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Upright Piano

Kawai ND21EP

Name: Kawai ND21EP
Brand: Kawai

Kawai · ND21EP Upright Piano

Price: 5.136 EUR – 5.136 EUR

Price history

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Availability: 0/10 (Very rare)

A 121cm entry-level upright piano from Kawai's Indonesian production line, finished in high-gloss ebony polish with silver hardware - essentially a modernized reissue of the brand's well-regarded K25 from the 1990s. It pairs a solid spruce soundboard with Kawai's first-generation ABS-composite action, a combination reviewers describe as surprisingly resonant for its price point, making it a popular pick for first-time buyers, students, and institutions choosing between this and a used Japanese upright of similar size.

Where available? Go to the best price – 4.466 EUR About this instrument

About the Kawai ND21EP

At 121cm tall, 150cm wide and 215kg, the ND21 sits in the compact end of the upright category, built around a solid, straight-grained spruce soundboard that Kawai tests against its own resonance standards before use. The action uses Kawai's Ultra-Responsive design: aluminum action rails and hammer rest rails plus ABS composite parts chosen specifically for climate stability, carrying 100%-wool-felt hammer heads on selected hardwood shanks. Key surfaces use acrylic for the white keys and phenol resin for the black keys, a durable, moisture-resistant pairing common on Kawai's modern lineup. The monochrome ebony-polish-and-silver finish is a deliberate design choice - Kawai markets it explicitly as giving the instrument a modern, sophisticated look rather than the traditional wood-tone cabinets typical of this category.

Where to buy

Reverb 4.466 EUR Best price View details

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Source: https://reverb.com/item/75948662-kawai-nd21ep-upright-piano-ebony-polish

Sound character of the Kawai ND21EP

The solid spruce soundboard produces a warm, surprisingly resonant tone for an entry-level instrument, with a sustain reviewers call fantastic given the price point. The character leans toward a full, singing richness rather than brightness, driven by Kawai's design choice of longer bass strings and a more resonant cabinet than typical competing beginner uprights use.

Warm Resonant Mellow Full-bodied

What owners of the Kawai ND21EP say

Reception consistently frames the ND21 as the safe, modern alternative to a used Japanese upright rather than as a piano chosen for its own distinctive character. One dedicated review calls it quite possibly the most straightforward alternative to a secondhand 48-inch Japanese piano, recommending it specifically for first-time buyers, beginning and intermediate students, churches, schools, and parents who want a genuine acoustic instrument without the uncertainty that comes with buying used. The resonance of the soundboard draws particular praise, with reviewers surprised at how much sympathetic ring the piano produces for its price - a result they attribute to Kawai's longer bass strings and more resonant cabinet design relative to competing entry-level uprights.

Playability & handling of the Kawai ND21EP

A dedicated review rated the first-generation ABS action 7 out of 10 for responsiveness - clearly a step below Kawai's own pricier K300 (rated 9/10 by the same reviewer) but perfectly capable for basic to intermediate playing. The single-felted hammers were described as handling typical practice well, only showing distortion when pushed hard into advanced dynamic playing - a limitation the reviewer considered irrelevant for the beginning and developing players this piano is aimed at. Notably, the action itself traces back roughly 30 years to the original K25, a design Kawai has kept in production because of its proven reliability rather than novelty.

Recommended accessories & strings for the Kawai ND21EP

Several retailer bundles include a padded, height-adjustable bench as standard, a sensible match for an instrument aimed at growing students. Beyond that, care is the same as for any acoustic upright: regular tuning (typically a two-figure cost per session with a technician) and keeping the room's humidity in a stable 40-60% range to protect the solid spruce soundboard from cracking or warping over time.

Technical data for the Kawai ND21EP

Type	Acoustic upright piano, entry-level
Height	121 cm
Width	150 cm
Depth	58 cm
Weight	215 kg
Action	Kawai Ultra-Responsive action, aluminum action/hammer-rest rails, ABS composite parts
Hammers	100% wool felt heads, selected hardwood shanks
Key surfaces	Acrylic (white), phenol resin (black)
Soundboard	Solid spruce, straight-grained
Controls	3 pedals: damper, practice/muffler, soft
String length (No. 1)	1,200 mm, 2 cutoff bars, 4 back posts
Finish	Ebony Polish (high-gloss black) with silver hardware
Included accessories	Height-adjustable padded bench (bundle-dependent)
Warranty	12 years (manufacturer)

Price history for the Kawai ND21EP

Cheapest seen: 5.136 EUR · Most expensive seen: 5.136 EUR

Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

The history of the Kawai ND21EP

The ND21 is, by the reviewing community's own description, essentially a reissue of Kawai's K25/K30 uprights from the 1990s, repackaged with the modern ebony-polish-and-silver monochrome cabinet design and manufactured today at Kawai's Indonesian facility rather than in Japan. Rather than representing new engineering, its appeal rests on reviving a design with three decades of proven field reliability behind its action, at a price point and finish aimed squarely at first-time buyers choosing between a new entry-level piano and a used Japanese import of similar size.

About Kawai as a manufacturer

Kawai was founded in 1927 in Hamamatsu, Japan, by Koichi Kawai together with seven fellow craftsmen, under the name Kawai Musical Instrument Research Laboratory. Koichi had trained under Torakusu Yamaha and, in 1907, completed the first entirely Japanese-made piano action; the new company released its first grand piano, the Hiradai 1, in 1928. After Koichi's death in 1955, his adoptive son Shigeru Kawai took over as president and expanded the brand internationally, launching Kawai America in 1963 followed by Kawai Europe, Canada, Australia and Asia. The company is today regarded as one of the world's most established piano makers, with instruments used in conservatories, concert halls, and by competition winners.