piano mode. There’s also a built-in recorder and you can playback WAV and MIDI files.

 

Cabinet Design | Kawai KDP110 vs Roland F140R

Kawai KDP-110

Moving on to the cabinets and the KDP110 has a more traditional upright piano look and is available in a single finish of Rosewood.

Roland F140r

The Roland F140r conversely has a more contemporary, industrial look (with stabilizers) and is available in both Contemporary Black and Snow White.  For a tighter living space, the F140r might be the perfect fit.

 

Wrap Up

Both pianos offer Bluetooth which means that you can connect to a tablet or a smartphone wirelessly to access various apps, such as music score apps, or even to view sheet music.

Both pianos have USB Ports - Type A and Type B (USB memory) as well as headphone jacks for private practice.

Both pianos also have a special auditory effect when playing with headphones that enhances the experience - spatial headphone sound on the KDP-110 and Headphones 3D Ambience Effect on the F140r which creates a cool multi-dimensional sound experience.

Both pianos have integrated triple pedal systems, with Roland highlighting the fact that their damper pedal is ‘continuous sensing’ meaning the player can achieve an acoustic-like level of finesse with the pedaling. You can also turn sheet music pages on your iPad with the pedal system.

Both pianos come with headphone hooks and are quite easy to assemble with the included screw sets.

 

Closing Thoughts

We have two pianos that are similarly priced with many overlapping features but ultimately go in different directions in terms of the overall musical experience they’re delivering.

On paper, the KDP-110 brings a stronger set of specs to the table in terms of replicating the sound of an acoustic piano. This is apparent with its superior speaker system and stronger polyphony count which itself is indicative of a more powerful sound processor.

While we would give the nod to the F140r in terms of the action, in our opinion, the KDP-110 is providing a slightly more realistic playing experience and better captures the authentic tone of a real acoustic grand piano.

On the flip side, the F140r has increased functionality, extra features such as the onboard rhythm accompaniments, and greater versatility by virtue of its discreet line outputs.

All of this being said, we come back to what we said at the beginning, and that’s the fact that since these musical instruments are offering such divergent musical experiences, you’ll want to try and play both to see which one should end up on your wishlist.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to visit Merriam Music for more articles and watch more piano review covers on our Youtube channel.

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The post Roland F140R vs Kawai KDP110 Digital Piano Comparison, Review & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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Upright Piano Buyers Guide | How to Choose an Upright Piano

When it comes to acoustic pianos, there are a lot of 'best of' lists and new piano buying guides out there with a ton of different information on different models. What these lists tend to neglect is a systematic way that you, the buyer, can sort through this information and zero in on the most important considerations affecting your decision.

In today's article and video, we're going to list the things you should be considering when looking for an upright piano and placing them in a very specific order of importance. We've already done the same thing for digital pianos, and we received positive feedback that people really found that helpful.

We're confident that if you apply our formula to your shopping process, you're not only ensured to be thrilled with the piano you end up with, but you'll also do so in much less time.

Piano Dimensions

The very first thing that we're going to suggest you start with is size. Not budget, not country of origin, but size. Here's why. The size of an upright piano directly determines its volume and the fullness and clarity of the bass register. It doesn't matter how well a piano is made - If it's not loud enough or it doesn't have a clear enough bass, there are no other factors that can ever make up for that.

There are upright pianos that can be as small as about 42" in height, and they generally get to be as tall as about 53" with sostenuto pedals. Although that only sounds like about a 20% difference, the proportional difference in string length is actually much larger. This is why that height difference can have such a big impact on how full the tone is and how much sound you need the piano to produce.

Be careful if you're looking at a small used piano as you'll want to ensure it isn't a Baldwin Spinet model - these instruments feature highly antiquated action designs and should be avoided.

There are several factors which might influence your needs in this area. One could be the size and acoustic makeup of the room where you'll be placing your piano. If you're planning on putting your upright piano into a very large space with high ceilings, you might have the need for a larger piano. If you're going to be recording with this instrument, you'll probably desire strong bass clarity, so you're not going to want to go lower than about 47" in height for example.

