Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards newbie question - Yamaha YPG-535 88-key Portable Grand Piano Keyboard

After close to 40 years of not touching a keyboard, I'm toying with the idea of a digital keyboard to see if I still have the real interest and ability to pick up sight reading after all these years.

Does anyone know this yamaha? does it seem like a good deal at amazon for $499?

My original idea was if I picked up where I left off, I might buy a piano... but maybe I would buy a really good keyboard???

thanks,

Tom O'Connell

if you like this type, then consider YPG635 rather than this one, because this one doesn't have weighted keys as those on an acoustic one. if you can only spend around $500, then another option is to look at Casio PX series, such as PX120 or 320.

thanks, Signa

Hey, in for a penny, in for a pound. I am willing to spend the price of the YPG635. It sounds like this is a bit better than the Casio ones?

It's a shame the 635 doesn't come in black <g>.

I see it has the option of a 3 pedal addon and I think I'll try to get that as well.

There are quite a few sites on the web to buy this stuff from. Is there one who is favored by folks in this forum?

thanks again,

tom

I would recommend you spend some time auditioning the various keyboards at stores before committing and ordering based only on specs on a website.

You may find that you like the feel of something else better that would be more than worth paying a couple of hundred bucks for. The low-end Yamahas with their cheaper/est keyboards can get old really fast. It would be cheaper to buy one that you will be very satisfied with rather than one now and another in 6 months time.

Hi theJourney-

My problem is that I know so little about keyboards. I went into a shop last week and fooled around just a little with 4 different ones, ranging from a $300 yamaha to a couple of $1000+ brands I had never heard of. I just couldn't feel much difference in the keyboard feel and that is more important to me at this juncture than the actual sound. None of them felt like it really was a piano.

That said, I don't know how long I will use a keyboard. My first thought was that it would just be a relatively inexpensive way to see if I could pick up reading sheet music again and if it works out, I sell the keyboard on ebay and buy a piano... to tell the truth after playing with them, I might just want to stay with a keyboard and would consider the cost of the initial one (full cost minus whatever I get reselling) the price of finding out...certainly better than buying a piano <g>.

Then again... the 635 will be about $800 with the pedal etc so what's a couple hundred more if it's worth it...

Do you have any suggestions for a level or two above the 635?

thanks... sorry to sound like a dufus but until I checked here I didn't even know that some of the keyboards were weighted to feel more piano like and some weren't...

cheers,

At your price point, you should check out the Casio AP-200. About $799 with console styling, a fixed three-pedal arrangement, 128 note polyphony and weighted/gradauted keyboard. Try it. I think Guitar Center carries them. Great bang for the buck.

under $1000 Yamaha has those:

YDP140 (home piano type with 3 pedals)
YPG635/DGX630 (stage/synth piano)
P85 (stage piano)
YDP-S30 (with stand and 3 pedals but minimum functionality)

i would say YDP140 is the best among them.

above $1000 and under $2000, Yamaha middle range DPs are:

P140 (stage piano)
CP33 (stage piano without built-in speakers)
YDP160 (home piano)
some low end CLPs

around $2000, you can consider CP300, the best Yamaha stage piano.

And there is/was the package sold by Costco, the Casio PX-720, which is basically the Casio PX-120 with stand, bench, 3 metal pedals, for $650. it comes in black.
Good DP for the money if you do not care about the brand name and the reduced # of voices (11 tones I believe). This is the same action as the more expensive Casios, with the same sound processor and the same 128 polyphony capability.

One last comment on these DPs: some come with a very cheap switch type "pedal" that requires an immediate $20-$40 upgrade.

Update: the PX-720 supports half pedaling (damper), where the AP-200 might not (according to Casio's website)

Thanks, everybody. I'm on a new course now.

I'm out of town for a week and will go try the YDP 140 and P85 and the Casio AP-200 and then just pick one so I can get started !!!

Actually I'm letting my wife give this to me as a Christmas present but she is letting me pick it out.

Thanks for all your help... I surely would have made a choice that needed upgrading too quickly without your advice.

cheers,

tom

Update and thanks again.

I just bought the Casio 120 model on sale for $499 at Bananas At Large in San Rafael, California. I went into the store and got some quality help from the sales guys (threw in a free pedal).

Now all I have to do is wait for Christmas to use it <g>

Thanks for all your advice and input.

tom