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Hello all:

I've been digging through these forums for the last week and while there is ton's of great info I seem to be getting more confused than certain. If I could possibly get some direct feedback I would be much obliged.

Background: My wife wants to learn to play the piano and wants a piano to play. She took lessons for a short time as a kid but that was, well, let's just say it wasn't last year. She has not kept up and so I would think we'll call her a beginner. She is interested in learning classical-type piano and that would be the most important part of the selection. Myself I have some interest but I would be more interested in using it as an electronic keyboard/midi/computer type thing.

Criteria:

Feel and sound: I've gathered from the forum here as well as sales people that having the proper weighted keyboard feel and a pleasing piano sound is paramount and I think all the ones I'm looking at meet both of these points.

Looks: Neither of us care for the vinyl clad fake-wood look so we are trying to avoid the mock-upright style like the YDP-140 and similar models. I'd rather have a digital piano that looks like what it is rather than the electric organ our Grandparents had in the 1970s:)

Price: between 1 and 2 thousand Canadian, preferably closer to the 1K mark.

So far I have narrowed it down somewhat and have looked at the following, in order of ascending cost:
Korg SP250 (am looking at this and 170 on Friday)
Yamaha DGX-630 (or 640 if it's out by the time we decide)
Yamaha P155 (waiting to see, have seen 140)
Roland FP-4
Yamaha CP33/300 (depending on clearance sales)

Obviously the features of something like the CP300 are more for my own selfish interests rather than my wife's but I believe it would still function as an excellent piano? I realize the CP33 doesn't have speakers and would need to be run through a stereo or amp.

I did check out some of the casio and Kawai models but nothing available here (Kelowna BC, Canada) inspired either of us.

Are there any other models I should consider? Are any of the above inappropriate? Which would be the best fit for the above criteria?

I welcome any opinions and apologize for the lengthy post,
Thanks in advance
Doug

I agree with you about the fake wood. It amuses me that people who think they can hear the difference between different kinds of felt hammers in pianos are fooled by a photograph of wood glued over compressed sawdust. What's the point? Even good hardwood lumber is only $15 per boardfoot. The stuff really does grow on trees after all.

My opinion is that given your budget and needs you'd want a Yamaha with "GH" or better key action.

In the Roland line you'd want "PHA II" or better but that puts you over budget and I see the FP-4 on your list, likely because the FP-7 and it's PHA II keys are over budget. (the FP-4 uses the lower cost, softer "PHA Alpha" keys)

I bought the P155 and had pretty much the same situation and preferences as you. The next step up was double the price I also bough the LP140 stand. The stand is a little overpriced as all you get is three board and some asorded hardware but it works well and looks nice and I'm sure half the price was to cover the "free" shipping as it weighs a "ton".

The CP33 has some advantage over the P155 as a MIDI controller. Some functions that on the P155 are down in a menu system are moved to physical slider controls. The CP300 is the same but with better speakers. I think the P155 is better suited to home practice piano at low volume to moderate levels.If you have any desire for performance, and non-piano sounds the CP line is better. All have the same GH action inside.

Thanks very much Chris.

I did not realize the FP-4 was a different keyboard than the FP-7 -- I thought they were both PHAII. I'll have to look and see if the FP-7 is out of range. The price tags seem to be pretty soft on certain items like the FP-4 but don't know if that extends to the FP-7. Have to check in person.

For the CP series it's mostly me that would steer the selection this way rather than the P155, I think, but I can assure you no one wants to hear a performance of mine at this point! Given the features they seem to be priced at a relative bargain but of course I have no idea how important all the features are.

Thanks again
Doug

I can never keep track of the action designations of the manufacturers. I think that's what they have in mind in naming them. Chris is right though. Whatever the names given, the actions of FP-4 and FP-7 feel different. Some pro users like the FP-4's action feel. You can fly faster on it, but despite assorted criticisms of hard-bottoming, shallow key dip, etc., the FP7 action gives you more to dig into. For a returning beginner to piano, IMO it's preferable.

I don't recall what name Yamaha has given to the P-155 action, but it feels pretty good under the fingers too. Also it's cheaper and the speakers are less chintzy than the ones on the FP4 and FP7. What the Yamaha doesn't have is the Roland tone profile. Which has the better tone? That's up to your wife and you.

Thanks Turnadot: I do like the roland electric piano sound on the FP4 but thought that the keys seemed a little "dead" (for lack of a better word) compared to the yamaha. I've got to try the FP7 though as I thought the keybeds were the same between the two models. My wife is more interested in the standard piano sounds but she has not heard either Roland yet.

Thanks
Doug

Wow if you can get a CP300 under $2k CAN you would have a awesome board... otherwise a CP33 (which has no speakers) would be the pick of your bunch.

Might be wishful thinking I suppose but the price seems to be coming down and the CP300 is now just under 2k in the states. According to a sold tag on one I saw a few days ago the price charged was pretty much the US price plus exchange and the normal exorbitant shipping charges to Canada.

One can always hope................Doug

Update for posterity....Another round of the piano stores with some extra time, a set of headphones, and my wife and I think we have a winner.

The CP300s are now gone locally and I did have the price wrong so it was over 2K anyway.

My wife wanted speakers on board so no CP33 or upcoming CP50. The 33 did sound and play nice though.

Both wife and I did the FP4 & 7 and while both have nice sounds and features we preferred the yamahas.

Unable to try the Korg SP250 yet but we did try the C520 in it's place which is supposed to have the same keyboard and basic piano sound? Feel and sound were good though both my wife and I preferred the yamahas. The SP170 is not what we are looking for.

The DGX-630 has some nice features but once we started closely comparing the models we liked it less. Strictly based on sound and keyboard feel it's a notch below all the others except the SP170.

The P155 was finally available for testing and it really is a nice piano. My wife clearly preferred it over all the other choices. I thought it had the nicest key feel and piano sound. The final bonus was a demo of a P120 connected to a used small-keyboard arranger/workstation thing. With the P155 it would be about 2K for the combo and would provide probably more bells and whistles than something like the CP300. I'm thinking we'll just get the P155 first and see if I have the time or real inclination to become a self-taught Mark Mothersbaugh or something.

Thanks for your input both here and through-out this wonderful forum
Doug

You can use software on a computer to perform the arranger/workstation function. The software is more powerful and certainly has a better user interface. Cost is a LOT more reasonable.

Here are a couple
http://www.1manband.nl/omb/index.htm
http://www.pgmusic.com/mac.htm

The first is a true emulation of a Yamaha arranger keyboard The second is more for off-line creation.

The above software and a MIDI/USB interface cable and you are good to go.

Thanks Chris.

That certainly is the place to start and at 49.95 for the 1st one very little risk. I don't think the piano person was aware of this option, though I did ask. As a complete novice I may not have been asking the right question though!

Thanks very much
Doug