Shigeru Kawai SK-2 Grand Piano
Each piano is handmade and produced in small batches to ensure a fine attention to detail, expert voicing, regulation, and structure. The tone of the Shigeru Kawai SK-2 Grand Piano is one of the richest in the world, many sampling systems and recording studios seek this piano for this aspect. The action features Kawai’s unique Millennium III Carbon Fiber Action for decades of use and resistance to humidity and stress. At 5’11’ the bass and mid-range sing beautifully while still small enough to fit in many living rooms and studios. It features unique design points such as a Composers Desk which allows for a 30 Degree angle on the music desk, great for students, composition, and laptops. The piano has ornate brass detailing found on the legs, lid, and rim of the piano.
The technology that supports the sounds produced by the Shigeru Kawai is created by craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to building the world’s finest pianos. Every single step, each intricately detailed design, is performed without urgency as our craftsmen draw upon their years of experience to achieve their relentless pursuit of perfection. It’s this good, old-fashioned care and great individual pride that enables our pianos to attract the greatest musicians from around the world.
ATTRIBUTES
The Millennium III Action
The Millennium III Action features components made of ABS-Carbon, a composite material created by the infusion of carbon fiber into our renowned ABS Styran. ABS-Carbon is incredibly sturdy and rigid, which allows the creation of action parts that are lighter without sacrificing strength. The result is a stronger, faster action that offers more power, better control, and greater stability than conventional all-wood actions.
Extended Length Keys Made by Spruce
Spruce is the ideal material for the keys light, yet extremely strong for its weight. It responds with minimal flex and exceptional consistency, transmitting every subtle nuance of the pianist s performance while remaining stable through years of heavy use. The length of each key has been extended to make playing easier and provide more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface. Keysticks are also designed with a slightly taller profile for maximum rigidity to deliver greater power.
“Shiko Seion” Hammers
Shiko Seion hammers, which take their name from the Japanese words for ultimate voicing , are the exclusive province of our Master Piano Artisans who oversee their formation from beginning to end.
Every hammer is meticulously hand-pressed without the application of heat and carefully voiced without artificial hardeners to ensure outstanding dynamic response and expression.
Hand-wound bass strings by skilled craftsmen
The process of winding copper wire around the bass strings requires highly-refined skills. In this process, Kawai’s skilled craftsmen wind each wire carefully and precisely by hand to ensure the highest possible quality.
Concert Agraffes
Identical to those used on our renowned EX Concert Grand Piano, Shigeru Kawai Concert Agraffes are individually machined from billet brass rods to assure maximum precision and strength. The result is clear, powerful and impressive tone.
Premium Aged Soundboard Made of Solid Spruce
The custom-tapered soundboard in a Shigeru piano is made exclusively from the finest spruce, aged by the traditional kigarashi process that uses only the forces of time and nature to allow the wood to attain a state of natural balance. It is this lengthy and painstaking process that gives Shigeru pianos their uniquely rich tonal quality.
Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design (SOLID)
Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design (SOLID) creates an exceptionally rigid foundation to support string tension. With SOLID construction, the pin block is hand-fitted to the plate. The pin block and over-lapping stretcher bar are then integrated into a single structure and solidly anchored to the rim. The resulting framework possesses outstanding strength and rigidity to ensure stable tuning and powerful tone.
Hybrid Inner Rim (Konsei Katagi Rim)
The 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 interlaminated 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 the Shigeru piano.
All-Spruce Beams
Spruce is known for its outstanding ability to conduct and conserve sound energy. However, it is generally considered too precious for use as a structural material. For the Shigeru pianos, all of the underside beams are made entirely of the highest quality spruce.
Dual-Pivot Dampers
Meticulous attention to the needs of professional performers is evident in every feature of the Shigeru piano. One example, originally developed for our Shigeru Kawai EX Concert Piano, is the unique dual-pivot damper design that allows smoother half-pedal control for delicate tonal expression.
MPA
Final Voicing by MPA
Kawai’s most esteemed sound creators are proudly known as Master Piano Artisans (MPA). They are the only individuals who can send Shigeru Kawai pianos out into the world. The title of MPA is a special qualification, bestowed upon the finest piano technician-those who possess the skill, dedication, and a passion for music.
Dimensions: Length: 5’11” (180 cm), Width: 61″ (152 cm), , Weight: 714 lbs. (324 kg)
Available Finishes: Ebony Polished, Brown Sapeli Mahogany Polished