Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha YDP-131 or CLP-220?

If it is a good deal on CLP-220, I would definitely prefer it to DGX620 because of polyphony, more piano-like appearance and the fact that piano playing would be most important for you.

It is true that the speakers in the ydp-131 are utterly worthless. I use a separate amp and speakers when I play without headphones.

These are the prices where I live (Belgium):

DGX-620: €799
YDP-131: €936
CLP-220: €1190 (which is the absolute limit)
P140: €1335

Now the question is: are there any cheaper keyboards with GHS that provide the same piano sound with less features? I won't be doing more with it than I would with a real accoustic piano except headphone play (so recording, sequencing, multiple instruments etc. are all pretty much useless).

The cheapest weighted action keyboard out there is Casio Privia PX110 - it's US $380 on amazon.com now, but I'm sure it's going to be more in Europe.

€580 is the cheapest I could find, which is over $750...

Is GH that much better than GHS? I might still consider the CLP220 then.

Wow, quite different from North America.
I never heard about P-140 for more than $1300US
(I believe one can get it much cheaper in US)
By contrast, CLP-220 price makes more sense.

Here, the advantage of buying just a keyboard is that you can have it shipped for a reasonable price from all over Europe and DEFINITELY find quite decent deal.

So my last suggestion would be to test extensively
DGX-620, CLP-220, see also if you can get your hands on FP-4 (It can be had ideally for under $1100 US) and compare the touch, feel, appearance and sound.
It must feel right for you

I just got the price of the Roland FP-4: €913 including shipping, which I think is pretty cheap. Is it better than the Yamaha's?

I like the new Roland keyboard action in FP-4.
The sound is nice as well.
So I would say better than Yamaha in your list,
but you have to try yourself, go to the store play your favorite tunes.
See also if FP-7 may fit into your price range (it is roughly ~$300-350US more expensive than FP-4).
FP-7 was some revelation to us, but I really like FP-4 as well. I can understand some people would prefer its keyboard action to FP-7.

None of the local music stores have the FP-4 in stock which is a shame. And I'm just a beginner so there's nothing I can play. I have played the piano for 2 years but that's a long time ago, too long to stil be able to play.

Is it even wise to spend so much on a keyboard as a beginner?

If you're 100% certain you're going to stick with it and really learn how to play. Some people like to buy really crappy keyboards to learn on and move up to better ones as their abilities improve but if you know you're going to keep with it and get better, you'd probably save a lot more money and just get a really good keyboard to begin with. This isn't fact or proven in any way (that I know of) but I'd think you'd improve faster if it was on a good keyboard that most accurately simulated the touch and sound of a real piano. Again, that's just what I think would happen.

I feel having 2 years of practice, you are at the right point and have narrowed down very appropriate choices.
Actually, I would arrange your potential choice in keyboards in a sequence from DGX to FP-4 and FP-7 and reflected on your certainty of playing seriously further, as DigitalPianoMan pointed out.
I would actually feel that DGX may be a nice piece to play around, see where you are (It always felt a bit like a toy to me, a very-very nice one!)
On the other end of the spectre would be FP-7: more serious investment, should definitely give you few years of nice practice.

Thanks for the advice. I've checked the website of my local music store and I see they do have the FP-4. It was just hidden and could only be found with the search function. This gives me a great opportunity to go and try out the DGX and FP-4.

The FP-7 is still too expensive for me, but the FP-4 is about the same, right? Is there any difference in the sound of the piano? Sadly I won't be able to connect to external speakers since that would mean an extra investment.

Also, you seem to think that the DGX would be a better choice for me. How does it compare to the FP-4? Hopefully I will be able to make out my mind in the store, but I'd like to know beforehand what the differences in sound and touch are.

The owner of the store used to be my neighbour, so I should be able to arrange a small price cut (if he can still remember me that is)

I did not suggest actually that DGX would be a better choice. :rolleyes: I only tried to say it may be more suitable for a person, who is less sure about piano playing, since it has more buttons, functions, a very nice display, etc. It is more entertaining, if you will.
The sound I would say is quite close for FP-4 and FP-7 (most of samples should be the same).
Yamaha and Roland sound are quite different, both I feel are quite appropriate imitations of acoustics at their point.
By the keyboard feel, I would definitely prefer FP-4 to DGX.

Hope that would help a bit and you will greatly enjoy your time finally choosing what would work the best for you

P.S. You will have actually a very nice choice.
Both Yamaha and Roland are reliable, enjoyable.
Both are decently priced (in our part of the woods, actually, FP-4 is $300US more expensive! so the price cut may be more actual for DGX)

There's a store that gives a 35% price cut on all Rolands in stock next week. The current price of the FP-4 is 913€. So with 35% off I would only have to pay €593! Here's hoping it will be in stock!

I have this thing where when I really want something to happen I tell everyone to "hope with me" and that our combined hope with alter the course of life and make that thing happen. It's more for fun but here's some of my hope!

Warranty is in home service 5/5 on the CLP220.
YDP is 3/1 carry in or mail in.

If there is any way that you can go and visit several dealers, actually play the different keyboards that are within the price range that you desire; it will be much more help in determining what instrument YOU prefer.

Among the different things that cause preference, the FEEL of the keyboard is a very significant item, and the SOUND or sounds - ultimately you will be most satisfied picking something out that appeals to you. Even the arrangement of knobs, switches, and buttons on the keyboard can be intiutive to you, or very confusing.

I do not live in Europe, so I don't know exactly what choices you have. I worked servicing electronic instruments for years, I pretty well knew what feeling and kind of sound I wanted. Since I live in a small town with one music store, I visited a number of stores while on vacation in a large city. I tried out various brands and models (it had been a decade since I was actively servicing instruments instead of computers), and rather quickly narrowed the field somewhat - at least I knew a number of brands and models that I did NOT want, as well as some that were on my short list.

For at least one instrument, I wanted a full 88 keys, weighted keyboard, at least a good sounding acoustic piano sound. I didn't really care if it looked like a traditional piano or was a stage piano (and neither did my wife). We wanted something that our granddaughter could use for practice, she was taking piano at school (age 9) as well. I wound up with a Kurzweil SP88X in absolutely excellent shape, purchased used on EBay. The original owner bought it for his daughter for piano practice, then daughter decided not to continue.

So - the forum can be of some help, particularly if s LOT of people have had problems with a particular make or model. But - the keyboard that really seems great to you may (or may not) seem great to me.

My next keyboard was a 61key unweighted - I use it in a band - but not for piano. Third was a 76 key lightly weighted (and since then, I wish that I had paid the extra for the 88 key weighted).

My advice in a nutshell: spend time and effort looking - buy ONCE instead of buying something, not liking it, and losing money when you sell it to buy something else.

HTH,