I'm currently looking to purchase a relatively inexpensive digital piano (under $750) for my six year old to begin taking piano lessons. I'm wanting to make small investment now and make a larger investment once I know he will stick with it. An online instrument retailer has an enticing Valdesta digital piano at an extremely reasonable price. I cannot find any information on this brand online. I've read all the good / neutral review for Yamaha, Roland, etc. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Don't buy it unless you can try it. If you are trying to stay under $750.00, either A) rent from a reputable dealer; or B) Take a look at Costco. Their are some interesting models available sold directly from them.

At that budget, I'd look for something used. Perhaps a Roland RD150?

If you want a digital piano, the Yamaha P60 costs $750 and has a key action that is close to that of a real piano. Don't buy something that's not like a real piano keyboard. Your other option is maybe an inexpensive upright, but any decent one will cost more than your budget.

I agree that the Roland RD150 is worth checking out. It is a good sounding keyboard - I have a friend who actually gigs with one as his stage piano. My only concern would be the resistance of the keys, especially for a 6 year old. A used Yamaha P-80 or CLP model would be worth looking at too. The value drops out of digital pianos really fast, so you can sometimes find yesterday's model at a fraction of what it would have been new.

Ryan

I personally own a Williams Sonata 88 Digital Grand. It is an off-brand, one I'd never heard of before until I saw it in the store. I had gone with my mind set on getting a Yamaha, but once I played the Williams, I was sold. It has a very nice authentic feel and sound. And I only paid $600.00 for it. The only real downside or trade-off for such a good price is the 32-note polyphony. I haven't run into any problems with that, though, and wouldn't think your child just learning would, either.

It's very hard to find any information about it online. I bought mine at a store called Guitar Center, in Atlanta, GA. They have a website at
http://www.guitarvision.com/mf/mf_frameset.htm
and if you just type in "Williams" into the seach box, it will pull it up, although there isn't a picture of it. It's currently selling for $699. I would be happy send you a link to pics of mine if you're interested. Good luck!