Hello all, this is really not my territory but my neighbours require a digital piano with a reasonable piano action, silence/ headphones etc for an 9 year old girl. I have pointed out that an acoustic piano would be the best thing but they are adamant that they want a digital piano..

Any recommendations please..or does anyone have something half decent for sale.

Thanks

Andrew

A lot will depend on price - any ideas what their price range might be?

No not as yet so lets aim at something not too expensive, the child is a flautist and for some bizzare reason her grandpa now thinks she should have a keyboard..I have enough to contend with keeping her flute on an even keel with regard to dedicated technique and practice but if he thinks I am helping out with the keyboard as well he has another think coming.

Give me a starting off point please something that isn't too bad and isnt likely to break the bank..he's not poor but lets not go mad with his money..

Ta ever so.

Andrew

We got a Kawai CN33 and like it : ) Did a bit of research prior to buying and it seemed to get good feedback

Three years ago when I was trying digitals, the Kawais seemed to me to have the most realistic actions (I tried Kawais, Yamahas and Rolands). I have not tried the latest Yamahas, but I didn't really like the latest top of the line Roland (which won't really be a contender anyway as it costs 17000 GBP).

This thread may have more details-

http://www.abrsm.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=44993

You have a choice at entry level (c.400-450 pounds):

Yamaha P95
Casio Privia PX-130/5
Korg SP170/250

I haven't played a Korg. I've played a different Yamaha machine that has the same keyboard action as the P95 and its perfectly acceptable, but I prefer the action in the PX-130 (I have a 330 which has the same action); PX130s are being phased out and replaced with the 135 (which I haven't tried), which is meant to have had some minor improvements.

I would say both the P95 and PX330 actions are better than most of the acoustics in the university practice rooms.

If you step up to the thousand pound mark then the Yamaha P155 is probably the choice, the next step after that will probably be the Kawai CN-33.

All of these (apart from the CN-33) are more keyboard/slab style, so you put them on a stand, rather than them looking like an upright piano.

These are the recommendations I make to my pupils, depending of course, on price. Be aware that some don't include a stand/stool.

For people who don't want to spend very much, and want something a bit better than a keyboard:

Yamaha NP30
Casio CDP-100
Korg Micro Piano

400-500GBP:

Yamaha P-95
Korg SP170

500-700GBP:

Korg SP250
Yamaha YDP141

700GBP+:

Roland F-110

As in my post above, I think you need to add the Casio PX130/5 to your 400-500 range.
As I understand it the NP30 in your bottom list is only a spring loaded machine rather than weighted keys.

I have pointed out that an acoustic piano would be the best thing but they are adamant that they want a digital piano..

They are right to be adamant in my humble opinion! Of course a Steinway grand piano sounds better than any digital, but for 99.9% of us the way forward is via the latter.

I bought a second hand (perhaps third) Yamaha Clarinova (I think CVP-65, not sure) that was at least 15 years old. It even came with floppy discs with recorded music...

Yamaha Clarinova series is fairly expensive (?1500-?3000) if bought new but there are plenty of old ones available on ebay and gumtree.

Thanks for your suggestion. I advise about the NP30 because to me, it's one step up from a keyboard and is, at the end of the day around the level most people can afford when starting out.

I am not entirely sure how to take your response..why are they right to be adamant.? I was not for one moment suggesting that they purchase a Steinway Grand but feel as many Piano teachers do that an acoustic piano would be preferable if possible which in this instance it is. I am not suggesting that digital pianos don't have a place and they are much improved but for what they cost a good secondhand acoustic piano could easily be bought. There's not a lot of difference size wise and to me it seems sensible to learn on a more traditional piano..

Thanks to all for the suggestions I will pass them on..

Andrew

We decided to put ?1k as our limit two years ago and the clear winner for us on sound was Yamaha CLP-320, which was just over ?900. The next model up was better but it wasn't ?300/ 25% better. I hated the Roland sound, but then I hate the Steinway sound. Have to say though that now at rising G4 we are starting to feel the need for a real piano... *sigh* (whilst understanding the adamance - what on earth is the noun which derives from "adamant" - argument as stated above!)

