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Just as I was about to pick up a CLP230, we ran across an opportunity to pick up some nice-looking used U1 or U3.

U3 sounded richer and U1 clearer. U1 about 2000 and U3 about 2500.

Our son (7) is a beginning piano player.

We are in a house and have room for either one and I think all 3 sounds good with me leaning toward the U3 and CLP230.

Any thoughts as whether we should get U1, U3, or the CLP230?

Thanks...

U1 is probably from 1975s.
U3 is around 1980s.

The action/mechanism looks clean and new, esp. the U3.

U1 action is probably from around 1995.

Thanks...

Digital won't require tunings several times a year, can be moved easily and can be used with headphones.

For adult beginners I would recommend a digital
over an acoustic without exception. With
child beginners, I'm maybe not so sure,
since I grew up on acoustic pianos, and this
experience is what makes me so enthusiastic
about digitals--and so unenthusiastic about
acoustic pianos.

But in any case, you should consider the
glaring disadvantages of acoustic pianos.
We are now living in the digital piano age,
and acoustic pianos are becoming obsolescent
in my opinion, despite the enthusiasm for
them on the acoustic piano forum. An
acoustic piano--when demonstrated for a
few seconds in a store by a salesman who
knows just how to play it to get you
mesmerized--might sound great, but try
having someone pounding on it for several hrs.
every day right in your home. It soon won't
sound so great.

Moreover, an acoustic piano can be heard
a block away, so the neighbors won't
appreciate it after a while either. If you
live in an apt., condo, or townhouse, an
acoustic is pretty much out of the question
right from the start.

Then there is the tuning. Acoustic pianos
need to be tuned at least twice a yr., at
$150 or more per tuning. If you've ever had
to deal with a piano tuner, you would not
be so eager to get an acoustic piano. Some
of these people can be rude and/or incompetent
and can make owning an acoustic piano an
unpleasant experience. Then there are the
repairs. If you look inside an acoustic
piano, the numerous levers levering other
levers, and the archaic felt and leather
components should give you an idea of
the maintenance problems this can lead to.
Problems like sticking keys are common.

Then there is the weight. You will need
to hire movers just to get an acoustic into,
and out of, your house.

By contrast, digital pianos need no tuning
or maintenance of any kind and are designed
for durability and reliabilty. My neighbor
has my first digital piano, that I bought
in 1989, and it is still in perfect condition
and has never needed any kind of repair.
They also cost less: you can get a good new
weighted-key digital piano with grand piano-like
performance for as little as $400-500.
You can also move a digital piano yourself.

Probably the single most important
advantage of a digital piano is the volume
control. With headphones or the vol. turned
down you can play anything, any time, anywhere,
and not disturb anyone with your playing.
The great advantage of this cannot be
overstated. This allows better technique
development and better progress than you
can achieve on an acoustic piano.

And in addition, digitals offer things like
instant record and playback at the touch
of a button, computer connectivity, and
so forth. All in all digital pianos are
the greatest thing that has ever happened
in the piano world, and one would be
foolish not to take advantage of everything
they can offer to a pianist.

Digitals have some nice features. But your son will never learn to play the piano by playing a digital. Buy the U1. You'll never regret that decision. And ignore the bizarre opinions you read here (other than mine, of course).

I also think you should buy the U1. My wife would prefer the digital, but I never use headphones anyway so it didn't do her any good.

As long as your family will enjoy the louder sound of a real piano, and you can afford the expense and space, then I recommend the acoustic.

That CLP230 will be very affordable in 10 years whether you buy it now or not. The U1 will still be valuable as an instrument, furniture, and better investment. The CLP is none of those, but it will do the teaching job adequately, inexpensively, and quietly.

Buy the REAL piano every time. Pick either the U1 or U3, whichever you think is best. But DON'T buy a digital over a real acoustic.

I own a CLP-230. The real thing wins every time. :-)

Buy the acoustic if you have the time and money to keep it tuned and in good condition.


Peace,

/Richard

I have both an acoustic (Charles Walter) and a digital and I am in the market for another digital.

I agree with Miracle/Richard above, if you are willing to keep it in tune and in good condition go for the acoustic.

Over the last few days I've been listening to the virtual recital over in the adult beginners forum. It's fairly easy to tell the difference between digitals and the majority of acoustic pianos on that thread as an amazing number of the acoustics are out of tune.

For stretches of time I'm away from home and play on pianos at a university's practice rooms. The experience is not that pleasant. I'd prefer a digital over those pianos.

I agree with the majority of posts in going with the acoustic, but keep in mind that they require require regular maintenance. Gyro does point out the challenges of owning an acoustic (although I don't share the experience he had with technicians --mine is beyond fantastic).

It's great that you are in a house and can enjoy an acoustic.

-ron

I like my Yamaha CLP-240 very much even after my weekly 1 hour lesson on a Kawai Grand RX-3.

But i hope someday i shall have a house in stead of an appartment, with a fireplace and a garden and a cat and a dog. And last but not least a real accoustic piano, maybe not a grand, but a very good upright like the U1 or the U3, which are really a standard in upright piano's so i read in the other pianoworld forums.

Go for the acoustic. The sound and feel of the action are unbeatable. Your son will get a whole lot more from an acoustic than a digital.

I am someone that plays both. I own a digital, but play acoustic pianos at my university.

There's an interesting article on that (Digital x Acoustic):

http://www.pianofinders.com/educational/pinnochio.htm

I have the same dilema as well. I don't know if I will buy a digital piano or a real piano. I have put a deposit for alex Steinbach J112R though as someone advised me that getting a real piano is better in the long run than getting a digital piano. Was advised that real piano can be a good investemt as well. Please help and advise if I made a good decision and if Alex Steinbach is a good brand. Thank you.

And you know what they say about opinions....................

In my prior life I was a business man working for a fortune 100 company and my degree is in business.

I don't profess to know a whole lot about pianos but I would hesitate to call a piano of any sort a "good investment." Sales people like to throw the word around a great deal because it is so much easier to "invest" a lot of cash than it is to "spend" a bunch of cash.

IMO, an investment is something you put money into that has a reasonable chance of appreciating in value. I don't know that most pianos fall into this category. It may be true that an acoustic won't depreciate quite as rapidly as a DP, but from what I see on the "for sale" boards their aren't many pianos actually appreciating in value. Perhaps some of the very high-end pianos will actually appreciate in value but I don't think this holds true for most pianos.

Perhaps this is just a battle of semantics, but I believe that words mean something and the word "investment" has a very specific meaning to me.

IMO opinion their are many reasons to choose a DP or a real piano, but their investment value is probably not high up on in the selection criteria.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

Thanks everyone...it looks like we are going to get an acoustics!!!!