I am new to this forum and am here seeking help. I am a retired teacher from Northern Canada..small town...no music stores.I am wanting to replace my old decrepid piano in the basement and my 30 year old yamaha organ with either an apartment size piano or a digital piano.Size is important...that is why these choices. I don't want a portable. Just something for my own playing pleasure and to practice worship songs and hymns for the church where I play.I am not a very good pianist..mediocre at best...but love playing and turn to music for emotional release and pleasure.

Now for the question: As money is limited I have found 2 options ..a nice little apartment size piano or a Roland HP1800 approximately 14 years old...in mint condition I am told..for $1000. I know nothing about digital pianos so want to know if this is too much $,can I expect problems with one this old?I am told it was originally worth $4000.
Can you please help me with advice? I am to go and see this digital piano in a nearby city next week.HELP! THANK YOU!

I've never heard of this piano. But at 14 years old it's worth very little.
What can you buy today, new, for $1000? Probably a better piano.

All 88-key keyboards have the same dimensions, and so
all upright pianos and digitals will take up approximately the
same amount of floor space when set up, about 5' x 2'. This
is surprising to many people because digital pianos appear to
be very compact as compared to an upright.

There are new "apartment-sized" uprights you can buy with
I think 73 keys, but I don't see the advantage at all in these.

If you open up any digital piano, all you'll see inside is a few
computer chips and other electrical components, connected
to the keyboard and speakers with wires. That is, a dp
is essentially a computer with a keyboard and speakers, and
because of this basic digital nature, dp's lose value fast, like
a used pc. What could you get for a 14 yr. old pc that originally
sold for $4000?

The technology to emulate an acoustic piano has been around
since at least the 1970's, and by the 1980's dp's already played
like an acoustic piano, and so a 14 yr. old Roland dp in perfect
condition would be just as good as a brand new dp. However,
$1000 is way too much for it. This is worth less than $200 (US).

For $1000 (US) you can buy fine, new dp's. I use a Williams
Overture digital console that I bought sight-unseen online
in 2009 for $600 (US). This is considered an economy digital,
but I find it adequate for playing anything, from jazz to big-time
concertos like the Chopin op. 14, which sounds just fine on it.

To the original poster, DO NOT BUY that 14 year old digital piano even if they knock off 50 percent.

Use Google to find a music store near you or go to the web sites of major bands (Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, Casio) and find a dealer near you.





Are you living in a parallel universe?


To the original poster, get thee to a music store.

Thank you so much for the input.Exactly what I need to help decide which way to go.Gyro, if this dp would be just as good as a new one why is it worth so little...I am not looking for something modern with a gazillion bells and whistles...just basically a piano.This Roland dp measures 55" , the apartment size piano 58 1/2 " and my standard size old upright is 60". Not a lot of difference but when I may be looking at senior apartments in a few years it is something to consider.I do want all 88 keys and not something on a stand.
Dave..I am not in a parallel universe...just small town Northern Ontario...up near the Eskimos ...well, could be parallel. I will make an effort to get myself to a big city music store...but will probably boggle my mind! LOL
Thanks all!
Any other thoughts out there for me?

Barb, that parallel universe comment was not directed to you but to Gyro.

I think Gyro is the one living in the parallel universe What's your budget? There are a few great options around $1k (Canadian dollars, I assume).

My budget is $1000. I checked out the new Roland dp's at a site for a large music store in Toronto..Gearnuts..and a brand new one that looks like the 14 year old one...Roland RP201.. costs $5000. This will not happen. So do I go back to an apt. size accoustic? Can't find any other used digitals within a 2 or 3 hour drive from here.

The Roland HP series will run $2000 and up (way up).
Likewise the Yamaha Clavinova CLP-series will run almost $2000 and up.
Similarly, the Kawai CA series includes higher-end pianos.

Those all fall well above your $1000 limit.
So instead look at the Yamaha YDP series consoles or P-series keyboards.
Or the Kawai CN series consoles.
(Can someone name the corresponding Roland series in this price range?)

OK Dave,,,finally got the "parallel" comment re Gyro's comment that is in quote box. Takes me a while
I still so want that Roland HP dp ! But I guess you guys know best.I was all set to pay $1000 for it.None of the smaller consoles are for me.
Would an offer of $500 be too much also? Remember I'm in Canada where things are more expensive. I doubt if he would accept such a low offer. He advertised it for $1500.

In my opinion this thing might not even be worth $100. Digital pianos are basically computers with specialized peripherals. Admittedly they have a longer lifecycle than your everage PC, but still. Buying a 5 year old DP can already be a compromise, everything older than that better be a real bargain - $1000 shure as heck isn't!

The HP1800 you're offered may be 14 years old, the model however is from 1993 - it is 17 years old! If it has a MIDI out, you could use it as a console Masterkeyboard - for that, I'd be ready to pay about one hundred dollars. Other than that, this thing is inferior to almost everything you will get new starting at $700.

That Roland is NOT worth $1,000. Not even close. You can buy a much better brand new digital piano for under $1,000.

By the same logic what would you pay for a "mint condition" 15 year old cell phone? Likely "nothing". The technology of digital pianos has mved so far that today the $450 Casio beats the old $4,000 piano.

Yo say you don't want a portable. I can see that you don't need to move it but all things equal the portable will cost a lot less for the same set of features. You pay a lot for the wood-print stand and case. As long as you know this and want the "look" go for it but if cost is important and it will go in a basement you can but the money into function over cosmetics, or not.

What you really should do is go to a big chain music store and bring a good pair of headphones and just play what is there. Don't even look at price tag and play both portable and "home style" pianos. Learn how the sound of the brands and feel of the keys differ. Take good notes then come back here can say what you liked and did not like and your budget.

Prices for a decent, playable digital piano start at $450 and it's easy to spend $1K or $2K

Organs don't have hammer action keyborads. So you can't have one keyboard tohat is ideal for both piano and organ. You can compromise by gettig a very light piano action but then you have a poor piano and a poor organ. Or you buy two keyboads. One with organ style action is not so expensive. Lots of options but the first step is to play a dozen or more digital instruments and keep notes.

Well, I had a Roland KR-3000 that is just as old. New price was $8000. I sold it for $400 - only after trying to get rid of it for $1000. Good luck.

Thanks Chris and eweiss for the "sound" advice.
I plan to visit a fairly decent sized music store in North Bay next week. Will let you know my discoveries.
Thanks again to all for your help...without you I would have paid wayyyy too much for an olddddd dp.