[chriscxd]

I'm after a new digital piano for my son. He has been playing for a couple of years and is ability level is about Grade 3. I know very little about pianos (guitars are more my thing) and would be very grateful for any feedback.

He currently uses a Yamaha keyboard for practicing and is keen to progress to something that plays more like the real thing.

The budget is upto &1000 and we have identified 3 models that we think will be suitable - Korg EC150, Yamaha CLP120, Casio AP33. There seems to be quite a price difference between the Casio (&680) and the Yamaha (&965) - is the quality worth paying the extra for? To my (untrained) ear they all sound very similar.

I would be very grateful if someone could point us in the right direction.

Many Thanks

[Barrie Heaton]

[chriscxd]

Barrie,

Living in quite a small house we need to be able to silence my lad (headphones) from time to time so I'm afraid acoustic is not really an option for us.
Thanks for your comments though - I guess the best way is for him to test the feel of all the models and take it from there ?

Cheers

[Barrie Heaton]

In that case If the budget will stretch to a second hand Yamaha P250 I would go for that if you caqn find one that is

Barrie,
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Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

[ajbooker]

I have spent six months on and off trying out various digital pianos as reading most forums and reviews it is obvious everyone has differing opinions. For the record, I am going today to buy the cheapest Casio AP33 in the range having tried all the pianos under 1500 after discounts.

A summary. The sound of the Casio AP33 and Yamaha CL115 is different but according to my daughters piano teacher, about the same.
All cheap digital pianos sound better than an untuned old beginners piano with the beginners keys (middle C?) wearing out. To my musical but unpianod ears they also sound better than the sub &1500 new pianos many shops proudly point to. the bass response on cheap new acoustics is abysmal and the top notes sound like china bells!
Within a week of having it in the house, you probably won't remember it is a digital piano.
The biggest difference between the base model casios/yamahas and the next model up for another 200 seems to b the quality of the speakers.
The CL130 DOES sound a lot better than the cheapest ones but it is TWICE the price.
The Roland and Korg are better pianos (HP1 etc) but they are a lot more.
As a musical parent of a standard ability learner, I'm buying the Casio. Also, everyone tells you its price is &799 but if you go to piedog or reidys you can get it for under &600, and then 'persuade' your local shop to price match or get close enough that the instant delivery and lack of delivery charge and no extra credit card charge makes it worth buying locally. Remember, these are BOXED items in a warehouse, NOT the shiny one on the hop floor and therefore you are buying a commodity. The shops can get one within twenty four hours and there is no reason for paying a &200 mark up to your local shop for having it in their loading bay for a day.
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There are a lot of opinions in the world, sometimes you have to just sit down and play the instrument.
What suited Beethoven won't fit in most peoples houses!

[CanadaPianoGuy]

There is no reason for paying an extra 200 to your local shop for something sitting in their loading bay?????
I challenge THAT assertion and the whole buying off the internet train of thought!
If your local shop ceases to exist due to the internet only retailer, YOU WILL SPEND THE REST OF YOUR DAYS BUYING BLIND!!!
This is even more important with musical instruments as you wouldnt spend this sort of money without trying the gear first. I know I wouldnt buy a car without test driving it first.
So you go to a local shop to try these models out, then you go online to get a cut throat price and return to your dealer with a price from the internet site and wonder why so many Musical Instrument retailers are having trouble keeping their DOORS OPEN!
Good Luck getting any standard of quality service at a cutthroat price! The cheapest price isn't always the best price!
I find it morally reprehensible that people would advocate not buying from a local retailer and send people to an internet site....Only your local retailer can provide the after sales service that you feel you deserve having spent a decent amount of money on a musical instrument. And one day when you are ready to upgrade from the initially purchased instrument the (hopefully) local dealer you bought it from will give you a decent amount on trade because you bought it from them in the first place.

My two cents....an issue I feel especially passionate about having spent two years working in the UK as a musical instrument retailer! The internet presented many challenges to our day to day success and is not allowing a fair trading environment as the sites have very little overhead costs and the retailers have to keep staff trained and paid, the lights on and the doors open!
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Perfect Practice Makes Perfect...

[jazzman]

CLP 120/130 is a good DP. I recommend the 120 over the 130, because all you get different is a price and a few extra sounds basically.

You may be able to split the keyboard on the 130 but is it rele worth it? The speakers are a bit louder but you'll more likely want to have headphones, and the sound quality is TECHNICALLY THE SAME because Yamaha have used exactly the same method for putting the sounds onto the notes.

Yamaha use a technique called Advanced Wave Sampling. AWS. It involves, basically, the suond of a real piano being recorded and that WAVE SAMPLE being shoved onto a chip. It has three "touch definitions" which means that if you press it gently you'll get the one volume or "dynamic response", press it the second level harder and you'll get the second sample and the same for the 3rd, or louder sample.

A CPL120 and 130 have this on every Minor 3rd interval. Therefore, the notes in between have been "digital created" between the real samples.

Heres how it goes....

You pay more money when more "real samples" are shoved onto chips which mean less are "fake samples" or "digital worked" sounds. Secondly, you get more "touch definitions" so instead of three, you might get 7! (look at the CLP170) and thats why you pay more money! Ontop of which, more speakers, and a few more buttons and sounds and maybe special effect sounds and more recording space too.

Hope that helps

Dan