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Most pianos in Singapore homes are uprights, and most of the difference between one and the next is height. A few centimetres change how much bass there is and how long a note carries.
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Upright piano · 122 cmThe Kawai K300.
Kawai’s answer to the U1, and the Kawai we are asked about by name more than any other. Warmer than the Yamaha, and built with an action that has a specific argument behind it.
What it is
The short version.
The K300 is a 122 cm upright and Kawai’s mainstream studio instrument. On paper it sits exactly where the Yamaha U1 sits, and the two are cross shopped constantly, usually by people who have been told to buy a U1 and want to know what else is out there.
The tonal difference is real and it is a matter of taste rather than quality. Kawai is generally rounder and warmer where Yamaha is brighter and more direct. Neither is correct. Play both and one of them will sound like what you had in your head.
The other difference is structural. Kawai builds its actions using composite parts rather than all wood, which the company argues is more dimensionally stable in heat and humidity. In a climate like Singapore’s that argument carries more weight than it would in a temperate country, and it is a fair reason to put the K300 on your list.
Type
Upright piano
Size
122 cm
Condition
Pre-owned, prepared
Ask for current availability and price
Who it suits
Worth your time if.
- Anyone comparing against a Yamaha U1 who wants a warmer tone
- A home without air conditioning running all day
- A student through to the middle grades and beyond
- A buyer who wants the mainstream choice without buying the obvious one
Buying one used
Four things to check, in order.
The same four we check ourselves before an instrument goes on the floor. Every instrument is an original used piano. Not reconditioned, not rebuilt. Ask us about any of them on a specific piano and you get a straight answer.
- The serial numberDates it, and tells you which generation of action it carries.
- Action conditionThe composite parts hold their shape well, but felt, hammers and dampers still wear like anything else.
- Tuning pin torqueThe first question on any pre-owned upright regardless of the badge on the fallboard.
- CaseworkPolished ebony shows every mark. Honest description of the finish should be part of the price rather than a surprise.
Photographed in the viewing gallery
Up close.
Heard on the floor
Played on our floor.
Filmed on a phone at IMM, so this is close to what the room sounds like rather than a studio recording. Press play, with the sound on.
The other one to hear
Against the U1.
The U1 is the default and there is far more of it about on the used market. The K300 is the one to hear if you want warmth, or if the humidity argument matters to you.
Both, back to back, in the same room on the same afternoon. That is a fifteen minute job at the viewing gallery and it settles the question far better than any page can.
Questions
The K300, answered.
Kawai K300 or Yamaha U1?
The most common question we get, and there is no universal answer. Yamaha is brighter and more direct, Kawai is warmer and rounder. Yamaha has a deeper second hand supply, so there is usually more choice.
Both are excellent. Come down and play them next to each other, which takes about fifteen minutes and settles it properly.
Does the composite action really matter in Singapore?
It is Kawai’s own argument rather than ours, and it is a reasonable one. Wooden action parts move with humidity, and Singapore has plenty of that. It is one factor among several and it is not a reason to ignore a well kept Yamaha.
Is the K300 good for exams?
Yes. It is a full size action on a properly built upright, which is what a graded exam asks of an instrument. What matters more is that it is regulated and in tune.
How much is a used Kawai K300?
It depends on the year and the condition. Ask us about a specific instrument rather than the model in general and you will get a real number.
The rest of the range
Other uprights people ask about.
Yamaha
U1
121 cm
The upright most teachers name first and the one most homes in Singapore end up with. If you have asked three people for a recommendation and two of them said U1, this is why.
Read about it →
Yamaha
U3
131 cm
Ten centimetres taller than a U1, and those ten centimetres are the whole point. Longer strings, a bigger soundboard, and a bass that sounds like a piano rather than a suggestion of one.
Read about it →
Yamaha
YUS5
The top of the U series. Bought by people who have decided they are buying one piano and are not going to do this again.
Read about it →
Boston
UP-132E
132 cm
The tallest upright Steinway and Sons designs, at 132 cm, built for it in Japan by Kawai. A tall case and a long string in a cabinet that still stands against a wall.
Read about it →
Visit the viewing gallery
Ask what is on the floor today.
Message us with the model and we will tell you what is in, what condition it is in, and what it costs. If we have nothing suitable we will say that instead.