Review no. 103... Kim's piano is one of the most nicest places I've been to and it is worth coming back because it's been EIGHT years ago we brought a grand piano here and let me say, I'm impressed. Our family had just finished our music lesson and now decided to shop for a piano (keep in mind this is 2008) and we decided to walk into the location because of the Yelp review. Benjamin is a GREAT guy helping us to choose from brands such as Steinway and Sons piano, Yamaha and Kawai. In the end, we chose a brown Kawai piano and would tell us to get it tuned once in a while. This place is GREAT and totally worth coming back to this place. read more

Very nice owner. Large selection of pianos. We were looking for digital pianos less than one grand for beginners which he doesn't carry. He was kind enough to show us around and helped us decide what we want. Gave us new calendars on our way out. read more

Kim's Piano was absolutely wonderful to work with regarding piano rentals. I worked with Steve for a rental for my wedding night in Beverly Hills and Kim's Piano went above and beyond making everything work seamlessly and trouble-free. Kim's Piano was the most fairly priced out of all the vendors I called and provided constant communication to let me know the specs of the piano and how it would be delivered. The piano was delivered on time to the venue and followed all the rules of our venue (they were a bit strict due to it being owned by the city of los angeles). The piano was absolutely stunning and provided our pianist with a vintage model that he loved playing during our wedding reception. Steve is easy to work with and more importantly, reliable and trustworthy. I can 100% vouch for Kim's Piano and am delighted to write this review for the service and product offered. Thanks again, Steve! We'll be calling again for our future piano needs! read more

I recently spent a few days in this incredible piano store. I have visited stores all over the country and there are none that compare. It is an oasis consisting of the finest pianos ever made. You are free to roam the store playing dozens of pianos without being hounded. Benjamin Kim will meet you and offer assistance if you wish. He is always immaculately dressed in a suit and very soft spoken. There is not a thread of a high pressure salesman in him. There is never a rush. Your visit is not measured in minutes, hours, or a day but rather you can keep coming back for weeks or months. He understands that a piano verges on becoming a family member for decades, often generations and he wants you to have that perfect piano. He is very knowledgeable on all of the pianos in the store. He can tell you the pros and cons and some of the company history. Benjamin will help guide you through the maze of instruments to help narrow your choices. There is huge selection of uprights and grands of almost every great brand. They even have the Kawai Silent upright pianos that allow you to practice as a regular piano or in complete silence with headphones. One of the areas is a concert stage with the entire perimeter with older classic grand pianos such as Steinway, Mason Hamlin, and Yamaha. Some are from the golden years of pianos 1920 to 1930 and they are at fantastic prices that are less than a quarter of their modern counterparts. Benjamin has what the vast majority of concert pianists consider as the greatest piano in the world on the stage. It is extremely hard to obtain even for a dealer with the status of Kim's Piano. This is the Kawai Shigeru EX-L. Of course this piano will eventually be sold but when looking for your piano or if you have a recital coming up it is rare chance to see the true gold standard of this instrument when made for performance. You can go your entire life without being able to sit in front of an instrument like this. I am a purchaser of multiple pianos from this store and it is always a positive and rewarding experience. There are so many great pianos there it is hard to not get distracted. I spent my time going back and forth between three pianos. There were three of the best pianos in the entire world. It is almost impossible to imagine how they were all in the same store. The sound on the 9' Shigeru EX-L is huge with a massive bass yet it has an extremely light action that remains incredibly responsive. No one would get tired performing on this instrument. Maybe some lucky orchestra or someone with a mansion will be smart enough to snatch up this piano as it is a great deal compared with the car they have parked in their garage. The second piano was the 9'4" Mason and Hamlin CC94. This dwarfs even the largest Steinway concert grand in the size of its soundboard. It is wide and magnificent to view. The M&H pianos were made to easily last for over a century. They are built like tanks. This particular piano weighs 1,400 lbs! It is also the last, great American made piano. This piano has an almost crazy clean and even sound from the bottom to the top. For certain it is no slouch in the volume department. It has a complete composite action (no wood to warp). It is slightly heavier to the touch which can be satisfying in feedback. All three of these pianos are extremely fast in response so with trills or repeated notes they are rockets. The third piano was the 7'6" Shigeru SK7-L. You can only say one word when you put your fingers down on this piano and it is "Wow." The bass thunders at you as much or more than any Hamburg 9' Steinway. The composite action massages your fingers. The soundboards on these pianos are decades old wood that was purchased many years ago for their quality of tone. This is the approach they used when making the great violins. They give off not just a sound but a voice. This is a handmade piano in every respect down to the hand winding of each string. When you purchase one of these pianos, no matter where in the world you live, a special master technician from Japan makes an all day visit to perfectly regulate your new piano. With regard to the vocal timbre, the volume of sound, and the amazing action this may be the best overall piano in the world. The Shigeru line from the 5'11" SK2-L on up to the EX-L is sheer magnificence resulting in unparalleled satisfaction. I would definitely rate this store as the best in the entire country, and most likely the entire world with regard to selection, customer experience, prices, and satisfaction. When you enter this store you become part of a family. My two babies ran and crawled all over the store. In the rare circumstance of a problem Benjamin answers his phone directly and personally takes care of any issue. This is the only business I can review and truly give a 100 percent positive rating. read more