I would still maintain that a good digital is always better than a bad acoustic.

I think that depends on who is playing it.

True, but I think a decent acoustic is still usually better than a good digital. But that is personal preference, I know I would rather have my 30 year old acoustic than any digital that I've ever tried. But there are other advantages to digitals such as not needing to get them tuned/ maintained and being able to plug ear phones in.

Totally agree, but I suppose if someone's going to go out and spend ?500, I'd rather they spent it on a decent digital rather than what might be termed a 'pub' piano, which probably needs several hundred spend on it to make it playable. There are of course bargain seocndhand acoustics to be had at the same price.

I don't really believe in being 'adamant' one way of the other but, as a piano teacher, I usually recommend digital pianos as opposed to acoustic pianos.

Leaving aside quality for price arguments, it's mainly to due to experience to do with house lay-outs and family dynamics.

Purely personally, we have quite a large house with a lovely huge, double height ceiling living room at one end. For three years we had the loan of a gorgeous grand piano in this room.

Mu husband is diploma level, me a bit lower, one son was about grade 5/6 and the other about grade 2/3.

And practically no one used that piano (apart from my husband sometimes). It filled the house. Even at the other end, you couldn't 'get away' from it.
My younger son, as the 'weakest' player, absolutely refused to play it - because everyone would hear him. Older son liked to practise at 7 in the morning so that didn't work. No one could watch TV if someone was playing. My husband practises 'properly' - 15 minutes going over and over the same 8 bars - it drove us mad, like getting caught in a time loop.
But the Yamaha clavinova got excellent daily use . . .

.

Interesting that in a musical family hearing other people practising is not just a part of normal life.
I just get on with it and don't think about others hearing. It's what I need to do and my children grew up used to hearing practice.
You couldn't shut of other instruments so easily....

Well thank you all very much for your suggestions I will had them on and having read the various posts here I can see the advantages of the digital piano as the player can plug in and let everyone else get on with things undisturbed. I was rather taken aback by their determination to have a digital piano as they are not musical people and I think know little to nothing at all about instruments which was why I was so surprised at their adamant stance against acoustic pianos..It seems that digital pianos are very popular these days..

I was always of the belief that acoustic pianos were preferred but it seems not and demonstrates how far digital pianos have come since the early days..

Much obliged to you all..

Andrew

We have both. A restored turn of century Allison grand and a roland f110. The restoration was about 40 years ago but it is still going pretty much ok. Grand is played every day. With lid down it doesnt overwhelm the house and we all prefer playing it. But the liberace white number travels around very well. Usually lives at grandmas flat where size is perfect, goes on holidays locally, goes into kids room during school hols. I dont choose to play it personally but the special effects are popular, as are the recording features and the headphones are great for unsocial hours if you have close neighbours. And its so neat. They didnt have black on offer but white grows on you. Nightmare to put together single handed on xmas eve mind you. Stool is snazzy. As they have superceded that model you might get a bargain on one of those.

I would suggest the Roland HP-307. I own one and continue to be surprised at how realistic the action is compared with a real grand piano.

I agree that the Roland touch is better than the Yamaha, but the sound isn't for me. (caveat - IANAPianist but I lived for a long time with a grand piano...)

I find the Roland touch is quite good (although I would not describe it as realistic in comparison with a grand) and the sound (Roland FP7) is acceptable (I use headphones almost exclusively and rarely play it on the speakers).

The model I mentioned has their latest revision of the keyboard, the PHA III. I'm not sure about their other models but that one is pretty good. Agree that the sound is not all that I want it to be, but I have played a LOT worse digitals for far more money.

That's the latest model, the Roland Supernatural piano. Roland claims, this has the same touch of V-Piano. Ours is the stage version of this, which is FP7-F.