Kawai’s flagship upright, the K-800 AS has arrived at Makin in Edinburgh! We’ve been patiently waiting for it to arrive ever since we first saw it in Frankfurt in March.
Frankfurt is home to the annual “Musikmesse”, one of the world’s largest musical instrument fairs. That’s where Kawai chose to unveil their finest upright pianos.
I was knocked out to see it for the first time “on stand” – it’s quite an imposing instrument, being another 2cm taller than the outgoing K-8. This has allowed Kawai to increase the speaking length of the bass strings, which translates into improved tone, particularly in the lower bass.
There are several other technical improvements, such as the inclusion of a frame bolt for increased structural rigidity, and an additional rib for the soundboard.
This probably isn’t the time or place to go into more technical detail, but suffice to say the K-800 AS is a very impressive instrument indeed. The middle of the three pedals controls the sostenuto function, and is fitted as standard equipment, just like in a grand piano.
This would normally mean that the facility to muffle the piano for quiet practising would be lost. Kawai really have thought of everything here, and have compensated for this by including a hand-operated muffler, controlled by a lever beneath the keyboard. Definitely a case of having your cake and eating it, too! Come and view it in our Edinburgh showroom!