The Millennium III action

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. ABS-Carbon is incredibly sturdy and rigid, which allows the creation of action parts that are lighter without sacrificing strength. The result is a stronger, faster action that offers more power, better control and greater stability than conventional all-wood actions.

Longer keys

Longer keys make playing easier and provide a more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface. A taller profile and concert-length key buttons make them more rigid to provide exceptional energy transfer and optimum power.

Tapered Soundboard Made of Solid Spruce

The soundboard is the heart of a piano. Its purpose is to transform the vibrations of the piano’s strings into a rich, resounding tone. Kawai uses only straightgrained, quarter-sawn solid spruce for GL series soundboards.

Each one is strategically tapered to provide the proper degree of resonant movement in each region. Only soundboards that meet or exceed our demanding resonance standards are selected for use in the GL series grand pianos.

CORE System (GL-40/50 only)

CORE is an acronym that represents “Convergence for Optimum Reflected Energy.”

Convergence refers to the way the piano’s strength centers—the rim, plate and underside beams—all focus on one central point at the heart of the instrument. This focus creates an incredibly strong “core” foundation that maximizes the reflective capabilities of the inner rim for outstanding tonal power and sustain.

SOLID (Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design)

SOLID construction creates an exceptionally rigid foundation to support string tension. First, the pinblock is fitted to the plate. Then, the pinblock and over-lapping stretcher bar are integrated into a single structure and solidly anchored to the rim. The extraordinary thickness of the stretcher bar exemplifies the structural integrity of this sturdy framework designed to ensure stable tuning and powerful tone. 

V-pro Plate

The plate is the acoustically-neutral iron superstructure of the piano over which the strings are tensioned. All GL Series plates are molded using the Vacuum Mold Process (V-Pro) with “Crossbone Design.” The result is a plate that is strong, stable and beautiful.