Kawai Musical Instruments

Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (株式会社河合楽器製作所 Kabushiki-gaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho,
Kawai Musical Instruments
TYO: 7952) is a musical instrument manufacturing company headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan. It is best known for its
Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
grand pianos, upright pianos, electronic keyboards and electronic synthesizers. The company was established in August 1927.

Native name 株式会社河合楽器

Contents 製作所
Romanized Kabushiki-gaisha
History name Kawai Gakki
Products Seisakusho
Pianos
Type Public (K.K.)
Grand pianos
Upright pianos Traded as TYO: 7952
Professional uprights Industry Musical instruments
Furniture consoles
Founded August 1927
Institutional uprights
Continental upright Founder Koichi Kawai
Digital pianos Headquarters Hamamatsu,
Stage pianos Shizuoka, Japan
Synthesizers
Area served Worldwide
Organs
Key people Shigeru, Kawai -
See also
Hirotaka Kawai
References
Products Grand pianos and
External links upright pianos
Revenue $1,000,000,000
annual sales
History Number of 2,868 (2016)
employees
Koichi Kawai, the company founder, was born in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1886. As the son of a wagon maker, Kawai developed an ability
Website kawai-global.com
to create mechanical devices and inventions as young boy. His neighbor, Torakusu Yamaha, a watchmaker and reed organ builder,
noticed Koichi riding past on a unique pedal-driven cart he built himself. Impressed, Yamaha, who was struggling to build his
first upright pianos, took the early-teenager in as an apprentice. While just a young man, he became a key member of the
research and development team that first introduced pianos to his country. He proved to be a gifted inventor who became the
[1]
first to design and build a complete piano action in Japan. He was awarded many patents for his designs and inventions.

Yamaha died in 1916, and in the 1920s the piano industry faltered in Japan. New management took over control of Yamaha's
company, Nippon Gakki Co. (later renamed the Yamaha Corporation), and began to diversify its production line. This led to
Kawai, who wanted to make pianos, not motorcycles and other products, to become frustrated with the company. In 1927,
Koichi Kawai left Nippon Gakki and founded the Kawai Musical Instrument Research Laboratory along with seven like-
minded colleagues. In the early days, the only thing that supported them was their passion for music and desire to produce
superior pianos.[1]
HQ of Kawai Musical Instruments in
After Koichi Kawai's death in 1955, his son, Shigeru Kawai became company president at 33. He was determined to remain Hamamatsu
true to his father's ideals. He foresaw rapid growth in the music industry and planned accordingly, expanding production
facilities and establishing a number of music organizations. In 1980, he opened the Ryuyo Grand Piano Factory. Later, he
introduced the Shigeru Kawai Grand Piano line, which he described as "his personal legacy to the piano world." Shigeru Kawai was president of
the Kawai company from 1955 to 1989, chairman from 1990 until 2002, and a company consultant until his death in 2006 at 84.

Shigeru Kawai's son, Hirotaka Kawai, was appointed president in 1989. Under his guidance, the company embarked upon a program that invested
tens of millions of dollars to integrate advanced robotics into the manufacturing process. He established Kawai manufacturing facilities around the
globe. More recently, he oversaw the introduction of several new series of grand, upright and digital pianos.

Today, the Kawai Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company distributes acoustic and digital pianos to over 80 countries. It is one of the most
celebrated musical instrument companies in the world, having received over 43 major international awards for excellence in the past 17 years. And
Shigeru Kawai Grand
in the United States, Kawai's K-3 Professional Upright piano was namedAcoustic
" Piano of the Year" for a record-setting four consecutive years at Piano
NAMM.[2]

Kawai occupies the second largest share of piano sales in the world.[3]

Products

Pianos
Since the 1970s, Kawai has pioneered the use of alternative materials to improve the consistency and stability of piano performance. In 1971, the company began to use ABS
(Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), a composite material, for parts of its piano actions to overcome the problems associated with the use of wood. Kawai design engineers reasoned that
the tendency of wood to shrink and swell significantly with changes in humidity made it less than ideal for use in a piano action, where exacting tolerances must be maintained to ensure
stable piano touch. So they gradually replaced selected wooden action parts with ABS parts that they believed would remain more stable, particularly over time as their pianos age.

