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Hi,

I may be travelling a lot more in future and am looking for a travelling piano - ideally something that has a sturdy matching case so it can be checked in the airline as a baggage. My main criteria is as good an action as possible while still keeping it light enough to be travelling with. I will be using headphones with laptop VSTs - so built in speakers or sounds do not matter. Let's assume for the moment that budget is not a concern.


Thanks,
Osho

StudioLogic SL88


or

Yamaha CP4

Yamaha CP4 was my first thought as well. However, it would help if you could specify the weight you consider acceptable first...

And: Do you need all 88 keys or would less be acceptable as well, for your purposes?

Thanks for the recommendations..


50 lbs or less, including the piano and the case, as that is the limit of the airline check-ins. If it is actually close to 50 lbs, hopefully it has wheels like luggage suitcases.

I don't need 88 keys - 73 or 76 would be fine. 61 might be too limiting though, I think.

Osho

have looked at the options for a traveling keyboard myself. the better hard cases take the weight over 50 lbs. on all the keyboards with fully weighted (or approximations) keys, and for most 88 note keyboards with any type of action. don't be surprised, if you choose not to compromise on the action, and want at least 72-73 keys, that you have to accept the overweight charges for a 55-65 lb. case + piano. the better hard shell cases all have wheels, but at my age this is pushing 'portability'. since my purpose for a traveling board excludes performing for others, have pretty much resigned myself to getting a sophisticated 'toy' keyboard (not fully weighted keys, light weight, 61 keys which is sufficient for Bach). the hard cases cost about the same as the better examples of this type, which for me is another consideration against getting a more expensive keyboard with better action. for a performing pianist in their physical prime the calculus would obviously come out much differently.

The Roland RD-64 is still your best bet for a travel piano with a weighted-hammer action.

1. It is well within the weight & length restrictions of most airline check-in luggage.
2. Plano Molding makes an inexpensive hard case for rifles that will fit the RD-64. Sells for around US$130 on Amazon (here's the link).

Roland Go Piano
I went with the smaller Roland Go Piano because my monthly business trips only last 2-3 days. The key action is a compromise, but it's usable with Pianoteq. I use it with the keyboard action set to "heavy" and custom velocity curves in Pianoteq. Here's a photo of my Go Piano inside a hard travel case. (a smaller version of the rifle case above).

Two years or so ago I got a Fatar Studiologic VMK 161, used. They are not made anymore, but they show up used every now and then. I use it with an iPad and thats just great.

It is 15kg alone, which is already no fun in a soft bag, and a flight case with wheels is a must. I got one with it without wheels and in metal and it is itself about 5kg or more and absolutely no fun to handle. Not at all.

Vacations with a piano are really much better :-) so I really, really recommend getting a travel piano. However, you need to put special focus on size and weight. So I would recommend to limit yourself to about 61 keys and get a really lightweight case with good wheels and handle. Something you can transport on your own for at least 500m without issue.

Looking at the market right now, not counting older models as used (which I recommend to check), the Rolands mentioned above look like the best options to me.

How come no one has recommended the Kawai VPC yet? So many people swear by them. Seems to be exactly what you're looking for.

Groove, that is an elegant solution. have tried out the 'go-piano', the action is far from a real piano, and for me it's in the 'sophisticated toy' category that will probably be my destination. waiting for the new casio CT-X series of portables to get released before deciding. as a comparison, the roland RD 64 has fully weighted keys, feels much like a normal digital piano with a real piano feel to the action, and its weight is close to thirty pounds with no amp or speakers. we have direct testimony from Hendrik that something in that weight range is 'no fun to handle' with the case added into the load.

"Good action" and lightweight are mutually exclusive. Not sure I'd consider Roland's RD64 a "good action".
My choice in the end for traveling was to give up on "good action", and to go to 73 keys (in my case a Nord) - which I find significantly better than 61 or 64 keys for what I am doing.

To play a lightweight action is a challenge. But in the end you may even profit from practicing on such an action once in a while.

PS. The Kawai VPC1 is great, but I'd not want to travel with it on my own

For pianist who wants to drag their piano, Yamaha CP4 all the way.

How about StudioLogic SL73? Here is a link. It probably has the same action as StudioLogic SL88? How is that action?

Thanks,
Osho

There is a difference between SL88 grand (21kg) and SL88/73 studio (13.7/11.5 kg) Studio has very light action, almost as semi weight.

I noticed that the price tag on the SL73 is the same as the SL88 studio. Most manufacturers set a price from low to high respective to key configuration: 61 lowest priced, followed by 73, and the most expensive 88 key.

Thanks for the picture and the image. I might go with the route of RD-64 + the Plano case - sounds like a really good solution. Is the Plano case lockable for flight check-in?

What does your experience say about checking something like the 52" case in with the airlines? The RD-64 is 28lbs and the case is 20lbs - so it gets just at 48lbs (under 50lbs limit).

Thanks,
Osho

- In addition to 5 sturdy latches, the rifle cases have padlock holes. I bought TSA rated padlocks to avoid issues with security.

- there is a rubber all-weather seal to protect from water

- the large Plano rifle case has rolling wheels

- standard economy luggage weight limits are 50 lbs / 23 kg

- the large Plano rifle case exceeds standard economy luggage dimension limits - 62 linear inches / 158 linear cm (calculated as L+W+H). You may be able to check it in free as a specialty/sports case. Otherwise, pay extra luggage fees or fly business class to increase the size limitation. * this another reason I went with the smaller Go Piano

Hmmm...a lot of sites (sweetwater, kraftmusic, musiciansfriend, etc...) now showing the RD64 as no longer available. Has it been discontinued?

There was a post here recently about a piano that has 3 parts and folds as a suitcase/luggage. Does anyone have a pointer/info on that piano?

Thanks,
Osho

Hi, Osho!

www.adelehmusic.com.

And if you know a little bit of French, there is a topic here :

https://www.pianomajeur.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18785

But we are not in the same range of price!

Ps: I m in the same search as you, but from what I found is none of the “ stage” pianos( with weighted keys) + cases fits under 158 cm ( length+ height+ width) .
Only something of a size of a gopiano( which is spring loaded...) fits...

It’s a pity that no company has decided to build that kind of piano...

Of course this NY guy chops pianos to your specs for travel. Yamaha Pxxx or Casio Privia for about $1500:

http://www.minetticustomkeyboards.com/

http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2634544/1.html

I suppose you could attempt something similar but this obviously requires some skill, particularly to keep action consistent without original frame.