Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Should I get a digital piano?

If you want to spend more than you had planned consider the NU1 or N1 from Yamaha. You'll have an upright acoustic action in the NU1 and a grand piano action in the N1.

You did write that you're looking for a piano for serious practice ... and these would fit the bill and then some.

Now, here's another question for you all:

I went to a local Guitar Center in Fairfax, Virginia, where I was able to play the aforementioned Casios and Yamahas, but only a limited selection of those. No Kawais were to be found there.

Assuming I wanted to put my hands on a Kawai MP6 or ES7 (for example), where would I go to play one? A piano shop that carries Kawai? Some other kind of music store? Anybody in the Washington, DC area have any suggestions?

MTA - "
but because the samples are different it feels as though the actual action different"

Indeed it does make sense. The DGx always seemed to sound different from others. I find that with Pianoteq, I have to adjust the velocity curve. In fact, even with the two distinct piano samples onboard, there is a difference one to another.

Dave, some of the 'big box' retailers stock a limited selection of Kawai instruments, such as the CE220, MP6, MP10, and EP3, however they are typically online vendors rather than bricks and mortar stores.

To play test a Kawai instrument, I would indeed recommend visiting a Kawai piano dealer.
There is a dealer locator on the Kawai America website here:

http://kawaius.com/locator2012.html

I tried inputting 'Vienna, VA' and found three dealers within a 25 mile radius. However, you may also wish to drop my colleagues at Kawai America a line for more information about dealers and product availability.

Kind regards,
James
x

Dave, I visit the same GC in Fairfax -- it's just a few miles from my home.

If you do find a dealer in the DC area that has Kawai products on the floor, please let us know. I had to go to Sam Ash in NYC to try out Kawai slabs (and some other boards not carried at GC, which does have an otherwise decent selection, albeit a somewhat unique ambiance).

Thanks for the locator link, Kawai James. I'll check out either the Leesburg or the Manassas location of The Piano Company later this week or next.

ClsscLib, I'll give a Northern-Virginia-update after I've made my excursion. I'm a high-school teacher, it's summer, I have nothing to do but practice and go to baseball games. Life is good--for another couple months.

You're right about the ambience at GC, ClsscLib. The guys were quite helpful, and I was left to noodle around with several pianos. All good--until they started demonstrating a PA system in the next room with a loud hip-hop track. Then all my jazz doodlings were buried and all sound comparisons were finished.

Was now about to suggest this. If I had the cash I would go for an NU1.
Problem is it is practically just like a piano and his wife might see it as completely replacing the spinet.

Most people can't really tell the difference between the NU1 and a spinet to begin with.

Not to mention the price tag.

Maybe a slab style piano would be good for this particular situation. If the sound is unsatisfactory there is always the option of purchasing a speaker system such as the roland cm220 or a KRK setup.. Or a decent studio headphones.
Plenty options.

Thought so.

Do you by chance have the space for the yamaha NU1?

Maybe if you can show your wife and convince her that it is a digital and doesn't need any tuning, she might agree?

Is that completely out of your budget?

It is the closest thing to a replacement of a quality acoustic piano. No added tuning costs. An actual real piano action.

And although its pricier, it should be worth it. Has a soundboard and everything. The only difference is speakers generate the sound, not strings.

I only suggest it because you are accustomed to an acoustic piano. This would be the closest replacement there is.

PNOScan suggests itself.

Plus a sound generator of some sort, an amp, some speakers, etc.

Plan B; cannibalize the spinet's carcase and stuff a slab and whatever electronic in it.


In jest, of course.

Yeah, actually going for a NU1 would sort of defeat the purpose for which I'm trying to buy a digital. If I were going to bring another upright-sized instrument into the house, I'd buy an acoustic upright.

Having to tune the spinet is not the problem. I have a tuner in every six months, no sweat. And my being accustomed to this spinet is what's driving me crazy. It's not a good piano, and I'd like to have a better piano than I now have.

I'm definitely going to be looking at a slab-style DP.

You can also consider korg sp280 . Has some decent power speakers on it.

