Promenade Music is proud to be a Main UK Dealer for the Kawai K Series pianos. The K-800 AS is the epitome of upright piano craftsmanship. Its elegant form and exceptional tone will fulfill the needs of any professional teaching studio or intimate performance setting.
The Kawai K800AS is the ultimate Japanese made Kawai upright piano and top of the Kawai’s multi award-winnning ‘K Series’ range of upright pianos which we think are the ‘Best in Class’ at their price points. The Kawai K800AS is a 134cm tall polished ebony black upright in a grand-style exterior designed cabinet that has a large 105cm grand-style ‘hard finish’ music rack, moulded grand type soft-fall fallboard with lock and brass logo, and brass fittings with double-wheel brass front castors. It has a wonder tone that is warm, rich and powerful with an outstanding depth and broader dynamic range than many professional pianos on the market. The unique grand-style exterior cabinet recreates the geometry and experience of playing a grand in respect of keyboard height, music rack, seating position and vertical fall. The piano is fitted with Kawai’s true sostenuto centre pedal which all adds to the experience of feeling like you are playing a grand. Although the middle pedal is a Sostenuto pedal, you can still use the celeste rail (aka practice muffler) as it is activated by a lever.
One of the most coveted attributes of any fine piano is its dynamic range and the ability to play both delicate dolce pianissimo passages as well as thundering fortissimo passages. The technological superiority that Kawai bring pianists with their Millennium III upright piano action is evident in both these variants of musical dynamics. The Millennium III features components made of ABS-Carbon (a composite material created by the infusion of carbon fiber into Kawai’s renowned ABS Styran) which is incredibly sturdy, strong and rigid which allows the creation of action parts that are lighter without sacrificing strength. The result is a beautiful movement that is fast and offers more power, better control, and greater stability than conventional all-wood actions. The action in the K800AS is the only Millennium III action in the K-series range to have double felted ‘Royal George’ felt hammer-heads, which are T-stapled to preserve hammer shape and have an added interior layer of underfelt to support the creation of exceptional tone. The hammer-heads are mounted on mahogany wood core mouldings which are lightweight and extremely responsive. All K-series pianos have both a dual-beam aluminum hammer rail which is like the “spine of the piano action” and made of durable extruded aluminum with Kawai’s very own advanced dual-beam design which gives strength and stability; and three die-cast aluminum action brackets which are made from a custom mould (so they are formed the same every time) which provides added strength, uniformity and stability for accurate touch over time. The piano also has an ABS flange and serrated rail surface which is finely serrated in three strategic areas to secure the hammer, wippen and damper flanges in places for optimum action alignment for a more precise hammer strike.
The K800AS has keybed and braces as its keybed must be strong and stable to support the Millennium III action assembly and maintain action regulation over years of heavy use. K-series have sturdy laminated hardwood keybeds and reinforced by rear braces on the iron frame that help to ensure stable placement and add rigidity to prevent energy loss. The piano also has a steel-reinforced keyslip [the long, horizontal piece of wood that covers the front faces of the keys] which is reinforced because keyslips on any piano can badly warp and bend due to humidity changes which cause keys to rub or stick against the keyslip. So to eliminate this problem, Kawai simply used a heavy-guage steel angle iron to prevent warping and bending and this allows the keys to move more freely with virtually no possibility of problems.
The K800AS has NEOTEX key surfaces – for both white and black keys – which is made with cellulose fibre which creates the feel of natural ebony and ivory, and resists cracking and fading over the many years of use the piano will be used. NEOTEX is a semiporous, silica-filled surface that absorbs the natural oils and perspiration from the players hands that can cause slipping. The longer 222mm key-stick length makes playing easier and provides a more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface. The benefits to the pianist is quite simply greater control and more power with less effort.
The K800AS has a matched strength iron Full Perimeter Frame for added strength, Agraffes on keys 1-51 for very accurate string alignment, and Duplex Scaling Fore and Back [aka Upper & Lower] which enhances harmonics in the treble range, adding brilliance and richness to the pianos overall tone. The maximum string length of the first bass string is 1280mm and K-series tuning pins are made from the finest quality steel which are machine-threaded for maximum bi-directional torque and then nickel plated to enhance the beauty and provide long-term protection. At the heart of the K800AS is a 1.52m² Solid Spruce Tapered Soundboard which is made from fine quality straight-grained, quartersawn solid spruce that transforms the vibrations of the pianos strings into its amazing tone. The soundboard is strategically tapered to maximize its tone producing capability and is designed to give tremendous strength that ensures stability of tone and touch over time. Its 12 ribs and 2 cut-off bars add strength to the soundboard and helps the soundboard to maintain its shape. The pianos contour bars reshape the speaking area of the soundboard to resemble the contour of a grand piano soundboard while reflecting sound energy back into the centre for increased tonal power and sustain. On the K800AS, the soundboard is supported by 6 exceptionally strong multi-laminated back posts with 2 frame colts that ensures a sturdy, well-balanced back assembly that supports string tension and provides a solid foundation for outstanding tone.