We have traveled the country in search of equipment for our recording studio in Tennessee. One might think that California is a long way to go for musical equipment for a studio in Tennessee, but we were in the area to pick up a museum quality Hammond B-3 and wanted to visit the store we had heard so much about. We found the personnel at Kim's Piano to be very friendly and let us roam the store like we worked there. Steve Rivera was very helpful, and gave us time to explore the store, but at the same time always willing to be helpful answering any questions we might have. They have in fact one of the largest selections of concert grands that we have seen in the country. read more

Huge inventory- Biggest showroom in orange county, perhaps in Southern California. Honest and professional sales manager Benjamin Kim, fast delivery and lowest price in town. No wonder they are the number 1 kawai dealer in U.S 10 years in a row. Their beautiful show room carries Steinway, kawai, Yamaha and fine European pianos such as bosendorfer, bluthner and Estonia. Btw, if you are a pianist, try Shigeru kawai piano. They are GEM!!! Tone is just exquisite!! I am extremely happy with my purchase. Thank you Kim's piano! read more

A visit to Kim's Piano is an experience not to be missed. The Kim family have built a magnificent facility whether for the novice or experienced musician. The sheer number and high quality of the instruments on display creates that "kid in a candy store" feeling; and the sensational prices quickly bring you back down to earth with the relization, "I can easily afford one of these beauties for my very own." The next time you find yourself in central Orange County, pop on over to Beach Blvd in Stanton, just a little ways south of Knott's Berry Farm, and treat yourself to some old-fashioned hospitality and genuine warmth you're sure to find there. Our "new" Schimmel grand piano has turned our house into a home, a home filled with beauty, hope, peace, and the promise of tomorrows filled with glorious music Benjamin Kim is a mensch (yiddish: a person of integrity and honor) and his uncle Steve Kim is a piano technician extraordinaire who plays with such feeling that his love for these instruments hardly needs further expression: you can hear it in each and every instrument Steve has worked on. No one else will ever work on our beautiful Schimmel! What you won't find at Kim's Piano is the elitist snobbery employed by other piano dealers as a sorry substitute for honest value and great customer service. Go to their Facebook page and click on the video that shows their Concert Venue! You'll be amazed at all the beautiful pianos . . .and that's just the "back room!" read more

I am a Smooth Jazz keyboardist/composer and I was recently was in the market for a fine concert grand. And having been a piano salesman for Jordan Kitts on the East Coast many moons ago, I expected the typical shark in the water sales approach as I opened the front door at Kims Piano. To my surprise, I was allowed to actually walk around and play different pianos for a bit without a shark coming in for the kill. In fact, I walked to the front of the store after my tour around the store and met Ray. Not only was he polite and obviously knowledgable of the pianos in the store, he was not the least bit pushy if you know what I mean. After talking for a bit, he introduced me to Benjamin Kim who went out of his way to make sure I got what I wanted. Moreover, the follow-up service was just as courteous and professional. It was a refreshing experience for me and I would highly recommend this piano store. Dave Bradshaw Jr www.davebradshawjr.com read more

It was very pleased to buy our piano and Steve gave us outstanding assistance! We are very enjoying our new puano.

Thank you so much Benjamin for making my dream come true!! I've always wanted a baby grand, but could never afford one... well Kim's has made it happened two weeks ago. My baby grand came in with its original box and the parts were tied nicely with factory's strings. My piano comes with the 1st time tuning and it sounds beautifully in my living room after it was tuned up last Friday!!! Kim's piano has the best price ever, I really mean it, their pricing is better than all the other stores that I went to, even compared with internet/ebay prices - they are selling their used one with much higher prices compare with Kim's. I am getting a "BRAND NEW" one with price of less than a "USED" one I would have got from those places, can you believe it?! Most importantly Kim's is an authorized dealer which is authorized to sell brand new Kawai only, and does has a great inventory in their warehouse. Kim's Piano is a family run business, not only Benjamin the owner but also everyone there, the tuner, the mover, are super nice and easy to work with. They really provide great services, even after-sales service. What I also like about is that they would never push you anything nor making you feel like you have obligations to buy, I feel so peaceful in the whole buying process. Ben has also helped me getting the factory promotion financing successfully which expired the very next day... Praise the Lord!! I am 100% satisfied with them, I wish I could rate them with 6 or 7 stars here, cause they deserve it well!! I recommend them without any hesitation!!! read more

