SHIGERU
KAWAI SK-EX
HANDCRAFTED. ELEGANCE.
EXCELLENCE
– THE PREMIER PIANO OF JAPAN –
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
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Resources
Size | Length | 9’1″ (278 cm) |
Width | 63″ (158 cm) | |
Height | 40″ (102 cm) | |
Weight | 1103 lbs. (500 kg) | |
Touch | White Key Surfaces | NEOTEX™ |
Black Key Surfaces | Ebony | |
Action | Millennium III | |
Hammers | All Underfelted | |
Sound | Soundboard | Solid Spruce, Tapared |
Agraffes | 1 – 54 keys / Concert Agraffes | |
Duplex Scaling | Front & Aliquot | |
Beams | 5 | |
Exterior Design | Pedals | Damper, Sostenuto, Soft |
Casters | Large, Brass (with stopper) | |
Lid Props | 3 | |
Soft Fall | ✔ | |
Music Rack | Position | 5 Positions |
Hard Finish | ✔ | |
Lock | ✔ |
"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.”