The piano has 3 cast brass pedals which are strong – and visually beautiful – and made from a proprietary casting process that binds molten brass to a sturdy steel core – which operate as a [L to R] soft, sostenuto and damper). There are double front castors made of solid brass – which are as sturdy as they are attractive – and the size of the K800AS is 134cm tall, 153cm wide, 65cm deep, and it weighs 284kg. The piano has a full 10 years parts warranty and a 5 years labour warranty.
So, if you want to buy the Kawai K800AS (that’s the ultimate Japanese made Kawai upright piano) from a fourth generation piano company who have won over 50 international awards for excellence, and offer undeniable benefits of modern piano technology with an amaxing tone and touch that will last decades, your next piano will be a Kawai.
This piano is part of the multi award winnning Kawai ‘K Series’ upright piano range which includes the K15E Range . E200 Studio Range . K200 Range . K200SL Range . E300 Studio Range . K300 Range . K300SL Range . K400 Range . K500 Range . K600 Range . K700 Range . K800AS Range.
Call Promenade Music on 01524 410202 or email [email protected] for more information.
More Information about Kawai Pianos.
The Kawai Family … Four Generations of Kawai Family Involved in Piano Making Since 1927
Kawai was founded in Hamamatsu [Japan] in August 1927 by Koichi Kawai (1886-1955) who had previously been an apprentice to Torakusu Yamaha (1851-1916). After Mr. Yamaha’s death, Koich left the team – who had taken over the control of Yamaha’s business – to build his own piano business. An extraordinary genius for design and innovation, Koichi had a never-ending quest for perfection which saw the foundations of great things for the Kawai company. After his sudden death in 1955, his son Shigeru Kawai (1922-2006) took over the company and advanced it into the realm of modern manufacturing. After Shigeru’s retirement in 1989, the company passed to his son, Hirotaka Kawai (1947-2024) who carried on the ‘commitment to excellence’, that was established by his father and grandfather, by incorporating advanced robotics into the production process. Following Hirotaka’s death in 2024, the presidency of the company passed to his son, Kentaro Kawai, the fourth generation Kawai to run what is now, one of the greatest and foremost award-winning piano makers in the world.
Kawai Players
Kawai have an honorable list of distinguished artists from every music genre and their testimonies of Kawai products. In the Players in The Classical Music World include: Mikhail Pletnev, Kenji Miura, Luke Jones, Mark Nixon, Can Çakmur, Ivan Ilić, David Quigley, Julian Saphir, Ashley Fripp, Anne Lovet, Lara Melda; and Players in The Popular Music World include: Chris Martin of Coldplay, Matthew Bellamy of MUSE, Neil Sedaka, Yoshiki, Neil Sutton of Human League, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Rod Argent of The Zombies, Marty Grebb [Worked with: Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Olivia Newton-John], Don Airey [Worked with: Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, etc], Steve Nieve [Worked with: Sting, McCartney, Bowie, Bono, Springsteen], Trevor Horn [Worked with: Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams, John Legend, Seal] and David Witham [George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Brecker Brothers, Patti Austin] … to name but a few.