The best slab styles would be the Roland's and the kawai s.


Kawai seem to have the best reputation for action that mimics acoustic feel.

Roland has a very sweet piano sound from what others have said. And their action is liked as well.

If I had to make a choice I would order a fp80 blindly. Only read good things about them.

Provided I had the funds.
All depends on your budget.

The korg are on the much cheaper end.. Around 699.

The Roland's would cross 1500 . Maybe 2000 I think for the fp80

Kawai are similarly priced.


All the best in your search.

Yeah, actually going for a NU1 would sort of defeat the purpose for which I'm trying to buy a digital. If I were going to bring another upright-sized instrument into the house, I'd buy an acoustic upright.


Shepdave, the footprint of any keyboard will be roughly the same as a spinet or the NU1. A slab will look more open but the footprint is just about the same.

If you buy a slab you will also need to buy a piano stand ... and there are differences between them. A good rule of thumb is to avoid those X type stands.

No, the footprint is not the same.

My slab/stage piano, on its dedicated stand, leaves me lots of room on either side of my feet (and pedals) to put my two big boxes of music scores within easy reach. The NU1/N1 doesn't give me that room. Any room.

I am assuming that the advantage of a slab is that I can rather easily put it away when I'm not playing it, unlike an acoustic upright or a cabinet-style DP. It's not a permanent fixture in the room, in other words.

While that may be true, I do not believe one actually does that. If you are a piano player who likes to play every day, you are unlikely to want to set things up and tear things down each time you decide to play a little while. It is probably going to become a "permanent fixture" in the room.

No, it's not, actually. If I need to take it to play a gig, it will go into the car with me. If we have a party or house guests, it will go into the storage closet for a day or two.

By "not a permanent fixture," I do not mean it won't stay set up most of the time. I mean it won't be there permanently like an acoustic or a NU1 would be.

shepdave, I have read your post, here:


I am assuming that the advantage of a slab is that I can rather easily put it away when I'm not playing it, unlike an acoustic upright or a cabinet-style DP. It's not a permanent fixture in the room, in other words.


While that may be true, I do not believe one actually does that. If you are a piano player who likes to play every day, you are unlikely to want to set things up and tear things down each time you decide to play a little while. It is probably going to become a "permanent fixture" in the room.


No, it's not, actually. If I need to take it to play a gig, it will go into the car with me. If we have a party or house guests, it will go into the storage closet for a day or two.

By "not a permanent fixture," I do not mean it won't stay set up most of the time. I mean it won't be there permanently like an acoustic or a NU1 would be.

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I have a Yam P95, weighs 26 pounds, slab on an X stand. I do leave it up because I have a little bit of room, but I could easily move it to the deck or any of the tiny rooms in a matter of minutes.

I posted twice about my 3 legged piano and nobody replied. The question is/was, do people leave the piano open or do they close the piano and what type of a vacuum do people use to dust the inside of the piano being sure not to cause any damage in doing so, and nobody responded. In the absence of a response, I uncover the piano and open the top wide when I go to play the piano. When I have finished playing for lunch or a short while, I close the piano lid and cover the piano. Then when I go to play the piano at anytime, I uncover the piano, open the top wide, and play. So I do this several times day until at night I close the top and cover the piano for the last time until morning. It is just like putting away a violin or a guitar so it is not damaged or covered in dust. I just looked inside the piano and it is not dusty even though I have never dusted the piano inside since I bought it secondhand a year ago. I have a felt cover for the keys on the Yam P95 at all times except when I play, of course.

Some people and in some cultures, people always cover everything and remove covers to use them like furniture, computer keyboards, toasters. I also covered the slab with a plastic sheet when it was downstairs in case there was a water leak. I am think of covering the 3 legged piano with a plastic cover on top of the regular cover in case the roof leaks with the rain when I am out and away from the piano. Even though the roof have been re-roofed, it has been a few years and it could happen anytime and, of course, cause damage to the piano.

Don't they sell keyboard covers with an elastic band to protect from dust ?


In an acoustic I would imagine to leave the piano closed would be better to have less dust collection.