Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards An OLD BEGINNER looking for a digital piano.budget £250

i can tell u that after looking at prices of digital pianos here in the UK, we get shafted big time verses americans. some europeans get stiffed worse than us. the newer casio px130 sells for $500 in USA, but in the UK is £539. how they can get away with that is a mystery to me.

Apparently the price differences in Australia are even worse.

Snazzy

I'm sure it has to do with where they are manufactured. If it's an import, then there's lots of tariffs and such to cover.

I was speaking on the phone today to an online music company representative and I brought up some of the comments from the forum, basically that here in the UK we do not seem to get as they in the USA call it a "deal". He asked me what I meant by that.

When I remarked about the $500 versus converted to £374.99 including VAT for the PX-120 he conceded that in the USA prices for such equipment are always somewhat less. Not much he can do about that he said because their company had reduced it from £599.99 down to the lowest that they could economically get away with and survive here in the UK.

We have to just put up with it to a certain extent or go elsewhere and perhaps get a slightly lower price for a DEMO model. Or just don't buy. Personally I am one of these people who will not take chances with DEMO models - but that is just me!

Dave

Hi all

At the end of the day it is up to me to make a decision following all the very very helpful comments made by the forum members to assist me in my choice.

Another factor here in UK is that the VAT is going to revert back on 1st January 2010 to 17.50% from the current 15% which has been applicable for some time now.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/BeginnersGuideToTax/DG_4015895

My final choice was to be between the Yamaha NP-30S and the Casio PX-120 Dark at http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/34416-casio-px-120-dark.html and I have come down on the side of the Casio piano. £374.99.

Although it is a little over our budget of £250 I feel the Scale Hammer Action Keyboard and its 88 weighted keys with 128 polyphony will probably pay for itself if I get on well with my learning. What I want to avoid is perhaps paying less for the NP-30S and then maybe feeling I needed to get a little more advanced piano and being unable to afford more money.

So there it is folks – tomorrow I will go up to Dolphin Music I think and organise them to send me one of their 3 remaining PX-120s.

Thanks for all your help to date but in the end it is my responsibility - “fingers crossed” - but not whilst learning to play!

Dave

Congrats Dave, let us know what you think when you get it!

Wonderful news, Dave...congratulations on your decision.

It was a tough one....and obviously, a close one, too.

Looking forward to your initial impressions, as well as your continuing opinions as you grow with the instrument and your music.

Snazzy

The USA to UK prices are a joke.

The Yamaha P155 was around $1000.00, but buying one here cost well over £1000.

Since when was it worse than 1:1 for the pound??

What can you do about it though. If you want it, you have to pay it

that exactly it. companies set their prices as high as 'the market will bear' regardless of exchange rates. the british consumer is just willing to pay the high prices sadly. i just ordered the casio px-120 from rockign rooster for £345 with the stand and pedal. its an ex-demo model tho.

You and I are making purchase at about the same time. In the end I decided to purchase today, the PX-120 with stand, plus the casio sp-20 sustain pedal, BUT from a different supplier than I had indicated earlier. Details follow:

Gear4Music.com in UK at link:

PIANO
http://www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/Casio-Privia-PX-120-Digital-Piano-and-free-stand/7JD

SUSTAIN PEDAL
http://www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/Casio-SP-20-Sustain-Pedal/7JP

Total a fair bit more than I set out to pay £428.99

DELIVERY TO BE on Tuesday 8 Dec 09

UPDATE ON PIANOMAGIC lessons
Registered with them on 4 December - so off we go!

May I wish you every success with your purchase and I sincerely hope that all goes well for you.
Dave

Hi all

Just thought I would let you know that yesterday our Casio PX-120 and free stand plus the sustain pedal arrived via FedEx.

My wife and I spent the afternoon assembling all the pieces. Although at first we had to read the instructions many times it was not the fault of the literature. More that we were not familiar with the logic of how the piano and stand were to join together.

In fact looking back made us appreciate the superb quality of both instrument and stand together with the clever way it all fitted together.

As appreciation of the way you helped me right from the outset I have put a small page with a link to this forum and Pianomagic plus SeaSideLee on my website.

If you want to pop along an have a look it can be found at:

http://www.artukdigital.com/pianostudy_link/index.html

You will see how we had fun in the pictures as we assembled bits and pieces. Also originally we had intended to purchase ONLY the piano and were going to balance it on some plywood! I think in the end we reached the best decision in purchasing it with the FREE stand...!

All the best and now to study.
Dave