Electronic Piano Advice Needed

Subject: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Edmund
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:25 AM

My daughter wants an electronic piano for home use and for teaching her young kids. The maximum budget is $2500. The local store says it has switched from Yamaha to Techniques (sp?) because the former are now made in Indonesia and the quality is not as good as it once was.
I know nothing about pianos .... any thoughts anybody ?
...............Edmund

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:35 AM

Does your daughter play the piano? How will it be used?

In general, I've usually advised against beginners learning on an electronic keyboard. But it really boils down to making music and using whatever is available. I think having the instrument in the home is the most important thing. (and people around who can conveniently and often make music together)

As far as quality, I always rely on a teacher, tuner or salesperson who deals with these things regularly. And of course, the person using the instrument has to have the touch they prefer.

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: alison
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:45 AM

I have two Yamaha keyboards, both are wonderful....

one is basically a piano, (it does have a few other voices)... the other has 99 voices and 99 rhythms... great fun... but I picked it because it was lightweight (easier to carry to gigs) and it sounded like a piano... a lot of electric ones don't sound like a piano...

my advice is definately get one that is touch sensitive (like a proper piano) ie. if you touch the key softly - it plays softly... not at the same volume not matter how hard you hit the keys.

just personally... I don't like Casio's (any I have played didn't sound like a real piano) Kawai's are good..... Roland is probably the best (they sound fantastic)... and because of that.. they are more expensive.

Other things to consider...... if you get one that is MIDI compatible.. you can use it to play tunes into the computer, and also if you are teaching kids... they usually have a headphone socket.... *grin*

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: hesperis
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 11:00 AM

I have a really old Kawai, got it second hand. Not touch sensitive, not midi-compatible, and yet that's the one I use to write on. (Well, sketching out the first idea, anyway.) But it was bought with the $100 that I won for my first full composition, Joie de la Voile (Joy of Sailing) and I am really attached to it!

I would recommend looking at second-hand ones, you can sometimes get a great keyboard for a lot less price! And alison is right for the rest of it - get one with touch, midi, and headphones.

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:39 PM

I'm not a pianist by any stretch of the imagination but I used to try to hammer out a few tunes. My friend had a Yamaha Clavinova in his music shop and to me, it felt and sounded every bit as real as my mother's Kemble piano.

I don't know the price range of these models but if I was ever looking for a digital piano, that is where I would start my search.

Jon

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:44 PM

I have a severe prejudice against all electronic pianos....our keyboard player does NOT know where the volume knob is.......(course, I am prejudiced against electric instruments on principle, too, LOL!)

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Noreen
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 02:05 PM

Yes, Jon, the Clavinova is wonderful - makes the tea as well... but with a price tag to match.

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Bernard
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 02:19 PM

Clavinovas start at about £995 GBP - Read Franklin Hayward are near you, Noreen, and they always seem to undercut everyone else.

Not what I'd call expensive, and certainly within Edmund's budget - I'm sure that 'across the pond' the prices will be similar, if not better.

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Deni
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 03:25 PM

For what it's worth, I tried dozens of elec pianos before Christmas and settled on the Clavinova as well, when I'm ready to buy. (The Rolands (which I'd gone to buy as I've already got Roland gear)sounded a bit muffled to me.) However, if what you say is true about the manufacturing details changing, perhaps I'll think again. I would never be without a real piano at home, but these new digital pianos sound brilliant, are a convenient size for transporting and are weighted so they have realistic piano action. And they don't need tuning. A big plus!!!!!

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Ruthie A
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 03:56 PM

I have played the hammer-and-string type of piano since I was 6, and subsequently don't get along very well with electric models - no matter how good the sound quality is, I think the 'feel' is all wrong. If an electric piano is to be bought, then, I would think it more sensible to buy a full-scale keyboard with an accurate piano voice. They can be a lot cheaper than electric pianos, without much difference in anything really. Except that keyboards normally have more voices. I've had my Roland keyboard for just over a year now, and it's been great. It sounds exactly like a piano (for when I'm using it to accompany a song at the folk club), but also has a fantastic variety of other features, all of which have proved useful. I'll enthuse about it to anybody who'll listen.

Ruthie.

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Edmund
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 06:58 PM

You people are fantastic! The day hasn't ended, but I know so much more already!
OK .. MIDI is in ... headphones are in ...touch sensitive is in ... and my daughter says I should call it a digital piano, not an electric one.
I misspelled 'Technics' in my first post. Is that why no one has expressed an opinion on that brand?
I guess we're down to this now ... what is the best brand to buy and where is the best place to buy it. We are in the Wash DC - Maryland area
Edmund

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 07:16 PM

Edmund, I know very little but the only Technics my friend had were keyboards not pianos - maybe the company makes both, I don't know.

