Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Best stage ready keyboard for under $500?

Hello, this is my first post at Piano World. I am planning on learning to play the keys, and was wanting to get something for under $500. I don't know if I should be looking for a 61,76, or 88 key. I want something that will be of good quality though, not a "beginner" piano that will wear out and/or break in a few years of use. Does something like this exist? What are the top recommendations for this price range? As far as sound goes, I am not looking for a Synth.

My advice is to get an 88-key keyboard. You're going to want one anyway eventually so might as well get it now. I recommend the 88-key Yamaha YPG-535 for $499.

Are you lookig for a "digital piano"? These are a speacial class of keyboard to attempt to replicate the sound and feel of an acoustic piano. If that is what you want prices start at $500 and go up from there. There are only two pianos inside your $500 limit. Both from Casio, the PX130 and CDP100.

If you are looking for some other kind of keyboard there are more options but you say "not looking for a Synth".

What you should do is plan tospend a few hours in the music stores and play everything without looking at the price tags and keep good notes. Bring headphones. Then come back here and say what you liked and disliked and if you can move the budget of if it is fixed.

I guess I'm not sure. What I meant by not looking for a synth was that it's main use isn't going to be techno beat kind of sounds. I don't need it to try to replicate the feel of an acoustic piano, I just want it to sound good. I don't want a bunch of useless gimmicky sounds.

The YDP535 is not a weighted hammer action keyboard. If the OP is studying piano he will need to upgrade after just a few months to a weighted hammer action keyboard. The Casio is the same price is has the weighted action. But not nearly as may other features as the 535

But we don't know yet what this guy really wants. Maybe he don't know yet? He uses contradictory descriptions: Wants to learn to play "keys" not not a "synth" ???

These three are kind of contradictory O.o

Also, from my (very) limited experience, aiming for the appropiate feel is the highest priority. Because higher quality sounds can always be obtained through the proper software, while keys are just keys and, if you don't feel right playing them, there is no way around it =).

No offence to "poor tom" because there is nothing wrong with not knowing things. But when I notice people having self contradictory requirements it tells me they don't know about about what's ailable, the kind of music they want or how to play it. That's fine but I'd strongly suggest getting all this sorted out before spending what for you is a lot of money. Go to the store and try out everything they have. Your goal is to be able to define "good sound" and "bad sound" in words. Eventually you will be able to know the difference between a Yamaha grand piano tone and Roland's piano tone They are very differnent. Same with the key action feel the Casio and lower priced Yamahas are very different but neither is "best"

OK so far we know you are not into "Techno" but What about classical piano music? Chopin or Beethoven? I'm a fan of 20th century classical music, Debussy, Barkok and so on. I'd also be very happy if I could play anything that sounded at all like Bill Evans. But I'm currently working on the first bars of Debussy's "Reverie". I'm a beginner and Reverie is a bit above my level.

I wrote the above as a kind of example. Tell people what you want to DO with the piano or keyboard. Play classical music, Norah Jones style pop, or ...? What's the goal - solo in a band?....

My guess, before hearing any reply is that you may have to move the budget up a little so as to be able to get into a Roland Juno or Yamaha DP or whatever. $500 is a kind of awkward price point because there is a lot above and a lot below but not much right there.

One idea is to just skip all this and buy a $50 keyboard off Craigslist. Use it for a few months then sell it for $25. It would be a cheap way to learn about what you like and don't like

Tom,

Welcome aboard! There are a lot of options out there and I know it can be confusing especially for a new person to the game. I'll try to help narrow down some things which will help us help you.

Are you planning to gig/haul around the piano or is it going to be pretty much for home use?

Do you have an acoustic or plan to possibly have one? Or is the digital going to be your primary/only instrument.

Do you see you see your purchase as a temp thing until you decide on something better or if the piano is for you?

You said you wanted it to sound good and not have a lot of gimmicks. There are a couple of digital pianos that come to mind in your price range but I'd like to get some feedback before offering my opinion.

I have the "old" Privia PX-110, and it cot's less than the new PX-130.
But I have to admit that the 110 sounds better than the 130(My opinion. The sound when you use the damper fades really quickly, and then it lays there in the background. I experience this as VERY unsatisfying. I like to play classical music and stuff with allot of damper pedal(Yann Tiersenn, Nobuo Uematsu, Chopin, Liszt).

But my biggest advice would be to actually go around and test different DP's at some music stores!

Hi guys! I have been doing lots of research over the past week trying to figure out what it is I am really looking for. Originally I thought that maybe a DP was best for me, but it ends up that I would prefer some kind of Arranger/Workstation. I do not need weighted keys, and think I might actually prefer synth action keys. It is mainly going to be for home use, but I would really like something that is of giggable quality in case I ever want to play out with others. I do not have or plan to own any other piano/keyboard so this will be my primary/only instrument(well besides my bass, I am a bass player who wants to play keys! =D).

Some have asked what I want to do/play with it. I want to use it for music composition/band use. The types of music I would want to play with it varies a lot: Rock, Pop, Jazz, etc. I have a large musical taste palette.

So now that I have what I want straightened out, does it exist under $500 new?

Why not pick up a used Yamaha PSR-xxx to play around on?

Sounds like you might be looking for a keyboard--ie unweighted keys. There are a lot of choices from Yamaha in the PSR line. The PSR 413 is pretty nice for the money. You could also look at the Yamaha MM6/MM8 which have some of the Motif like sounds but are really part of the PSR line. Further up the PSR line gets more expensive. Casio makes some nice boards also. The WK 500 is a newer model and then there is the WK-3800 which has been around quite a while. Keyboards are poor man synths as they have a lot of sounds on them along with accompaniment and are arranger boards. They come in 61 and 76 key. There aren't any digital pianos in this category with weighted keys at under $500. You would have to spend more unless you go the used route--ie Craig's List.

Used PSR-S700 could be had for $500