Hi everyone,

I've been a longtime "lurker" on the forum but this is my first post. I took lessons as a kid for 11 years, and grew up on a Baldwin baby grand that belonged to my family. As an adult, I bought a Yamaha P70 DP but was disappointed in its plasticky, thumpy action, and sold it after a few years. I'm desperate to get back into piano. A DP is still the most practical option for me, since I move often and am space-limited. My main concerns are realistic action and good sound. I could care less about various voices and computer connections. I thought I had my top choices narrowed down to a Roland FP 7F or Yamaha P155; however...

A used Roland HPi-7, in perfect condition, was recently posted on Craigslist for $1500, with bench. The little information I've been able to find about this model all seems very positive. Despite the model being a few years old, the HPi-7 seems to have sustained its good reputation, and the price seems good to me (certainly a bargain compared to buying a FP 7F new). There aren't many options on Craigslist in my area, so I jumped on this opportunity.

Are there any opinions out there on whether I should investigate this model, or if it's overpriced for a 2004 piano? I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

Thanks.

Nice specs but way overpriced, IMO. The FP-7F will have a better action, a better sound engine, and a better resale value for the next few years.

Yikes, really? I was hoping it would have the same quality as the FP-7F. My problem is that $1500 is already stretching my budget. The guy has one person ahead of me in line to see it tomorrow, so it may even be gone before I can see it.

Technology has moved on, albeit very slowly. The newer Roland SuperNATURAL pianos coupled with PHAIII action arguably represent the best DP technology currently available at affordable prices.

It is possible to get the FP-7F within your budget, but you need to be patient. I paid $1350 for an open box unit from a dealer via eBay. It had a couple of scratches, but other than that was indistinguishable from new.

I'm not saying that the HPi-7 isn't a very nice DP (I have never played one), but $1,500 is a lot to pay for any DP that's around eight years old. However, if you really like it, then maybe the price becomes less relevant.

Thanks for the advice! I guess I'm trying to figure out the whole "computer/time/value depreciation" thing. I don't mind if the value depreciates even further on an older DP because I'm hoping to hang on to whatever piano I get for a long time. But I do worry that the computer itself will eventually fail. Is this a huge risk with older models, and therefore the reason why I should buy new?

That depends. All electronic gear will fail eventually. However, Roland has a good reputation for reliability, and many of their '80s and '90s units are still going strong.

More to the point, though, is gauging the amount of mechanical use/abuse that a keyboard has had. DP actions are usually robust (although Roland did have some issues a few years ago), but parts will wear, and key contacts can fail.

Okay... from your info, and other opinions I've seen on the forum, it appears it may be a wiser choice to hold out for a new DP like the FP 7F. Thanks!

You're welcome, and good luck with whatever you decide. Please come back and let us know the outcome.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Thank you!

Alright I'm definitely going to pass on the Roland, since a) it's older, b) it's out of my price range, c) the owner lives over an hour away. I did find a killer deal on a new in box Yamaha P155 on Craigslist, which was one of my top two choices. The owner hasn't emailed me back yet, but I hope it's still avialable! After seeing dozens of videos and reviews on that model, I think I'd be very happy with it. My P70 wasn't terrible but the action was what got to me after a while. It seems the P155 has far superior action and I really like the sound of its piano voices on the YouTube videos I've seen.