What are the risks here if you pick the wrong size piano? If you pick a piano that's too small for your needs, you are going to be training yourself to operate an instrument that behaves very differently than other pianos that you might experience out there. This is more of a consideration for students and professionals who might be doing recitals or performances on a concert grand piano, which offers an experience that is very different than that of a small upright.

If your needs really are a 48" upright, then don't go looking for a 42" by trying to exchange size for a more high-quality instrument - if you need a taller instrument, don't compromise here.

Sound Quality and Tonal Profile

After you've established the size that's appropriate for you, the next thing you'll want to focus on is picking a tone that satisfies your ear and excites your musical soul. Sometimes we can't explain why we like the tones that we like, but the point is, you want to pick something that is going to truly excite you and make you want to play.

Several things go into what gives a piano its tone. Country of origin can have an indirect influence because certain countries' piano industries are known for construction practices, designs, and overall quality control. If you buy a piano from Germany, you know that you're going to get a piano with great tonal clarity due to the quality of craftsmanship that's consistent across German piano manufacturing. If you have the ear for it, you'll be able to hear the difference between a very clear tone and a tone that's a little dirtier, and this is a compromise you may be unwilling to make.

The style of the piano may also come into play as there are certain instruments which are designed to create a maximum level of color and dynamic response. Bechstein upright pianos come to mind for example when you hear this type of description. Other instruments known for extreme clarity and beautiful shimmering sustain would be Schimmel uprights.

Things like hammer selection, soundboard material, and scale design also go a long way in determining sound quality and tonal profile.

In a mid-range price category, Kawai uprights are one example with a very colorful sound profile. Yamaha won the other hand would be a little clearer with less color.

So, it's important to understand what you want out of the tone of your piano as finding the sound you connect with will really inspires you to play. You may find that there's consistency either in a country of origin or possibly in a specific piano brand that does this for you. Check out the video to hear some playing examples of different uprights with very different sounds.

Piano Action (Touch and Response)

Once we know how big the piano needs to be and we're centered in on a style of tone that we really resonate with, our next focus should be on how we physically interface with the piano - in other words, the piano action.

Some people might suggest that touch is the most important consideration, especially for piano technicians, but we've put it third for a reason - great touch is never going to make up for bad tone. It's also never going to be able to compensate for missing volume or bass presence that only a certain type of piano can provide.

Touch can be described in a variety of ways. People will say use terms like light touch or heavy touch, but this is often actually referring to the dynamic response of a given instrument. A piano could actually have a fairly heavy touch, but if it has an immediate and big dynamic response, your mind might still perceive that as a light touch.

So, this is more of a perception thing as opposed to something totally objective. A medium sensation is usually the balance people look for between a sense of control and a sense of ease with the dynamic range. The heavier you perceive a piano's touch to be, the harder you'll have to play to get access to the full dynamic range. When an action feels too light, it will typically have a huge dynamic range, and this is quite difficult to control in the lower dynamic ranges.

Figuring out how heavy or how light you want the sense of touch to be is quite important and has less to do with quality and more to do with stylistic subjective differences from builder to builder. Even two German-made upright pianos of the same general quality level can have radically different feeling actions.

We would definitely suggest that if you're in the market for a premium upright of any kind, spend an extended period of time in the showroom or music store to make sure that that sense of weight and resistance is going to be comfortable for you over long periods of time.

Another thing that almost never gets talked about is the surface of the piano keys and how rounded the edges of the keys are. You might not think this is a big deal, but if you don't like how the keys feel, this is something that will pop up very soon after you have the instrument at home. You're going to want to make sure that you like the actual tactile feel of the keys on your fingers, along with the rest of how the action feels.

Your Budget

The fourth consideration to look at is budget. The reason budget is fourth and not first is that if you follow our first three considerations in order, you're going to come into a subset of instruments that still has a fairly wide range of prices.

When our salespeople consult with customers on their piano buying musical journey, whether it's their first time and first piano or fifth piano, we go through the above-noted considerations and sometimes wind up at a range as wide as $8,000 up to $40,000 of pianos that will fit the needs of the customer based on the above criteria.

Once you've got that subset of instruments down, this is where budget should come into play. You now know the flavor you want, and from here it's just a matter of how refined you want that flavor to be, and potentially how long you'd like your piano to last.

