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Post by HenryJ on Aug 29, 2020 16:04:41 GMT -5
I am considering purchasing a piano for my son's family. A real acoustic piano is out of the question, so I am looking at the digital pianos. Only thing is, I don't have experience with these instruments. At first, I was looking at the $500 pianos such as Yamaha, Casio, and other offer. After reading and researching, my price went up to $650. Then I decided they would need a stand to put it on and a set of decent pedals. So that would put the rig up into the $900 range. OH, and it must have 88 keys!
I have been giving two of the kids lessons 3 or 4 times a week, but they need their own piano at home to practice on and have weekly lessons (and probably from a real piano teacher). (I do have a music ed. degree, but it was to teach band, not piano.)
What I want to do is go visit music stores to play the instruments and test out the touch/action and tone for resemblance to a real piano. Within 10 miles, only Casio is available. I can drive up to 40 miles across Lake Pontchartain and try out the Yamaha and Roland pianos.
I am looking at the Yamaha P125, plus the stand and 3-pedal set; Casio Privia PX-S1000, plus the stand and 3-pedal set; Roland RP102, which comes with the stand and pedals; and the Kawai KDP-70,which also comes with the stand and pedals. I would have to drive other side of Mobile, AL, or Jackson, MS, to try out one of these. Ain;t gonna happen.
I would much prefer to play and hear in the store, but there's always Sweetwater, Kraft Music, Musician's Friend, et al to "mail order" from.
Anybody experienced enough with any of these instruments? Any recommendations for or against any of these four? Leaning toward the Yamaha (features) and the Roland (action and sound most like a real piano).
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Post by HenryJ on Sept 5, 2020 7:21:14 GMT -5
I splurged and ordered the Casio 870, which comes with the stand and three pedals. It was bundled with a nice piano bench. $150US more.
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Post by Larry Madsen on Sept 5, 2020 17:18:24 GMT -5
I settled on this Yamaha DGX-650. Memory tells me it (w/bench) cost me close to that $900.00 mark of yours. DSC_2302 by Larry Madsen, on Flickr
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Post by HenryJ on Sept 6, 2020 7:03:08 GMT -5
Good deal, getting the bench with it. One of the places had the Casio 870 with the bench thrown in, but they were out of stock of the keyboard instrument itself. As were most of the places.
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Post by Taildragger on Sept 6, 2020 18:00:42 GMT -5
My daughter plays keys. Her first one (junior high school) wasn't "touch-sensitive". When she got her new one, that was one feature she insisted upon above all else.
This was a few years ago, so maybe they're all that way now. Back then, that was one of the main things (other than 88 keys) that separated the cheaper ones from the intermediate and expensive ones.
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Post by ninworks on Sept 13, 2020 9:58:26 GMT -5
I'm late to this thread but if anyone else is considering a piano I thought I should post this.
If space is an issue then get an electronic keyboard. If not then you can buy spinet or upright pianos really cheap used. Many people give them away just to get rid of them. Then again, electrics never need tuning and are easy to move. Real pianos can be very inexpensive these days.
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Post by HenryJ on Sept 14, 2020 9:34:21 GMT -5
The Casio PX-870 arrived with its bench. The box weighed 110 pounds, because the bench was in the box with the keyboard, the three pedals, the stand, etc. My son put it together, which was not all that easy to do, even for him. They put it up against a wall in their living room. It does not take up all that much room.
I did get to play it. It sounds like a "real" acoustic piano. The action is harder than my spinet, which makes it more like a grand piano. I tried out one of the electric piano settings, and it sounds exactly like the electric piano Ray Charles played on "What'd I Say." At least to my ears.
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