Introduction:

Introducing a fresh review of Kawai’s GL10 grand piano, the Japanese designed (and partially built) piano that measures 5’0” and leads all grand piano sales for the manufacturer. Final assembly occurs at Kawai’s own Karawan Indonesia factoryJapanese-built mid-range baby grand with plenty of punch and range. If you’re new to the channel, please subscribe, and please leave comments below to let us know what you think of the video and how we can make them even better in the future.

Stu takes us through the action, tone, some of the design components, and also does some playing so we can listen to it as well.

Sound:

Kawai’s piano tone is so often compared with Yamaha’s because of their shared lineage and the fact that they’re product lines directly compete. The GL series is really descended from the RX line, and with the exception of the lack of vertically laminated bridges, is essentially an evolved version. The GL pianos have thicker rims (and more dense) than the previous GM versions, and also feature stretcher bars across the front, which creates a full perimeter of hardwood rim material.

The tone of the GL’s are not as complex as the GX – particularly the GL10 and GL20, and the treble is slightly less clear, however, it does have a beautiful mid-range tone which is almost Steinway like – not dissimilar to a Mason & Hamlin B or Steinway M with that lovely bloom in the middle octaves.

Action:

The Kawai GL10 Grand Piano uses Kawai’s Millennium III action carbon-fiber-reinforced action, as to all the GL, GX, and Shigeru Kawai pianos. The design is, at this point, very well-proven, liked the industry, and has proven its initial claims: that of being easier to maintain, prone to less regulation, faster repetition, and greater control in the lower dynamic ranges. All are evident even right out of the box on the GL10. The Millennium III Action features components made of ABS-Carbon, a composite material created by the infusion of carbon fiber into our renowned ABS Styran but it has longer keys and concert-length key buttons make for easy playing feel while giving great power.

Features:

The GL10 has several features that aren’t necessarily a given for the under $15k range. Specifically:

• Sostenuto Pedal
• Tapered Solid-Spruce Soundboard
• Maple-Capped Bridges
• Full-Perimeter Rim (Stretcher Bar)
• Beach / Mahogany Rim
• Double Felted Hammers
• Adjustable Bench
• Slow-Fall Key Cover/Ultra-slow ‘soft fall’ fallboard
• Steel-Reinforced Keyslip & Multi-Laminated Keybed
• Solid Brass Agraffes

Comparisons to Yamaha GB1K:

Because of size and price similarities, it’s inevitable that the GB1K and GL10 get compared. Some of the most critical differences between the two include the tapered soundboard on the GL10 (vs not on the Yamaha), double felted hammers, sostenuto, and a few others. Generally, the frame and robustness on the GL10 are heftier than the Yamaha, but that is also reflected in the market price…the Yamaha tends to sell at or slightly under the GL10 in many markets.

Conclusions:

The Kawai GL10 Grand Piano is an advanced, value-packed piano that is a market leader in the baby grand piano market. It delivers exceptional sustain and action for the price point and integrates many more advanced features normally only found on $20k + pianos. It stands up well to even Eastern European pianos in the mid to high $20k range of similar size.

Please be sure to check out our other GL reviews as well as all of the other grand pianos on our channel.

Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you back for another piano review shortly!