According to Kawai,[4] scientific tests conducted by Professor Abdul Sadat at California Polytechnic University in 1998 found that Kawai's ABS action parts to be stronger than
comparable wooden parts and far less susceptible to shrinking and swelling due to humidity. Kawai advertises[5] that its use of composite parts makes its piano actions more stable and
consistent than those made by other manufacturers.

In 2002, Kawai introduced its Millennium III grand piano action with ABS-Carbon,[6] a new composite material that combined ABS with carbon fiber. The new material (dubbed ABS-
Carbon) increased the strength of Kawai action parts, reducing their weight, which made the overall action operate faster (very important for control when playing repeated notes or
trills). The addition of carbon fiber also increased the stiffness of ABS-Carbon action parts, allowing the action to produce more power for the player with less effort. Kawai contends
that these advances in materials and design help its Millennium III action respond more accurately to the player's intentions with greater consistency over time.

Grand pianos
Kawai grand pianos have evolved steadily over the decades from the Model 500/600 built in the 1960s and 1970s, to the KG Series in
the 1980s and early 1990s that became popular among teachers and institutions. During these years, Kawai grand pianos earned a
reputation for long-term, stable performance even in heavy use. In 1996, Kawai introduced the RX Series grand pianos featuring the
Ultra-Responsive ABS Action. The RX Series continued to evolve with the introduction of the Millennium III Action with ABS-
Carbon in 2004. In 2009, the RX BLAK Series debuted with a new Acoustic Resonant Solid Spruce soundboard and the addition of
Phenolic Stabilizers on the hammers that further enhanced the precision of the hammer strike for improved tone and consistency. The
RX BLAK Series pianos also incorporated many cosmetic changes. In 2013, Kawai introduced its latest high-performance grand series:
GX BLAK. In Japanese, the word kuro (black) suggests wisdom, experience and nobility.. Improvements include a stretcher-overlap
integrated design (SOLID) and Konsei Katagi blended rim design for improved tone projection.

The current Kawai grand piano line consists of the following models (excluding Shigeru Kawai):

EX Concert Grand Piano - 9'0"

GX-7 BLAK Semi-Concert Grand Piano - 7'6"
GX-6 BLAK Artist Grand Piano - 7'0"
GX-5 BLAK Artist Grand Piano - 6'7"
Kawai custom made concert grand
GX-3 BLAK Professional Grand Piano - 6'2"
piano for Yoshiki (1993)
GX-2 BLAK Classic Grand Piano - 5'11"
GX-1 BLAK Baby Grand Piano - 5'5"
GL-50 Grand Piano - 6'2"
GL-40 Grand Piano - 5'11"
GL-30 Grand Piano - 5'5"
GL-20 Grand Piano - 5'2"
GL-10 Grand Piano - 5'0"
CR-40A Crystal Grand Piano - 6'1"
CR-30 Crystal Grand Piano - 6'1"

Upright pianos
Kawai upright pianos are divided into four classes–K Series Professional Uprights, Furniture Consoles, Institutional Uprights and
Continental Uprights. Kawai K Series Professional Uprights range in height from 44" to 52". All have Kawai's Millennium III Upright
Action with ABS-Carbon.

Kawai Furniture Consoles range from 44-1/2" to 46-1/2" in height. They are bought primarily for home use. The line starts with the
simple 508 with French legs and becomes increasingly ornate as one moves through the 607 and 907 variations.

Kawai Institutional Uprights are built for heavy use at school. The UST-9 includes a reinforced bench, thicker backposts and side
panels, a sturdy toeblock and double rubber casters.

