Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards ROLAND GO:PIANO 88

Ha ha ... yes, I was thinking the same thing. An 88 key keyboard on the lap looks ridiculous. I get that from the sales/marketing perspective that there is probably a market for a light 88 key keyboard and thus a good reason for including the shots of the Go 88 on people's laps - I have no doubt they'll sell a lot.

But for me the appeal of the "Go Piano" is about having a "Travel Piano" - one you can easily take with you wherever you Go .... There are already a lot of 'portable" 73/88 key stage/slab pianos, but it's not the same as having a "Travel Piano" - which to me is 61 weighted keys in a compact form factor. The Go 61 is almost there, minus the weighted keys.

I spent New Year's on Boracay island (Philippines). With my Go 61 "Travel Piano" along I even got to jam with the NYE Latin band! (using the Go 61 + Pianoteq). The next morning, found a nice spot to practice.

Wow, lovely!

Coincidentally, my wife and I stayed on Camotes island over the new year! I would like to visit Boracay next, as I hear it's far quieter and cleaner (no partying etc.) following the 6 month closure.

Where are you based, by the way?

Cheers,
James
x

I'm based in California / SF Bay Area, but with lots of travel to Asia.

Boracay island is much cleaner and quieter. The beach is now reserved for people, no more loud parties, smoking or annoying vendors past the property lines. The shutdown and new rules killed all the noisy "boom boom" music during the day. The only sounds I heard on the beach was the waves and the hum of some electrical generators.

I brought the GO 61 to the beach during sunsets and that was a treat to play. The size is just right for that type of thing. One bonus, I got several invites to jam with some locals, once they saw the keyboard - lot of guitarists, drummers etc. on the island but keyboardists are rare - which was great!

Bringing the GO 61 on the trip was a non-event. The check-in clerks did not bat an eye; they just asked about the contents and slapped on a Fragile sticker. Paid an extra US$30 to bring it on the domestic island flight. A big relief - the GO 61 fits neatly inside almost any taxi or tricycle (local transport), I'd even feel confident with it while sitting on the back of a motorcycle.

If I had the GO 88 I'd would think twice about bringing it on an international trip like that. I'd worry about the size of the taxi or having to put it on top of local transport, which sounds like a hassle. So while the GO 88 "Play Anywhere" slogan is warranted, I'm not sure it's the same as "Travel Anywhere" which is better suited to the GO 61.

Thanks for the additional info!

Yes, Boracay sounds terrific! I gather that the Philippine authorities are planning similar "clean-up" operations on other islands/resorts too.

The GO61 is ideal for travelling, and it would indeed be cool to jam with local bands while on holiday! I might have to consider getting one!

Cheers,
James
x

Isn't this thing more portable?

I'd never heard of a CDP-S100, I guess it's not available in the U.S. - But looking it up, it's 23.1 lbs.

But the Numa Compact 2 is 15.6 lbs. Lots of nice features. It won't run on batteries, though.

I think this looks really promising at 15.5 pounds. It says it has 10w x2 speakers. That should be pretty loud considering the FP30 which I have is 11W x2
I wonder how this will sound as a stand alone instrument for small venues?

I can bet the go88 action is the same as the go61 action, which is sort of weirdish synth action made in a very light box. It works but I have an issue with some uneven velocity - some keys simply don't respond the same way as other keys... anyway, still it is awesome for travel.
However I think maybe the Piagerro from Yamaha may have a tiny bit more playable action - I used to have that as well but it is little bigger than the GO so I kept the GO.