Which Digital Piano To Rent/buy 2nd Hand? Options

[return2piano]

Hi, sorry if this topic has been covered before.
I used to play piano when I was younger passed G3 with distinction and then got bored of exams so just played for fun until my mid-teens when (typically) I gave up. Now regretting that decision I want to start playing again, I'm 25 now so its a bit daunting as I haven't properly played for about 10 years.
I always used to play on a lovely acoustic piano but I dont have a suitable area for one in my house now so I was planning on getting a digital piano.
Any suggestions which would be best? I've heard that yamaha and roland are supposed to be the best but I would be looking at the older models. The main thing is that it feels and sounds like an acoustic piano and preferably has a headphones option but it doesn't have to have loads of other functions. What sort of price should I expect to pay for a 2nd hand digital?
Does anyone rent a piano? What sort of cost is that?
The other notes by adult learners on here have really encouraged me to start again. Thanks.

[Claudia's Mum]

We are very happy with our Yamaha stage piano bought a couple of years ago from normans.co.uk for about £750 (shop price over £1000). It has a few extra functions but not many and is very enjoyable to play so much so that i don't play my normal piano at all anymore.

[Solari]

Any suggestions which would be best? I've heard that yamaha and roland are supposed to be the best but I would be looking at the older models. The main thing is that it feels and sounds like an acoustic piano and preferably has a headphones option but it doesn't have to have loads of other functions. What sort of price should I expect to pay for a 2nd hand digital?

Yamaha CLP270 is an excellent choice if you can get one second hand. I love mine (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[return2piano]

We are very happy with our Yamaha stage piano bought a couple of years ago from normans.co.uk for about £750 (shop price over £1000). It has a few extra functions but not many and is very enjoyable to play so much so that i don't play my normal piano at all anymore.

What model number is your stage piano?

[Mad Tom]

I also could not use an acoustic for practice in a small terraced house.

I have a Yamaha P80 (No longer available - superseded by the very similar P85). It was bought almost two years ago on eBay for 300 GBP. It is still as good as new. It does the job (silent practice + occasional 'entertainment' of guests) just fine. It is noticeably different from an acoustic piano, but the keys are about the right weight, and the sound is acceptable so it is still good enough for learning and improving most aspects playing a traditional piano.

It does not have built-in speakers, but that is not a bad thing as I have yet to hear an instrument with built-in speakers that are anywhere near adequate. The sound is very good on headphones, but rather tinny and with poor sustain on an inexpensive external speaker. If you want something closer to a proper piano sound you'll have to lay out as much cash for a quality practice amp and cables as you paid for the instrument itself. Beware - you won't get a good result from a guitar amplifier, PA, or domestic stereo. A special purpose keyboard amp is the way to go.

I use it for about 10 hours a week (but I also practice a lot on acoustic pianos at nearby practice rooms)

As well as substituting for a regular piano it also has a useful built-in recorder, with two memories, so you can get instant feedback on how close you are to the results you were aiming for. The built in metronome is useful too. If you compose, or study theory, the ability to output midi to a computer is a boon. Another very nice feature, if such things inerest you, is the availablity of other tunings, alongside the standard 12-tone equal temperament.

The additional sounds are a bit of fun, but I don't have much serious use for them. Mine stays almost permanently, on Classical piano, hard touch, Hall 2!

I have played about with more expensive Yamahas in shops and they (especially the Clavinovas) seem to have an even better feel and more realistic sound. Several years ago I had a Fatar studiologic 1100 midi keyboard with external sound generator. That felt even more like a 'real' piano and I regret ever selling it. The sound was awful, but that was because of 1980's technology twin oscillator sound generator. (Not enough terms of the Fourier series!!) Through a modern computer it would have been superb.

I don't know much about other makes, but a friend has a Roland and that is also a nice practice instrument

[Robodoc]

. . . a friend has a Roland and that is also a nice practice instrument

I hope that would be me - I have a Roland FP 2 (also now superseded) and it's fine. Not great, but fine.

Threads on this have abounded in the past and they all recommend that whatever keyboard you buy it should have a) a full range of 7 octaves plus the odd key or two; b) a suitably realistic weighted action and c) touch sensitive keys. Given these provisos there are many options which are likely to fulfill your needs and which one you get will depend on personal taste, depth of purse and availability. Good luck.

[Ivor Ytickler]

I've tried a few different digital pianos, none of them very expensive, and here's what I made of them:

- various companies produce pianos called 'PDP 220' or similar, which are very cheap 88-key weighted units. They appear good value (under £300) but having owned one for a year I would say steer clear. Sticky keys, poor sounds, bad modelling. Mine is used as a stage piano for a rock band where these problems can be largely ignored.
- Casio CDP100, around £250-£300. I consider this the best value budget digital piano that I know of- not the best sounds but it feels alright. I know several people that have bought these and all are very happy with it.
- Roland FP2- I use one regularly and it is quite a quality piece of kit, but I find the piano sound a bit too bright, presumably it's designed to cut through a band.
- Yamaha YDP131- this is my main piano, and I like it a lot. About £500 and very good value. Feels a little lighter to play that the more expensive Clavinovas- more akin to an upright than a grand, IMHO. My only gripes are that the decay on the notes can sound a bit harsh and artifical- you seldom notice this in practise- and also the keys are quite clunky sounding to play, which spoils things a bit on softer passages. This is probably a result of two years of very regular use, as the keys have gradually become a bit louder.

As a home piano, I would definately recommend buying something that has a proper built in stand, not a separate collapsible one. This makes a bigger difference than anything else. The fixed stand should have the pedals rigidly attached, and the whole unit should be hefty enough not to wobble or move in the slightest when played.
After that, it's all subjective. People prefer different key weights, different sounds. But listen to the subtleties like note decay and soft-pedal effects as these are where digital pianos can fall short.

[Chopinzee]

If you've got nine grand to spare (!!!) you could get yourself Yamahas new groundbreaking digital, the first with hammers...and according to some pianists, the first that a musician can really connect with. www.avant-grand.com, or just enter the Classic FM competition, where you have a one in many thousand chance of winning one. I depend on digitals for practise, but I'm not that wild about them. Roland and Yamaha are the most popular, and having bought and sold a few of these instruments down the years, I'd say that Yamaha are the best. the wooden key ones in particular like the clp 280 PM are very good. But the more compact and less expensive models are still more than adequate for practising.