The Kawai K-15 is the lone Continental Upright designed without toeblock for a streamlined European look.

Inside of the Kawaii Continental

Upright

Professional uprights Furniture consoles Institutional uprights Continental upright

K-800: 53" Upright Grand 907: 46-1/2" Designer Studio UST9: 46-1/2" Institutional K-15: 44-12" Continental
K-600: 52" Upright Grand 607: 44-1/2" Designer Upright Upright
K-500: 51" Professional Console 506N: 44-1/2" Institutional
Upright 508: 44-1/2" Decorator Upright
K-300: 48" Professional Console
Upright
K-200: 45" Professional
Upright

Digital pianos
Concert Artist Series Classic Series CN Series Concert Performer KCP/KDP Series Compact Line Series
Ensemble Series
CA98 CS11 CN37 KCP80 CL20
CA97 CS10 CN35 CP209 (discontinued) (discontinued)
CA95 CS8 (discontinued) CP179 KCP90 CL25
(discontinued) CS7 CN34 CP139 KDP80 (discontinued)
CA78 CS4 (discontinued) CP119 (discontinued) CL26
CN27 KDP90 (discontinued)
CA67 (discontinued)
CA65 CN25 (discontinued) CL30
(discontinued) (discontinued) KDP110 (discontinued)
CA48 CN17 CL35
(discontinued)
CA17
CN24 (discontinued) CL36
CA15
(discontinued)

Stage pianos
MP11SE MP9000 (discontinued)
MP7SE MP9500 (discontinued)
MP11 MP4 (discontinued)
MP7 MP8 (discontinued)
MP10 (discontinued) MP5 (discontinued)
MP6 (discontinued) MP8II (discontinued)
ES6 (discontinued)
Kawai MP9000 Stage Piano
ES7 (discontinued)
ES8
ES110
ES100 (discontinued)
EP3 (discontinued)
EP2 (discontinued)

Synthesizers Kawai K1rII (1989)

Kawai started manufacturing synthesizers at the start of the 1980s under the brand name Teisco. These instruments
were all analog and included the models: 60F, 110F, 100F, 100P, SX-210, SX-240, and SX-400. At some point, Kawai K4r (1989)
Kawai stopped using the "Teisco" brand and so some of these products can be found labelled either Teisco or
Kawai. Teisco 60F (ca.1980) Kawai XD-5 (1989)
During the second half of the '80s, Kawai developed and released a number of digital synthesizers. The most known
of these are the K series:Kawai K1, K1mkII, K3 (SSM2044-based filters),K4 and K5. These machines follow different synthesis approaches. The K4 use
subtractive synthesis based on sampled waveforms, the K1 and K5 are additive synthesizers. The K1 is one of the first popular synthesizers that has no filter whatsoever; all sounds are
made by stacking wave samples and applyingfrequency modulation. The K3 is hybrid in the sense that it does employ additive synthesis for waveform generation, but these waveforms
are static and cannot be modulated as in a true additive synthesizer; instead, waveshaping is done using a low-pass filter, therefore characterizing this machine as a subtractive
synthesizer. Uniquely for their price range, all instruments feature aftertouch. Kawai also manufactured rack versions of most of these instruments, Kawai Q-80 MIDI sequencer
(1988),[7] and an external MIDI programming device, MM-16 MIDI Mixer (MIDI processor with slider controllers).[8] Kawai XD-5, a drum synthesizer based on the K4 engine, was
produced in 1989-1990.

Later developments resulted in Kawai Spectra KC10 (1990)[9] based on the K4 engine, along with a group of original multitimbral instrument including Kawai PH-50 Pop Keyboard
and its half-rack version PHm, and XS-1 sound module(1989),[10] and a group of General MIDI (GM) compatible instruments including Kawai KC20 GM Sound Keyboard (early
1990s), GMega sound module (early 1990s)[11] as an update of previous XS-1, andK11 (1993)[12] based on GMega and K1, etc.

