SHIGERU

KAWAI SK-EX

HANDCRAFTED. ELEGANCE.

EXCELLENCE

– THE PREMIER PIANO OF JAPAN –

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX US main image

SHIGERU KAWAI SK-EX GRAND PIANO

Concert Grand

CONCERT GRAND

SHIGERU KAWAI SK-EX

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Grand Piano is the pinnacle of the Shigeru Kawai range. Fewer than 20 are handcrafted each year, making the SK-EX as remarkable in its rarity as its sound. Tremendous tone, incredible range and stunning response are hallmarks of the SK-EX – a concert grand piano without rival.

The greatest of Shigeru Kawai Pianos is worthy of any concert hall and is as stunning on the eyes as it is on the ears. The Concert Grand’s unmatched tone, touch and consistency are the results of the exquisite materials and skill used in its construction.

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX is the flagship model of the Shigeru Kawai’s Concert Series, our exceptional range of concert grand pianos inspired by the work of the company’s founder, Koichi Kawai.

Specifications:
Length: 9’ 1” (278 cm)
Width: 5’ 2” (158 cm)
Weight: 1111 lbs. (504 kg)
Finish: Ebony Polish

Features: Kawai Millennium III ABS-Carbon action ~ “Shiko Seion” hammers from New Zealand and Australian wool ~ Tapered and tuned solid spruce soundboard ~ “Temaki” Kawai-made hand wound bass strings ~ Hand notched bridges ~ Hand planed ribs ~ Thinned hammer shanks ~ Rock maple and mahogany rim ~ Bird’s eye maple inside rim ~ Agraffe duplex scale ~ Aluminum action rail ~ Nickel plated tuning pins ~ Solid brass hardware ~ 10-year warranty

Every Shigeru Kawai SK-EX comes with a 10-year transferrable warranty as standard.

PIANOS MADE TO

PERFECTION

Shigeru KAWAI Grand Pianos
Shigeru Kawai SK 7

MAKING PREMIUM PIANOS SINCE 1999

CONCERT GRAND

SHIGERU KAWAI SK-EX

Our Master Piano Makers use the finest spruce, mahogany, maple and boxwood. Alongside these premium woods are Kawai’s world-class components. A custom-tapered soundboard, hand-crafted Shiko Seion hammers, a Konsei Katagi rim, and our renowned Millennium III Action combine to produce an exquisite sound and playing experience. The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX truly is a work of devotion and it is considered as one of the finest pianos the world has ever seen.

The SK-EX is the flagship model of the Shigeru Kawai’s Concert Series, our exceptional range of concert grand pianos inspired by the work of the company’s founder, Koichi Kawai.

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX is a highly exclusive musical instrument and one of the most common choices among concert pianists at international piano competitions.

Millennium III Action

The Millennium III Action uses state-of-the-art ABS components that are extremely light and rigid to deliver faster repetition and more power with less effort.

Shiko Seion Hammers

Shiko Seion hammers are made by our Master Piano Artisans (MPAs), who are true masters of their craft.

Dual-Pivot Dampers

The distinctive dual-pivot damper design, for example, is crafted for the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Piano and allows more precise half-pedal management for delicate tonal expression.

Shigeru Kawai Grand Piano
Shigeru Kawai Master Piano Artisan
Millennium III Action
Shigeru Kawai SK Solid Overlap Design
Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Kigarashi Soundboards

Kigarashi Soundboards

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX’s exquisite spruce soundboard — made exclusively from wood aged in the time-honored traditional Kigarashi process that utilizes the power of time and nature to achieve a state of natural balance — is unique. Executed with the highest level of craftsmanship and finest materials this complex and laborious technique gives every Shigeru concert grand piano its distinctive tonal quality.

Shiko Seion Hammers

Shiko Seion hammers are made by our Master Piano Artisans (MPAs), who are true masters of their craft. These hammers are created without the use of heat or artificial hardeners to achieve unsurpassed response and expression. That’s why they take their name from the Japanese words for “ultimate voicing.”

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Shiko Seion Hammers
Shigeru Kawai SK Konsei Katagi Rim

Konsei Katagi Rim

The unique Konsei Katagi rim combines a blend of distinctive hardwoods to achieve the perfect balance of tone. Small-pore hardwoods, which offer brightness and projection, are interlaminated with dense, large-pore hardwoods, which give warmth and fullness. The result is a unique combination of woods which results in the Shigeru piano’s renowned richness of tone.