The quality of a piano definitely does have an impact on its longevity. Budget usually reflects this because as you move up in price, the piano is generally made with better materials and a good quality piano design that will maintain its integrity over a longer period of time.

Whether the budget is strict or flexible, at this point in the process you'll be able to refine things down to the best piano for your budget.

Resale Value (Used Market & Brand Considerations)

The fifth and final consideration you'll want to make is resale value. This has less of an impact when shopping for a baby grand piano, but it has a very large impact when you're shopping for an upright piano.

Upright pianos, in terms of brands and in terms of models, have a much higher rate of turnover in the piano industry than grand pianos do. Because upright pianos are not often thought of as aesthetic complements to a home in the way grand pianos are, people will only pay top dollar for an upright used piano that has brand recognition or model acclaim.

You're simply not going to get good resale value if you go with a brand which is either quite new to the market, unknown to the market, or is from a company known for churning brands put pretty consistently like some of the stencil brands that come from China.

Now, we're not saying pianos that fit this above description can't offer really great value. What we are saying is that if you think there's a high likelihood that you will be selling or upgrading your instrument within 5 to 10 years of purchase, this is where brand and model selection can have a major impact on resale.

Here's an example. If you were to buy an upright from an unknown brand for about $7,000 or $8,000 and you cared for that instrument really well to the point that it was in perfect condition for 10 years and you decide to sell, there's a good chance that you will have to sell that piano for $3,000 to $4,000, or possibly even less.

We're talking about a 50% hit to your original investment. If you'd spent the same amount of money on a known model or something with brand recognition, there's a good chance that you'd be able to sell that piano for within 20% to 30 less than what you bought it for, meaning you've preserved 70% to 80% of your original investment.

Follow these 5 considerations, in this specific order, and we're confident you'll end up with the right piano for you. Now, here's a list of some of our favorite upright pianos from every price range.

Merriam Music's List of Notable Upright Pianos

This is hardly an exhaustive list, but these are some models we think would be deserving of a closer look. We carry over 50 upright pianos here at Merriam Pianos and there are close to 100 out there in the wider piano universe.

Here are some favorites that we're sure you'll come across in your research.

Starting at the entry level, we've had positive experiences with the Pearl River 118 and 121 sizes as well as their premium Ritmuller UP and UH models. Kawai has the ND21 model, which is a 48-inch Indonesian-built instrument which has been highly popular in Europe, Australia, and here in Canada. It's generally not available in the United States, but if you can find one, it's pretty much impossible to beat for the price when you consider what it offers musically, plus Kawai's excellent warranty coverage.

Moving up to the mid-range and we've got the Kawai K300 and the Yamaha U1 - probably the most fierce upright piano matchup in the industry. There's also the taller Kawai K500 and the Yamaha U3, which is another great rivalry. These four instruments simply dominate the mid-range piano market due to the fact that they're all very well built, professional quality instruments with highly musical playing experiences, yet cost a fraction of a German instrument. Piano tuners love servicing these pianos too.

Moving up into the European range, the W. Hoffmann T122 along with the Wilhelm Schimmel W118 are two instruments that have been immensely popular. The W. Hoffmann is made in the Czech Republic, while the Wilhelm Schimmel is made in Poland meaning the manufacturers here are able to take advantage of slightly more affordable Eastern European labor, but still deliver fantastic material and quality control from their German parent companies, Schimmel and Bechstein.

Once we move into the premium range, the Bechstein A124 has been a huge hit all around the world. Bechstein reps have told us that they simply cannot build enough of these particular instruments to meet global demand.

Right at the very top of the industry we've got the C. Bechstein Concert 8, Bosendorfer 130, Steinway & Sons K52, and the Schimmel Konzert Series - these are simply some of the best instruments money can buy.

Of course, there are many other great upright pianos out there, these are just some we have had excellent personal experiences with.

Final Thoughts

Thanks very much for reading. We hope that you'll check out the video as well for an even more in-depth explanation of the top considerations you should make when choosing an upright piano, as well as some playing examples of fine musical instruments.

We truly believe that if you follow the guidelines above, you'll have a wonderfully productive experience next time you visit a piano retailer.

The post Upright Piano Buyers Guide | How to Choose an Upright Piano first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020