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.