Institutions with Kawai Pianos
Promenade Music supplies educational institutions in the UK. There are many halls, conservatories and universities all over the world using Kawai pianos daily. It is impossible to name them all – as there are too many to name – but they include pianos in: England (Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban, Guildhall, Birmingham Conservatoire, Menuhin School, Purcell School); Ireland (Royal Irish Academy); Austria (Vienna Phil, Graz Opera, Wiener Symphony, Mozarteum Uni, Graz Uni, Anton Bruckner Uni, Vienna Conservatoire); Belgium (Royal Conservatoires of Brussels, Antwerp, Liège and Etterbeek); France (Paris Opera, Paris Conservatoire, Lyon Conservatoire, Bordeaux Conservatoire); Germany (Munich Conservatoire, Frankfurt Uni, Cologne Uni, Duisburg Opera, Hannover Uni, Hamburg Uni, Stuttgart Uni, Berlin Uni, Düsseldorf Opera, Freiburg Uni, Robert Schumann Uni, Folkwang Uni); Poland (Fryderyk Chopin Institute); Italy (La Scala Opera); The Netherlands (Amsterdam Conservatoire, Hague Conservatoire, Utrecht Uni, Prince Claus Conservatoire, Metropole Orchestra, Groningen Conservatoire, Hilversum Conservatoire); Russia (Russian National Orchestra, Tchaikovsky Conservatoire Moscow, Ufa Institute); Spain (Madrid Conservatoire, Sevilla Conservatoire, Granada Conservatoire, Málaga Conservatoire, Almería Conservatoire, Valencia Conservatoire); Switzerland (Zurich Uni, Geneve Conservatoire, Lugano Conservatoire, Swiss Jazz School, Buchs Conservatoire); Canada (Québec Conservatoire, Glenn Gould School Conservatoire, Alberta Uni, British Columbia Uni, British Columbia Uni, Toronto Uni, Vancouver Academy, etc); USA (The Juilliard School, Chapman Uni, Jacksonville Uni, Lincoln Center Arts, MIT Massachusetts, Saint Louis Opera Theatre, California Uni, Chicago Uni, Nevada Uni, Washington Uni, Wheaton College); China (National Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Conservatoires of Shanghai, Sichuan, Xian, Shenyang, and Tianjin); South Africa (Cape town Uni).
If you are a UK instiution looking at Kawai pianos, please call Promenade Music on 01524 410202 for more information.
Kawai at Internationals Competitions
The following list is where pianist chose to play a Kawai piano and were the 1st Place Prize Winners at the following international piano competitions.
The 8th Sydney International Piano Competition in Australia ….. The 1st International Music Competition Harbin China ….. The 42nd ARD International Music Competition in Germany ….. The 2nd and 5th Dublin International Piano Competitions in Ireland ….. The 1st Citta di Cantu International Piano and Orchestra Competition in Italy ….. The 45th Ferrucio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy ….. The 8th Premio Dino Ciani International Competition in Italy ….. The 22nd, 25th, 27th and 30 Alessandro Casagrande International Piano Competitions in Italy ….. The 2nd, 9th and 10th Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions in Japan ….. The 6th and 8th Sendai International Music Competitions in Japan ….. The 8th Sendai International Music Competition in Japan ….. The 12th Vianna da Motta International Music Competition in Macao ….. The 10th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia ….. The 2nd International Rachmaninov Piano Competition in Russia …. The 1st and 2nd Isidor Bajic International Piano Competitions in Serbia …… The 11th Santander International Piano Competition in Spain ….. The 13th Jose Iturbi International Music Competition in Spain ….. The 14th, 20th and 21st Jose Iturbi International Music Competition in Spain ….. The 9th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in the USA ….. The 23rd William Kapell International Piano Competition the USA. In addition to the above listed competitions, Kawai have been selected as an official piano for a number of international piano competitions around the world.
All Wood Actions vs Kawai’s Millennium III Action Made of Wood & ABS-Carbon Components
Although wood is a wonderful material for the sound producing elements of a piano – like the soundboard, rim and hammers – it’s not great for some of the 8,000 parts in an action because it isn’t always as stable as we would like and can suffer from hummidity variations. The only material that piano inventors like Cristofori (who created the first piano action in the early 1700’s) and Erard (who created the double escapement action in the early 1800’s) had to work with in their day was wood; and I’m pretty sure if they were around today, they too would be using the most modern composites for the mechanical action parts as this is one of the parts of the piano that needs to be exacting and have unchanging precision, which wood can’t always guarantee because of its instability because of climatic changes. Kawai – like many leading companies in other industries – have moved towards the use of carbon-fibre to enhance performance of their products [think how carbon-fibre composities have made their way into improvements in tennis rackets, golf clubs, aircrafts, race cars, racing boats and performance cycles] and Kawai’s pianos have benefited from improvements to hammer strike (often flawed on pianos because of misaligned hammers due to the swelling and shrinkage in ‘all wood’ actions). Through composite action parts like ABS-carbon wippens, flanges and damper levers – which are impervious to hummidity change – Kawai hammers, strike the string with greater precision and the pianos maintain better touch and tone over long-periods of time. In our opinion, the Millennium III action is ‘best in class’ as its lighter weight and tremendous strength makes its playing speed, power and control the best action in its price point, and probably one of the main reasons why Kawai have one over 50 international awards for excellence. [David Wood, Promenade Music].