Stretcher Over-Lap Design

The Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design (SOLID) of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand provides an extremely solid structure for string tension and tuning stability. The laminated maple pin block is hand-fitted to the plate, and the overlapping stretcher bar and pin block are then combined into a single structure that is securely fastened to both sides of the rim. The combination of the pin block, plate and stretcher bar results in a framework that provides excellent strength and rigidity, which makes for stable, accurate tuning, the result of which is stunning and magnificent.

Shigeru Kawai SK Solid Overlap Design
Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Extended Keysticks

Extended Keysticks

The overall length of each key stick is extended to facilitate more control and provides consistent touch from the front to the back of the key. Key sticks are also built with a higher profile for greater stiffness, allowing them to deliver more force.

Millennium III Action

The highly acclaimed Millennium III Action uses state-of-the-art ABS-Carbon components that are extremely light and rigid to deliver faster repetition and more power with less effort. This revolutionary action provides more control, responsive touch and greater dynamics than any other of its contemporaries.

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Millennium III Action
Concert Agraffes

Concert Agraffes

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX’s Concert Agraffes are individually machined from billet brass rods to offer exceptional precision in the placement of the strings. An exceptionally brilliant and clear treble tone is the result.

Temaki Bass Strings

Those bass strings which are made using the Temaki method are crafted by specialized master piano artisans who carefully guide the winding of bass strings by hand for total precision and tension.

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Temaki Bass Strings
All spruce beams Shigeru Kawai

All-Spruce Beams

Spruce is well known for its excellent sound-conducting capability. However, it is typically regarded as being prohibitively expensive to use as a structural material. As is typical with Kawai’s quest for building the world’s finest concert piano, all of the massive underside beams on Shigeru pianos are entirely constructed of the best quality spruce.

Boxwood Bridge Caps

Bridge caps made of boxwood are found only on premium pianos. It is a hard wood with excellent tonal transfer properties, while also providing additional infrastructure with which to hold bridge pins securely. Boxwood bridge caps aid in the projection of treble tones that balance well with larger piano’s stronger bass voice.

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Boxwood Bridge Caps
Shigeru Kawai SK EX Dual Pivot Dampers

Dual-Pivot Dampers

Every element of the Shigeru piano pays meticulous attention to the demands of professional artists. The distinctive dual-pivot damper design, for example, is crafted for the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Piano and allows more precise half-pedal management for delicate tonal expression.

Specifications

THE PREMIER PIANO OF JAPAN

Length: 9’ 1” (278 cm)

Width:  5’ 2” (158 cm)

Weight: 1111 lbs. (504kg)

Finish: Polished Ebony

Size comparison

Shigeru Kawai Models Size Comparison

Resources

SizeLength9’1″ (278 cm)
Width63″ (158 cm)
Height40″ (102 cm)
Weight1103 lbs. (500 kg)
TouchWhite Key SurfacesNEOTEX™
Black Key SurfacesEbony
ActionMillennium III
HammersAll Underfelted
SoundSoundboardSolid Spruce, Tapared
Agraffes1 – 54 keys / Concert Agraffes
Duplex ScalingFront & Aliquot
Beams5
Exterior DesignPedalsDamper, Sostenuto, Soft
CastersLarge, Brass (with stopper)
Lid Props3
Soft Fall
Music RackPosition5 Positions
Hard Finish
Lock
Junko Ueno Garrett

"The Shigeru piano always gives me inspiration to create music at a very high level. I love its honest and transparent sound."

Junko Ueno Garrett

Concert Pianist, Shigeru Kawai Artist

Unparalleled Legacy. Unsurpassed Craftsmanship. Unrivaled Advancement.

Shigeru Kawai STORY

Shigeru Kawai was born on July 28, 1922 in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan. He entered the piano business as a young man in 1946. Although he was a member of the Kawai family, Shigeru spent his early years learning the piano building process as a regular worker. He put in long hours laboring diligently in the manufacturing area, sometimes sleeping overnight in the factory as an expression of his dedication to the craft. He loved the work so much that, in later life, he would often remark, “Creating pianos was the greatest job I ever had!”

“Koichi taught Shigeru the “methods of origin” by which pianos are built entirely by hand. He would often say, “As long as you are building pianos, you should strive to build the finest ones in the world.” Shigeru listened attentively to Koichi’s every word.”

Shigeru Kawai Signature

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