Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Hi, Time to pick the forum collective brain cells Litlle Miss Webmuppet's piano teacher has advised us that the little Casio keyboard that LMW uses to practice on has just about reached the end of its useful life. Its time to get something a little more grown up............we've been to three music shops looking at digital pianos (a proper piano won't fit in our little house). Has anyone got a digital piano or can offer any advice. LMW is torn between a sensible Roland or a Yamaha that has loads of functions (and distractions).It's a lot of money to spend so I want to get it right. The shops have all been very helpful but some independant advice would be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 ... not a lot, but my brother-in-law had one, which was really nice to play: it was pretty expensive, but the notes were "weighted" the same as a normal piano so it felt v similar (only with a better tone than mine!). I think his was a Yamaha, but I don't remember it having any gizmo's: it had same pedals as a piano, etc, but no kind of keyboardy-effects-stuff. It's basically designed to feel and play like a piano does, only without taking up much space and without needing to be tuned, ooh, and his had deadphones, too. He bought it because he wanted to learn but lives in a shared flat in London so a real piano was totally out of the question! Can the piano teacher advise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 The piano teacher has never used one and knows nothing about them! From research I know that she needs weighted keys and three pedals. Having seen the prices I may just have to learn the piano as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 My husband is a professional musician and plays for various shows. His own keyboard is a Yamaha P80, little elderly now, but Yamaha replaced all of the keys for free a couple of years ago (brilliant customer service!!!) and it still works like a dream. I don't know what sort of thing you were looking at buying, but all of our friends who are musicians have the P80 or P90. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 i've got a roland f90, the full 88 keys, touch sensitive, fully weighted (you can google for the rest of the specs). I bought it in 2004 from http://www.dawsons.co.uk/ and it was £1000. I love it. I think you can get good digital pianos now much cheaper though. For example, look at this one, half the price i paid plus free music lessons! go to the above web site and look at Yamaha YDP131 Electric Piano in Honey Cherry (YDP131C) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 She has tried the Yamaha YDP131 and didn't like it. Her favorites at the moment is the Roland HP201, Roland DP990 and a Yamaha keyboard that I can't remember the model no of but had loads of functions. It seems to be that the cheaper models sound a bit tinny and not so 'piano'...........not that I know anything about these things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I'd go for a Yamaha, great keyboards. I have an electronic keyboard-PSR 350. It's quite old now and the touch is not the best, but the new keyboards they have are brill. Perhaps look into second hand electric pianos or maybe even a proper piano if you can find the room or you know someone who's looking to get rid of theirs, (although it will need tuning). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 A quick call to OH (on tour in Cardiff with the P80 ) suggests that the P140 is the replacement for the P90 and is a really good stage piano - BUT he suggested that you look at the Yamaha CLP220 clavinova if you have room. They're about the same price (cheaper than Roland), both have a brilliant action and sound, but the P140 needs a stand, and is designed to be more portable. If you're not going to move it and have the space, the clav might be a better bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 We have a YDP131 and it is fab - you can change the weighting on the keys to wichever feels right - I have a 1930s really good challen piano as well which has a really light touch and I find the YDP easy to play. Too many gadgets means too much playing around - my DS still manages to spend half his practice time doing something other than what he should! It also depends on whether it is going to be for the whole family or just her - £1000 or more is a lot to pay if she isnt going to keep on with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 Thanks for the tips. According to the internet there's a shop in Colchester with the Yamaha Clavinova, I will attempt to send the OH & LMW to the shop on Saturday while I am at work. She is insistent that she tries out the pianos before we buy as they all feel differently. The OH used to play piano so he may be a better judge too. I suppose it's like trying to buy a car they as they all feel different. I am trying to avoid the more portable keyboards as the stands don't seem to be as stable/ robust and I have visions of it getting knocked over. She really didn't like the YDP131, another reson to stay away from the portable keyboards is that they have far too many gadgets (and therefore distractions). I am hoping that if we do get a decent one then I might just learn to play ......LMW wants me to so that we can help each other learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 My OH plays guitare and he insists that he always says you can't tell what they're like until you have a go yourself - according to him different people like the feel of different ones. So I guess her going to the shop to try them out is definitely the best plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 My son has a yamaha protable grand DGX 220. We bought this at christmas and cost about £250. It is the next size up of keyboard as he plays piano we thought he may be a bit limited by the smaller keyboard. Its got tonns of features and you can plug it into the computer and use it with music programmes. No complaints yet from son. The music shop guy said that roland were overrated. Wouldent know how true that is as I dont know enough about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 The OH has said that we are not spending £1000 plus on a piano so I shall start hunting for a secondhand one - I'd rather have a second hand one than go for a cheapy keyboard. There's a few on Ebay that I shall keep an eye on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I agree with what people say about the Yamaha Clavinova's they're great. School has one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I always remember turning up at my piano lesson and my teacher said she had bought a "silent piano." It turned out not to be a joke, but she'd replaced her piano with a Clavinova that you could use with headphones, thus she could take it to her flat when she retired. It had a button to make it sound echoey like you were in a concert hall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 If your daughter is really learning the piano, not keyboard, then she needs a piano. IMO, digital/electronic pianos may be a good substitute but they are not as good as the real thing. If she is taking exams - and it sounds as if she has got quite far already - then she needs a proper piano to practise on. Reigate Piano Workshop has a fully restored (and guaranteed for 5 years) Compact Upright Piano. for sale for £750. It is 132cms long and 50cms deep, but only 95 cms tall. www.pianoworkshop.co.uk Follow the link 'Looking for a piano'. The above model is called 'Berry' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Sadly we can't have a proper piano as it will have to go upstairs in the spare room and the OH insists that it comes with a headphone socket! ( its a new house and I don't think the floor would stand any great weight). Allegro Music in Colchester have some budget digital pianos so we may check them out. LMW is about to launch into taking her level one piano exam and has been learning for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 We have a Yamaha dgx 300 portable grand which is about 4 years old. It only has 45 keys which I believe is an octave short of a full keyboard, but you don't use the full keyboard for quite a while when learning. The sound is amazing, it does have 'voices' which Oh is always annoying me with, but works well as a real sounding piano. We bought a folding stand for it, and this does mean that you can put it to one side when more space is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...