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Hi. We have at home (here in Buenos Aires) an acoustic piano (vertical) and we want an alternative digital piano.
Who use the piano is my son (15 years old). He study classical music and a digital piano will be useful to study without disturbing the neighbors (we live in an apartment). And he might be found the digital piano also useful to play with some friends.
Well after this introduction let me tell you what are, for now, the possibilities (in order, price low to high)
- Yamaha P-45 - Yamaha P-115 - Roland P-50
Which one do you choose and why?
Note: The Roland here cost twice than the P-45 and the P-115 is in the middle
I would suggest that you also look into Kawai as an option. The ES8 costs about as much as the Roland FP50 and it's a great option for playing classical music. They also have less expensive models, like the CL26 and CL36 which are quite decent for studying as well, and are priced similar to the Yamaha P115.
I don't know where you are exactly, but the main distributor for Kawai in Argentina is Pianos Breyer, in Rodriguez Peña and Corrientes. The blond guy there is pretty pushy, but you might get a good deal including the piano stand, bench and gig bag.
Have you given thought of buying a hybrid piano thus negating the need for a second piano?
Yamaha has four pianos, three hybrid grands (N1, N2, N3), and a hybrid upright, NU1.
With these hybrids you have a slightly modified acoustic grand \ upright piano action with all the benefits of a digital - headphones, volume control, always in tune.
Dave, these are not available in Argentina as far as I know. Even if they were, an N3 would cost more than a brand new BMW. A Yamaha U1 with silent system costs over 15,000 US dollars.
Dave, these are not available in Argentina as far as I know. Even if they were, an N3 would cost more than a brand new BMW. A Yamaha U1 with silent system costs over 15,000 US dollars.
I was thinking more along the lines of the NU1, essentially replacing his upright (which he would sell privately or trade in) or going for the N1; he'd then have a grand piano action in a digital package.
I only mentioned this because I'm sure there are many who are still not aware of hybrid pianos.
It's true, especially in countries where top of the line does not sell that well. Maybe things have changed, but I recall wanting to go that way myself a few months ago, and not being able to get an AvantGrand even on special order from Yamaha themselves. You can't even get a CP4 over here without waiting a couple of months for it.
No llegó el Roland FP-30 a Argentina aun? Aqui salio hace unos meses, yo tengo uno y es en mi opiñon mucho mejor que los yamaha, y similar de precio. (Y cuesta la mitad que el FP-50)
Hay algunos Threads, sobre este piano, fijate.
Saludos!!
Pablo
Pablo Woiz Yamaha G2, Roland Fp-30 //before: Technics p-30, Casio Privia px-100, Yamaha MX-49, M.Audio Axiom-61, Yamaha CP-80, Roland f-20, Upright Zimmermann. www.pablowoiz.com
The idea is not to replace the upright but to have a portable (and good) digital piano in case that he wants to play in a friend's home or something like that.
Los verticales Breyer son lindos. Los hace Pearl River. Bien mantenidos logran un lindo sonido y, al ser de menos de 100 años como la mayorÃa de los pianos en los hogares argentinos, la mecánica es buena. Le va a servir para estudiar muchos años.
Demian P., if you are seeking a portable instrument to support your son's piano practise, the Yamaha P115, Kawai ES100, Roland FP-30, and Casio PX-160 are all worth considering.
However...
Originally Posted by Demian P.
He's becoming a teenager and maybe started to rock and roll a little
If the purpose of the instrument is for your son to play rock, pop, funk, etc. with his friends in a band context, perhaps a more performance-oriented board (with less of an emphasis on acoustic piano realism and less than 88-keys) would be more suitable. A second hand Nord Electro would be worth considering (depending on the kind of music he intends to play), along with maybe the Roland Juno DS-61?
