Hey all... T_Bone here...

I used to be a half decent classical piano player, who moved far away from his piano. I am considering getting a digital piano with weighted keys. I wished that I could get an accoustic, but for my living arrangements, that would not be possible.

I am looking at the Yamaha Clavinova series CLP 110, 115, or 120 (And about that price range). I am not interested in anything but sitting down and playing. Also, I am going to route this through a powerful amp to some sweet bookshelf speakers.

Should I consider any other brands?

Thanks so much for any advice...

T_bone.

You might want to look at the Roland HP series.

Or, possibly a "stage piano" if your not interested in looks.

Thanks for the reply... can I ask one more quick question?

This 'Stage Piano'... what is this? I looked on the Roland website, and they look like some kind of keyboard. Can the touch be just as good? I suppose I am curious to know whether the feel of the keyboard is compromised by having so many different options...

If the stage piano is the way to go, which are ones to look at (looks really don't matter in this case)?

Thanks...T_Bone

As far as stage pianos go, you might want to consider the Yamaha P-series (P80, P90, P120, etc). I currently own the P120; I *love* its feel and sound. I've heard the Roland FP-5 is also a good choice.

exactly!

I would only add in the Roland FP-3, althought it and the Yamaha P80 and P90 will require an amplifier or some other system (none have onboard speakers), this is not necessarily a bad thing. Try them out and develop your own opinion on which one you prefer. A few other brands you might want to consider: Kawai, Kurtzweil, Korg, Technics, I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

Feel free to ask as many questions as you can think of (here or to the sales rep).

I'm also interested in the Yamaha P-series and Roland FP5, could anyone share some more detail on them?

Thanks.

A couple of other things:

I re-read your post. As far as Yamaha is concerned, the P90 is "newer" than the P120, thus having updated samples(the sound has been updated), and seeing that you probably don't need onboard speakers it is probably a little better (and costs less). And Yes, the touch can be just as good (maybe, in some cases better, depends on your preference).

Check out the Roland RD-700. It is expandable and while I haven't personally heard the "concert expansion" board, others(aka: SteveY) on the forum think its great.

Also, check out the Kawai MP-900 (or is it 950??), I've heard good things about its "feel".

When your taking cost into consideration, remember that you'll also need a stand, and pedal(s), oh, and something to sit on, and maybe a dust cover.

Badger,
What is it you want to know (anything in particular or just general info)?

Just general info, as I've never played a digital piano before.

How does the sound and action compare to a real piano basically, and how do the Yamahas and Rolands compare to each other?

The action on most mid to high end digitals are generally pretty good and compare quite nicely to most acoustic piano's (expecially considering price).

Sound, on the other hand is limited to the quality of the samples for any particular digital. In effect, you cannot get the same "expressiveness" out of a digital that you can out of an acoustic. But, once again, for the price they're awfully hard to beat. Any "high-end" digitals will likely blow a "low-end" acoustic out of the water.

Some positive to a digital: they dont need to be tuned, you don't have to worry about the affects of humidity, and the much more portable (although, my 80 pound digital is still a pain in the "you know where" to transport.)

As far as Yamaha vs. Roland, its generally a matter of opinion. The action is a little different (depending on Brand as well as model/series). Yamaha samples its own pianos, Roland samples other brands (Stienway, and others), which leads to differences in sound. Also, their sampling methods differ. In effect, it's like comparing a Petrof to an Estonia (it just depends on what your drawn too).


Zym "keep the questions coming" til

Thanks for all the new info... I suppose I have another question relating to the price of stage pianos:

Given that one has to purchase a bench, stand, and cover, is the price comparable to an equal digital piano (given that the amp and speakers are taken care of).

Also, would it be a good idea to buy used?

This is an awesome website!

T_Bone

T_Bone,
I don't want to go out too far on a limb, but some of what you pay for in a digital (non-stage) piano is the cabinetry. Given that you have the amp and speakers taken care of, a digital without built in speakers would be a great way to go (in some cases even if you don't have amp/speakers taken care of), althought you should still play some non-stage pianos before making your decision (and they may even make you want to get a "non-stage" piano).

If you buy a digital piano you typically don't get the bench included (althought, I could be dead wrong here).

As far as "accessories" go, minus the bench (I have no idea at what they cost). It should cost less than 100USD. In my situation, my father built my stand, as a birthday present, at a fraction of the cost.

As far as buying "used". It's a slippery slope. You could get a great deal or you could get messed over. If it's a deal where you can play before purchasing you'de be in a much better position, as you can see "first-hand" what problems are apparent (althought, there are those problems you may not notice).

Amen to Zymtil's post.

Here's a previous post that compares Yamaha's action vs. that of Roland. I found it to be very helpful.

I know kraftmusic.com often has package deals on its digital pianos. They include the bench, music stand, and sometimes even amplifiers.

Confession: I bought used. Off eBay. I think I lucked out--it was ~4mos old, in great condition, and I don't regret my decision. But I spent months researching carefully before deciding to go this route. I don't really recommend this method because many of the Yamaha digitals being sold are old--sometimes even 10yrs old, give or take a few years. And many don't tell you. Also, there's the issue of warranties, or absence thereof.

If you must buy used, better to check at stores like Guitar Center so you can try before you buy. Can you?

Also, does anyone more experienced than me have tips on buying used?

I've found a very helpful website to determine the age of Yamaha (digital) pianos and keyboards.

Hope this helps,
-a

Man oh man you people ROCK!

Thanks so much for the help... I am definetly going to do some checking into the Roland line of stage pianos.

Anybody hear any Kawais? I checked their site, and the appear to be quite nice... I guess since I don't hear them mentioned with Yamaha or Roland are they second rate?

Later... T-Bone

I've heard some great things about the Kawai MP-9500. They're definately worth checking out. The problem with some of their lower-end models is that their polyphony tends to be at 32 (for models such as the EX1, ESX).

Kawai is definitely not second rate IMO. I tried both Yamaha and Roland, but decided to go with the Kawai MP9500 primarily because of touch. It's feature set may not be as full as the competition, but that's of low importance to me. BTW, I took a chance and bought mine off eBay. (The seller happened to be in the same city, so I saved a bit in transport fees.) [LIST]

My sister owns a Kawai CA 1000, it has the same keyboard as the MP 9500. The keyboard rocks, so I guess the MP 9500 must be a fine choice too. I have no experience whatsoever with stage pianos though...