<html> <body> Tom, You are correct, this model was quite the el-cheapo.  It started out as a design exercise to see how low the price could be made while still getting good tone and performance from the piano.  You didn't mention the sound, but generally these little things are suprosingly good sounding for their scale size.  The model is no longer produced at all - it definitely didn't fit into the Kawai style of piano making, so it was dropped completely from production. In reply to some of the points you made; - This piano had one of the best engineered laminated soundboards I have seen or heard.  The ribs (which were finger-jointed rib stock) were fanned, and were lightened considerably to match the stiffness of the soundboard stock.  I would give credit to the engineers for doing a good job on it, and for not trying to hide that the board was laminated like so many piano makers do.  Once you have cross laminated panels, using spruce veneer on the surfaces and aligning the grain as if it were a solid spruce board is just an effort to make it look better to the unknowing. - Many pianos are made with only two action brackets these days, including the well liked U-1 Yamaha (unless they have put the third one back in recently). If a well designed aluminum action rail is used (meaning stiff) together with a support against the plate somewhere in the middle (usually at the treble break), then the rail should be stable.  I have worked on some of these where they bounced during hard play, and others which were very solid - it's all a matter of how carefully they are fitted into the piano.  Careful setting of the action supports and the support screw at the treble break are very important with this design. - The flexible back is not a nice thing if the piano has to be moved around.  This really annoyed me, as some dealers would sell this piano as a "studio" upright!  They were constantly asking me (in the service department) if they could install larger casters on the piano, because a church or school wanted to buy it!  Argh!  All uprights have a tendency to "rack" when they are rolled around, making them go out of tune, but this model was especially susceptible to that.  If it stays in one place, it should stay in tune fine. This model was produced for about 4 years (if I remember correctly), and was replaced with a much better model (the 506). Don Mannino RPT Kawai America </body> </html>