The K series from Kawai is one of the most versatile piano lines on the market. Today we will be looking at 3 of the 5 models in the series and discuss how they were crafted with the future in mind. There are some key differences between the models and to illustrate this will compare K200, K300, and K500. At the heart of this series is the Kawai Millennium III Upright Action (not available in K15) to avoid the common problem of “swelling and shrinking parts” that weakens the stability of conventional actions with all-wooden parts. 

Kawai K Series Professional Upright Pianos

Whenever knowledgable pianists discuss which brands of upright pianos are the finest in the world, Kawai K Series Professional Upright Pianos are always part of the dialogue. That’s because the K Series pianos provide a truly exceptional combination of excellent touch, outstanding tone and unrivaled stability that will impress any discerning player or performer. Most piano brands can make bold claims about stellar touch and tone. But the key attribute that most pianos buyers overlook is “stability” — the instrument’s ability to maintain high-quality touch and tone over the course of time.

A half-century ago, Kawai realized that the prime cause of piano problems was the use of wood in all parts of the piano’s internal action. Wooden parts would shrink, swell and warp — which negatively affected both touch and tone. To prevent such problems, Kawai pioneered the use of modern composite parts that are virtually impervious to the shrinking, swelling and warpage issues that cause piano performance to decline. The renowned Kawai Millennium III Upright Action with composite parts is the chief reason why K Series Professional Uprights maintain exceptional tone and touch over time — and why they are continually counted among the world’s finest upright pianos.

K-800 Upright Piano (53")                  K-500 Upright Piano (51")                  K-400 Upright Piano (48")

K-300 Upright Piano (48")                    K-200 Upright Piano (45") 

AWARD-WINNING QUALITY

The K Series was named “Acoustic Piano Line of the Year” four years running in MMR Magazine’s Dealers’ Choice Awards. This award-winning legacy continues today in the K Series line that was enhanced in 2014 to provide better tone and consistent touch than ever before. Never has there been a line of upright pianos that performs more reliably with excellence than the Kawai K Series Professional Uprights. Play the entire line at an authorized Kawai dealer near you.

THE KAWAI DIFFERENCE

What makes the Kawai Millennium III Upright Action superior to any other upright piano action? In a word: composites. Kawai uses leading-edge carbon fiber composites for our Millennium III Upright and Grand Actions to avoid the common problem of “swelling and shrinking parts” that weakens the stability of conventional actions with all-wooden parts.

The use of carbon fiber creates Kawai actions that are far more stable and provide more accurate, responsive touch over time than any other brand.

THE ELEMENTS OF TOUCH

Touch is the quintessential key to joy, inspiration and artistry. Precise, consistent touch is the hallmark of every Kawai piano.

DIE-CAST ALUMINUM ACTION BRACKETS

Made from a custom mold, die-cast parts are formed exactly the same every time. The K Series pianos feature three aluminum action brackets that are die-cast to provide an added measure of strength, uniformity and stability for accurate touch over time.

DUAL BEAM ALUMINUM ACTION RAIL

The action rail is the “spine” of the piano’s action. K Series action rails are made of durable extruded aluminum with our advanced Dual Beam design for strength and stability.

SERRATED RAIL SURFACE

The action rail surface is finely serrated in three strategic areas to secure the hammer, wippen and damper flanges in place for optimum action alignment and a more precise hammer strike.

ABS-CARBON ACTION PARTS

The use of ABS-Carbon makes the action parts tremendously strong and consistent. ABS-Carbon is many times stronger than wood and is virtually impervious to shrinking and swelling due to humidity. This extraordinary combination of strength and stability allows ABS-Carbon action parts to transfer energy to the hammers with unparalleled efficiency, power, precision and nuance for a superb playing experience.

NEOTEX™ KEY SURFACES

Our exclusive NEOTEX key surface material made with cellulose fiber offers the smooth, understated texture of natural ivory and ebony—and a semi-porous, silica-filled surface to absorb the hand’s natural oils and perspiration that can cause slipping. NEOTEX resists cracking and fading over years of use and is used for both the sharps and the naturals for a consistent feel across the entire keyboard.

(K-500 and K-800 only)

EXTENDED LENGTH KEYS

Longer keys make playing easier and provide a more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface. The benefits to the player are greater control and more power with less effort.

MAHOGANY CORE HAMMERS

Mahogany hammer mouldings are lightweight and extremely responsive. Found on only the finest pianos, mahogany is used for the hammer mouldings on the entire line of K Series Professional Upright Pianos.

THE ELEMENTS OF TONE

Tradition and technology are indispensable elements of piano tone. Tradition lays the foundation for our distinctive tonal character. Technology empowers it with life, breadth, and depth that lasts from generation to generation.

TAPERED SOUNDBOARDS MADE OF SOLID SPRUCE

The soundboard is the heart of a piano. Its purpose is to transform the vibrations of the piano’s strings into a rich, resounding tone. Kawai uses only straight-grained, quarter-sawn solid spruce for K Series soundboards. Each soundboard is strategically tapered to maximize its tone producing capability. Only those that meet or exceed our demanding quality standards are selected for use in our professional upright pianos.