Kawai Grand Piano Values: GL, GX, RX, KG and GE Series Compared
Kawai grands span five decades and several series. Value follows the series and the length first, then age and condition. Here is how to place yours.
By Joey Bouza, Founder, US Piano Connection · Updated October 21, 2026
Kawai is the second of the two big Japanese piano makers, and its grands are the most common alternative to a Yamaha in the used market. Buyers searching for a used Kawai grand run into a thicket of series names — GE, GM, GL, RX, GX, KG, and the hand-built Shigeru Kawai line — and the series matters more to value than almost anything else. This guide places each series, then points you to the live asking prices on this site.
The series, from entry to concert
| Series | Where it sits | Era, roughly | What it means for value |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE | Entry grands, mostly 5' to 5'5" | 1990s to 2000s | The most affordable Kawai grands used. Judge on condition; the name carries no premium. |
| GM | Small grands, about 5' | 2000s to mid-2010s | Replaced by the GL-10. Similar size and price to an early GL. |
| GL | Current entry and mid-range grands, 5' to 6'2" | Mid-2010s onward | Young, usually one-owner pianos. Price tracks age and finish closely; the GL-10 is the volume model. |
| RX | Performance grands, 5'5" to 7'6" | 1990s to early 2010s | The step up in the used market. Well-regarded, often teacher- or institution-owned. |
| GX | Current performance grands, 5'5" to 7'6" | 2013 onward | Replaced the RX. Hold value well; a used GX-2 or GX-3 competes directly with a used Yamaha C-series. |
| KG | Older performance grands | 1980s to 1990s | Solid pianos now at vintage prices; condition and regulation decide everything. |
| Shigeru Kawai (SK) | Hand-finished flagship grands | Since the late 1990s | A different market. Few used examples; priced near new European grands. |
What the model number tells you
- Within a series the number is size: GL-10 is the smallest GL, GL-50 the largest; GX-1 through GX-7 run from 5'5" to 7'6". Longer grands hold value better than shorter ones of the same series.
- Kawai actions have used carbon-reinforced ABS parts for decades, and the current Millennium III action is a selling point in the used market because it resists humidity changes better than all-wood actions. A technician can confirm which action a piano has.
- An 'ATX' or 'AnyTime' suffix adds a silent headphone system. It raises the price only when the electronics work; test it.
- Finish matters at resale: ebony polish is the common choice and the easiest to sell. Mahogany, walnut and white examples price for a smaller audience.
What Kawai grands are asking right now
The Kawai brand guide carries a live table of asking prices by model from pianos listed on this site, and the Kawai GL-10 page tracks that one model by year. The two tables below are the site-wide medians by brand and by type for context; the brand guide is where you place a specific grand.
| Brand | Median asking | Lowest | Highest | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha | $8,470 | $400 | $85,995 | 512 |
| Steinway & Sons | $54,500 | $1,500 | $230,000 | 305 |
| Kawai | $8,990 | $648 | $185,000 | 218 |
| Baldwin | $8,990 | $10 | $54,385 | 141 |
| Steinway | $65,000 | $1,699 | $250,000 | 117 |
| Roland | $3,100 | $400 | $18,650 | 69 |
| Schimmel | $29,238 | $6,500 | $172,363 | 57 |
| Young Chang | $5,495 | $1,500 | $19,996 | 51 |
| Samick | $4,430 | $999 | $15,380 | 49 |
| Boston | $14,450 | $4,795 | $49,200 | 38 |
| Mason & Hamlin | $22,990 | $1,495 | $65,000 | 37 |
| Casio | $2,799 | $650 | $7,500 | 36 |
| Wurlitzer | $2,995 | $100 | $8,880 | 33 |
| Pearl River | $6,795 | $1,500 | $21,437 | 31 |
| Kohler & Campbell | $5,194 | $1,499 | $9,995 | 30 |
| Type | Median asking | Lowest | Highest | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand | $28,995 | $600 | $500,000 | 977 |
| Upright | $4,500 | $100 | $76,005 | 665 |
| Baby grand | $11,498 | $10 | $152,600 | 350 |
| Digital | $3,550 | $400 | $18,650 | 236 |
| Player | $19,997 | $3,495 | $250,000 | 120 |
| Other | $5,850 | $5,850 | $5,850 | 1 |
A dealer's asking price for a used Kawai grand includes regulation, a warranty and delivery. A private sale of the same piano usually lands well under the dealer median, which is why the live range on each page runs so wide.
What to check before you buy
- Identify the series and the year from the serial number on the plate; Kawai's serial chart places it to the year. The series sets the price bracket before you look at anything else.
- Ask where the piano has lived. Grands kept in climate-controlled rooms regulate and tune well; pianos that spent years near a heat source or in a damp basement show it in the soundboard and pinblock.
- Play every note slowly and listen for buzzes on sustained bass notes; check that the una corda and sostenuto pedals do what they should.
- Have a technician check hammer wear, string condition and tuning stability. On a 1990s RX or KG the common cost is regulation and hammer work, which can be quoted before you commit.
- For a GL or GX, ask whether the balance of Kawai's warranty transfers; it does only under Kawai's conditions and usually only through a dealer.
Selling a Kawai grand
Lead with the series, model and year in the listing title, state the length, and price from the live Kawai figures rather than from the original invoice. A recent tuning, a regulated action and clear photos of the plate, soundboard and finish are what move a Kawai grand from inquiries to a sale.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is a used Kawai grand piano worth?
- It depends on the series and length first, then age and condition. The Kawai brand guide shows live asking prices by model from pianos listed right now; GL and GX grands sit above GE and GM grands of similar age.
- Kawai GX or Yamaha C-series?
- They are direct competitors in size and price. Kawai's carbon-reinforced action and slightly warmer voicing versus Yamaha's brighter tone and larger used supply. Play both; the market prices them close.
- Are older Kawai KG grands good pianos?
- Yes, when maintained. KG grands from the 1980s and 1990s were performance-level instruments; at today's prices a regulated KG is one of the better values in a used grand.
- What replaced the Kawai RX series?
- The GX series, from about 2013. A used RX of the same length typically asks a little less than a GX.
- Is a Kawai GL-10 a good first grand?
- It is the most common entry grand on the used market: a five-foot baby grand with the same action family as the larger GL and GX pianos. Bass depth is the compromise at that length.
About the author
Joey Bouza — Founder, US Piano Connection
Working musician and founder of Prospects International, the marketing firm behind appointment-based piano sale events across the country.
Prices and counts in our guides come from live listings on this site and are recalculated hourly. Where we quote industry-typical figures (mover quotes, tuning fees, rebuild costs) we say so, and we never publish a number we haven't measured or sourced.