THE Kawai Millennium III Grand Piano Action
Superior Performance & Unmatched Technology
Kawai's Millennium III Action, acclaimed across the industry, is famed for its cutting-edge ABS-Carbon parts that ensure effortless high power and quick repetition. These ABS-carbon components, along with Kawai’s aluminium action rails, resist variations in temperature and humidity, leading to a more reliable and low-maintenance action.
Innovation: ABS-CARBON Over Wood
Since the 1970s, Kawai has been at the forefront of employing innovative materials to enhance the reliability and consistency of piano performance. In 1971, the company began integrating acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a composite material, into its piano actions to mitigate the challenges tied to wood usage. Kawai's design engineers identified the propensity of wood to expand and contract significantly with humidity changes as a drawback for piano action, where precise tolerances are necessary for maintaining a stable piano touch. As a result, they progressively substituted select wooden action parts with ABS components, which they anticipated would demonstrate greater stability, especially over time as the pianos age.
Per Kawai, a scientific study conducted by Professor Abdul Sadat at California Polytechnic University in 1998 confirmed that Kawai's ABS action parts outperformed their wooden counterparts in strength and showed far less susceptibility to shrinking and swelling due to humidity. Kawai claims that the integration of these composite parts endows its piano actions with superior stability and consistency compared to those crafted by other manufacturers.
In 2002, Kawai unveiled its Millennium III grand piano action, which incorporated ABS-Carbon, an advanced composite material that blends ABS with carbon fiber. This new material (termed ABS-Carbon) boosted the strength of Kawai action parts and reduced their weight, facilitating a faster overall action – a crucial element for control during rapid note repetition or trills. The introduction of carbon fiber also heightened the rigidity of ABS-Carbon action parts, enabling the action to generate more power for the pianist with minimal effort. Kawai asserts that these material and design enhancements allow its Millennium III action to more accurately reflect the player's intentions with greater consistency over time."
the blend of advanced technology AND LONGSTANDING TRADITION
"There is no greater demonstration of honor, no greater commitment, than to place one’s name upon the work of one’s hands."