This place is probably the leading piano store in Southern California. They offer wide varieties of piano selection from a grand piano to upright or digital. My family and I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Benjamin Kim (the owner). We were looking for Yamaha U3's, and Mr. Kim recommended the premium refurbished with a crisp sound. While Mr. Kim was playing the piano, I compared the sound of other restored pianos, but it didn't sound the same. So we purchased the piano that Mr. Kim suggested to us. Not only sounds great but it looks beautiful too. It was delivered the same day, and my kids were super excited. It has been over a month now since we purchased the piano and been working as new. Mr. Steve(piano tuner) came to our house for the free tuning, and everything was tuned and checked. If someone is looking to buy a piano, don't hesitate to call Kim's Piano as they have the best piano sales. We are glad that we went to Kim's piano. Thank you, Mr. Benjamin Kim! read more

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Having casually (over the course of years) browsed different stores in OC/LA/SB county looking for a professional studio caliber grand piano (though not optimistic I could genuinely afford it), I checked out Kim's Piano (the Stanton Store) in May 2016. Simon and Ray were very, very welcoming, easy going - no pressure - very welcomed/encouraged to try the pianos. They have a very high quality selection. Benjamin Kim, the owner, was not in yet, literally just flying in from Japan (the Kawai manufacturer site) that afternoon. So I spent an hour or more, and huge thanks to the relaxed vibe Simon and Ray created, was made to feel very comfortable trying out the pianos while waiting for Benjamin to arrive (respecting he would be understandably very tired from a trans-Pacific flight). Benjamin immediately engaged one on one answering many direct questions, then ... invited me to try a Kawai GX2 (which I did NOT go out of my way to try thinking I wasn't close to affording it). This piano WAS IT.. Then Benjamin offered a deal (I couldn't believe was financially possible). On the spot I became a very happy owner of the Kawai GX2 (5'11"). Estimated delivery 2-3 days later, Ray called the very next day and offered the delivery. The piano movers (Carlos Luna - pianoexperts@gmail.com) were excellent - really efficient and cool - if I had to move the piano again, i'd happily contact them. Steve Kim (piano TECHNICIAN - I believe Benjamin Kim's uncle), made an extra visit to diagnose (immediately) a buzz caused by the key/lock mechanism. His last tuning visit, he detected (my ears failed to hear it nor detect it) the keybed was not quite set - he fixed that and the piano really sounds great now (as if it didn't already) Steve Rivera (relatively new on staff) is also really welcoming. The hospitality offered to me still applies - basically they have said that store is my home if I want to visit and play other pianos. One day perhaps - I am aiming for a Shigeru Kawai. If Ray or Simon applied pressure on me that day, I wouldn't have been there long enough to wait for Benjamin's arrival. So the hospitality (opposite of a car-dealer pressue experience) was key to this successful experience. For the very huge investment a piano is, make absolutely sure to include a visit to Kim's Piano BEFORE deciding to buy. read more

This is my update on this place. We have teachers meeting here often and I had my student's recital every year here because of good service and reasonable price. However, since last year, things were changing. Last year, this lady I never seen before came to me an hour before the recital and said I can't have drinks just water.. but I already had parents bringing snacks and drinks so I said I never heard of not being able to have beverages or got any notice when I reserved or paid. She said to just have it today since we have it already and not bring drinks next year. This year, she came up to me again before the recital started and said I can't have snacks. Excuse me? I never got a notice or there is no contract that I signed that says no snacks and drinks. She said this business facility rule is no food or drinks and she hates how people make a mess. First of all, there is no sign saying no food or drink. Second I don't know why she is talking to me about this issue on the day of. Again, no one gave me heads up about this "rule" that she made on the day of the recital. I visited several times for teachers' meeting, reservation date, and payment. Also funny thing is one snack table was prepared with table cover. What??? I can't have snacks but snack table is prepared? Plus during teachers' meeting we always have snacks and coffee and I never heard any issue with it. Lastly, I was very busy preparing for the recital that day I was 10 mins late and she gave me a lecture on being late. I don't why she cares that I am late because I already paid for the hall rent. It should be none of her business whether I am 10 mins late or an hour late or not even show up. She was being very sarcastic about being 10 mins late. Plus the biggest issue for me was nothing that I asked was prepared. I asked for a trophy table when I reserved back in September but wasn't prepared so I asked her for it and she asked if I really need it... and why I need it...geesh... I ended up getting tables myself and set it up. Piano wasn't open either (grand piano is very heavy and it is always opened for sound during performances) so I asked my fiance to open it. The last two years weren't good experience here. I am not reserving this place again for student's recital. read more