All I know is the Clavanova I tried felt like a real piano and, sticking with Yamaha, the PSR Keyboards didn't although they were fun. It needs someone more knowledge than me to explain (and probably correct me/ say I'm talking nonsense) but maybe the first step is to decide whether it is the piano type you really want.

Jon

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From:
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 09:55 PM

I was looking at electric pianos a few years ago (and decided to get my old hammer & string fixed instead.) What I found was that there are three different kinds of piano-like things. First there is the electronic keyboard which is portable. I associate it with loud music with lots of effects, so I think I am prejudiced against it.

Then there is the electronic piano itself which has a piano-like body and attempts to have a piano feel. This is probably what I would go for if I were to get one. Mostly for the feel and price.

Finally there is the grand piano with strings and hammers, but with a pickup and amp in place of the soundboard. This one has the feel of a real piano, but it is expensive and it has to be tuned. It is a lot lighter than a traditional piano.

There is also the possibility of a used hammer-string. You have to know what you are doing to buy one. I had a friend who got one. The seller (private) had sprayed all the pivots in the action with a silicon spray and the thing worked smooth as silk. However, the silicon wore off soon and the action was too sticky for serious playing, There is also the problem of the strings having been below pitch for a long time. They can break when they are brought up, and piano strings ain't cheap!

I have seen decent new hammer-string pianos here for 4,000 Australian dollars which is only about 2,000 US dollars. They sound good and feel good. I don't know how durable they are.

Murray

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: alison
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:10 PM

have never tried.. and don't know anyone who plays Technics.. so I can't comment on them

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: roopoo
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 01:44 AM

We recently bought a second hand digital for my daughter. I have a 100 year old cottage upright, not overstrung and with very heavy hammers. She needed something she could cart off to uni!

The main thing about digital pianos is that they have weighted, rather than touch-sensitive keys (that's the keyboards) and you also get at least one pedal with them, depending on how portable a model you buy. I was always told that the Clavinovas were the best, and if you shop around, you can sometimes get the basic model for about £800 when there is an offer. I don't think, to be honest, there is a lot to choose between Yamaha/Technics/Roland. They all have a good reputation and the prices, at least at the bottom end of the range, are comparable. The thing to do is to go to a music store and try them out. What suits one person may not suit another.

The one we bought was advertised in the local paper. (£499). It was barely a year old, and is an Italian one called a GEM. She found their website, and it seems they make more for the professional band market, although this model is intended for domestic use. My piano tuner says he has heard of them and that apart from reported occasional problems with the contacts, requiring the use of some "electrolube" or whatever, they are quite ok. The main thing is that she is very happy with it, you can (thankfully) plug headphones into it, and you can vary the weight of the keys to suit your own touch. She even managed, with careful packing and seat shifting, to get it into the back of a VW Golf. Of course, you'd never have got anything else in! I just have to make room for it when she comes home this summer.

While I am here - does anyone know any details of digital inserts you can get to fit into old piano casings? My tuner was sent details some years ago, but didn't keep them. I am toying with the idea as my old upright is showing signs of age and goes "off" very quickly partly due to there not being much felt left on the upper register hammers. The conflict is whether I want to do that to a virtually "original" old (but musically unremarkable) piano. (It does have a very nice case inlay, and candleabra!)

Andrea

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: alison
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 07:35 AM

you do get a sustain pedal with some keyboards..... and most have a hole in the back where you can add one if you want to (they usually have sustain buttons).. but I prefer a pedal.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Kelticgrasshopper
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 05:32 PM

roland hd 100 great price great sound

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Justa Picker
Date: 28 Mar 01 - 05:45 PM

Kurzweil makes some really nice stuff for home use. 88 weighted keys, built in speakers, transposition, bunch of different acoustic and electric piano sounds, split keyboard, ride cymbal accompanient syncronized with depressed left hand bass notes. Almost as nice as playing a real piano. For your budget, you should be able to get a good used one from a dealer who carries them.

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Edmund
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 01:40 AM

I want to wrap up this thread by thanking you all for helping us with the buying decision.

I thank the lucky day when I stumbled into this cafe .. I didn't know there were so many great people out there, not only ready and willing but, ABLE to help with excellent advice.

Edmund

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Noreen
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 07:42 AM

You're very welcome, Edmund. Let us know what you get and what you think of it!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Electronic Piano Advice Needed
From: Bernard
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 12:20 PM

Yes - then we can all send you MIDI files to try it out with!! Aaaaargh!