In 1996 Kawai released the K5000, an advanced additive synthesizer that greatly improved on the K5 and is now regarded as one of
Kawai's very best instruments. It was manufactured in three versions: K5000S, which had 16 knobs for real-time control and an
arpeggiator, K5000W which added a sequencer but lacked both the knobs and the arpeggiator, and the K5000R, a rack version with an
arpeggiator, but no sequencer and no knobs. A Knobs Macro Box was sold separately for use with the W and R models. Kawai
Kawai K5000S (ca.1996)
originally planned to release K5000X, which would combine the features of the S and W models with a 76-key keyboard and enhanced
memory, but this was cancelled in the late '90s due to bad sales. Shortly thereafter the company stopped producing synthesizers.

Organs

See also: ja:ドリマトーン

Kawai produces a line ofelectronic organs under the name "Dreamatone".[13] Kawai also owns Lowrey organs.

See also
Piano
Synthesizer
Teisco
 Teisco

References
1. "Koichi Kawai Founder: Inventive Genius"(http://www.kawaius.com/company/koichi_kawai.html). www.kawaius.com.
2. "K-3 Wins Again" (http://www.kawaius.com/company/articles/news_archive/2012/K-3_4th-win.html).
www.kawaius.com. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
3. Yomiuri TV "secret Kenmin SHOW" 2011 February 3an Kawai MORE series M-650(1978)
4. "The Truth About ABS - The Evidence Part III" (http://www.kawaius.com/technology/abs/the_evidence_3.html). MORE series was a home organ
www.kawaius.com. product line applying the high-end
5. http://www.kawaius.com/PDF/ABS_Superior.pdf technology of their theater models, T-50
and T-30. Then in the fall 1979, these
6. "Kawai America Corporation: Kawai Canada Music"(http://kawaius.com/technology/abs-c_action.html)
. kawaius.com.
were merged into "Dreamatone" family.
7. "KAWAI Q-80 [Digital MIDI Sequencer]"(http://playerco.sakura.ne.jp/archive_images/KAQ-88808.jpg) . Y.M.M. Player
(in Japanese) (August 1988).archived on: "New Product archives - KAWAI" (http://www.player.jp/oyakudachi/archive/d
etail.php?ch=K&na=KAWAI). Player ON-LINE. Tokyo: Player Corporation.
8. KAWAI 16ch MIDI Mixer MM-16 Owner's Manual(http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/OM/MODULE~1/MM16.pdf) (PDF).
Hamamatsu: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
9. "KAWAI Spectra KC10" (http://playerco.sakura.ne.jp/archive_images/KASpe9001.jpg)
. Y.M.M. Player (in Japanese)
(December 1990). archived on: New Product archives - KAWAI
10. KAWAI XS-1 16bit Synthesizer Module Owner's Manual(http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/OM/MODULE~1/XS-1.PDF)
(PDF). Hamamatsu: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
11. KAWAI GMega Synthesizer Module Owner's Manual(http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/OM/MODULE~1/GMEGA.PDF)
(PDF). Hamamatsu: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
12. "KAWAI K11" (http://playerco.sakura.ne.jp/archive_images/KAK119305.jpg)
. Y.M.M. Player (in Japanese) (May 1993).
archived on: New Product archives - KAWAI
13. "Kawai Dreamatone" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150505060212/http://www .kawai.jp/product/c/electricorgan/)(in
Japanese). Kawai Musical Instruments. Archived fromthe original (http://www.kawai.jp/product/c/electricorgan/) on
2015-05-05. [In English: "DT Series (http://www.kawai.jp/product/c/electricorgan/dtseries/) - Kawai Dreamatone is an
electronic organ to realize your ideal music"]

External links
Kawai Corporate site
Shigeru Kawai Piano Company
NAMM Oral History Interview with Hirotaks KawaiNovember 14, 2011.

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