Recently dropped into Kim's Piano in Stanton and was fortunate to have met Benjamin Kim. I'm in the market looking for a grand piano and Mr. Kim was most gracious. No salesperson gimmicks or games- we were able to discuss pianos in general and in particular. Mr. Kim left me alone to try whatever piano my heart desired and he carries quite a line of brands and price points. I will make a purchase in the near future and I'm definitely leaning towards Kim's Piano. Thank Mr. Kim. read more

March 2016 UPDATE: Since I wrote this review I upgraded to the CN35 last August and now to the CA97. Great piano. Service has always been great here. Nice folks. I've gotta tell you, the folks at Kim's piano are the greatest! I bought my first two keyboards at another music store that sells every kind of musical instrument. And they were nice, I admit. However, when I went to Kim's because I wanted a piano that sounded and felt like a piano, I was very impressed. I already knew that Kawai has the best keyboard action available. So Kim's is the recognized dealer for Kawai Piano's in Orange County. The first day I visited, the gentlemen there was not a salesmen, though he tried really hard to help me. I was not discouraged because I was able to test the action on various pianos in the store. So now I was sold on the Kawai. I was looking for the KPD-90 and wanted to compare it to the Casio's and Yamada's in the same price range, I was able to test the KDP-90 and the CLP-220. Both very good and I would recommend both. I also played the CN-25 and CN-35. Now I am not a very good piano player. But I could see how much the CN played like a real piano. The sound is fantastic. Steve Rivera is a great salesman and an accomplished pianist. So I could hear what he was getting from a piano that cost less than $2000. Plus he was most engaging and soon had gained my confidence that he actually knew what he was talking about. He plays a Kawai professionally and believes in the product. I cannot imagine buying a piano at a music store now, without this expect advice and knowledge. Also, some of the guys I met at the store were the guys that brought it to my home and set it up. Both great guys! Very personable and careful. I highly recommend this store. If I ever become good enough to purchase a "better" piano, (though i can't see how a piano in your home can sound better than the CN-25). Kim's is the only store I will consider. BTW- This is probably the second review I have ever done. I am just so pleased with my piano and with their service. read more

We were in the market for a used Yamaha piano for our 3.5 years old daughter. We were very specific and wanted one relative new and made in Japan. However, as we live in the Midwest, we have very limited choices. We visited all the local stores as well as contacted a dozen online stores located from the east coast to the west coast. We were not satisfied until we ran into Kim's piano on yelp.com. We were very fortunate that Mr. Steve Rivera from Kim's Piano helped us throughout the process. Steve has been not only responsible and responsive, but also very knowledgeable about Piano as he himself is a pianist. I would strongly recommend Kim's Piano and Steve without any reservation!! read more

We wanted a digital piano that felt and sounded like an acoustic piano. Benjamin Kim showed us the Kawai CA 67 and CA 97. He played beautifully, showed us many of the functions and explained the options. He happily answered our questions. We were just beginning our research, so went to other stores and learned online all we could about digital pianos. We concluded that Kim's was our best choice, especially after getting a good price. We are very happy with our piano and with Kim's service. read more

Benjamin is a delight to work with. I ended up getting my Kawai CA-97 from there at an awesome price after shopping around (this was in 2015). Will come back in the future if i need another piano. Would definitely recommended to anyone looking at acoustic or digital pianos. read more

Thank you so much for helping us purchase our first piano. It was a pleasant experience. Very professional and you went above and beyond our expectations!! Amazing customer service! read more

Benjamin and all the folks at Kim's piano are awesome! I am a professional pianist and composer and I needed a second grand piano for my house. I found the quality of Kim's Pianos to be top notch and well maintained. You can buy a new or pre-owned piano there with confidence. You know that Benjamin will stand behind anything he sells. I wound up finding the most perfect 1972 Yamaha C3. It was like brand new and plays like a dream. Truly a beauty with that classic Yamaha sound. It was the perfect compliment to my 1958 Yamaha G5...another beauty with a totally different sound. I would recommend Kim's Piano to any of my students or friends who are looking for a quality instrument. They made the process super easy and even offer financing. I should also mention that Benjamin's uncle, Steve Kim, is a master technician and tuner and he takes great care of their pianos. read more