Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Just bought a CLP 645 polished ebony for 240€

In my MP11se thread, this is why I have not discounted the P515 as a choice. What was a revelation to me was playing a Yamaha concert grand acoustic. The action at first felt awkward and stiff I think describes it but after about only 10 minutes or so I realised I had better dynamic control. Simply going on an action that feels good is not the right approach. What action once you start to get used to it gives you more dynamic control and that you can regulate is what you should get. I quite like the feel of my Casio action except near the fallboard because the pivot point is too short, but I struggle with getting dynamics right. It is too light with little resistance to creating high velocities.

So what feels nice is not necessarily helpful for you producing the results you want. So when I finally do take a day off work and spend it in a showroom trying everything I am going to have this in mind.

Is there any ne more.left?

Well I have one up for sale but not quite at 240€ :-)

To my hands the NWX action is harder to control because of what feels like an unnatural stiffness in the initial movement of the keys - it throws me off when trying to play very lightly. The K300 acoustic I had did not have anything like this - the action was perfectly smooth if not as easily controllable as the ES-8. I have no experience with grand pianos - my acoustic experience is limited to the K300.
The VPC-1 I had briefly had a wonderful action as well with no weird initial stiffness and a nice loose feel to it - sadly the surrounding tech proved too much of distraction for me.

The pretty old AHA-IV-F plastic action of my Kawai digital is not bad at all, features a great pivot length and is super easy and smooth to play. But every time I got to test my abilities on an acoustic upright, I got thrown off by the tactile "noise" from the mechanical piano action.

This changed after I successfully struggled through the "heavy" P-515 NWX action instead of returning on the first day - my playing took a quite a hit at first, but I decided to keep it for the great CFX sound.

Since then standard upright actions became a no-brainer for me. When I sat down at that semi-concert grand I struggled about three minutes with the really pronounced double-escapement, before I managed to ignore it and focus on my actual playing. Regarding dynamics I was surprised how well my voicing worked, getting it exactly where I wanted it to be on the first try. It wasn't too long ago, when I still got random way too loud or too silent notes out of an unfamiliar instrument. This doesn't happen anymore.

It is harder to control, no doubt about that. But it turned out being very beneficial for my technique.

Well, after seeing all these "home is where the heart is" signs in people's houses, im not sure if it's really fair to give your p515 all the credit.


I guess some digital actions feel better, and others are harder to play, and whether that's a good or a bad thing depends on the person and his/her goals. It's nice to have an action that's easy to play, personally i would prefer an action that trains me as well as possible to play an acoustic piano, so i won't go for the "easiest" action. I do read good things here about the folded Yamaha actions in this regard, but still i think my cp33 action feels absolutely nothing like my u3 action. Then again, it is an older GH action without escapement, but aside from the escapement i don't believe Yamaha changed that action too much in the newer digitals.

I don't want an action that matches some mythical acoustic action. I want an action that allows me to learn to be in control. I'm still a long way from experienced and a lot of my regulation issues are due to my inexperience.

I'm coming to the conclusion though that my Casio is holding me back when it comes to playing with control. The experience with the concert grand where it almost felt like the piano was just producing the results I wanted, I could stop thinking about what my fingers were doing, instead focus on the music but that was only after my initial reaction to I don't like how this feels.

In my search for an action it is that which is what I want. Not an action that just initially feels nice.

I didn't have anything else to practice on. And I knew how much I struggled with the "real thing" in the past.


One of my goals is playing classical piano music on suitable instruments. Others get an MP7/11 and go gigging with their band.

Ah - my plan is coming to fruition. The 645 is being picked up Saturday and a lovely (old) Yamaha U1 is being delivered in 2 weeks :-)

Nice! What year was it made? Right now, I’m waiting on the delivery of a U1 that I was told was made in 1975. It has been refurbished. I’m just renting it for a year to see if I like having an acoustic piano with the silent feature.

"Mine" is from 1973.

How did you come to decide on this U1? My teacher picked this one out at the rental place from a few other silent pianos.

It came up used at a good price and I really liked it when I went and tried it and that was it.

What did you end up selling the 645 for?

Just enough that it’s paying for the U1 and a tuning

U1 just arrived - it is wonderful - just a completely different experience compared to the digitals I've played.
Still have the ES8 for silent practice but will probably give it up when the lease expires.
Pics of the new (quite old - but new to me) U1: https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthre...-acoustic-piano-is-here.html#Post2880130

what? why? and how?

I mean if i see a DP listed at that price i would belive its a mistake, you were still lucky nobody else noticed it before and snatch it from your hands. Did the seller knew the real price or he was just clueless?. Im amazed the owner of an instrument doesnt now its value, unless it was gifted or something.

Still, lucky you, i had luck too but not as much as your case, with a CN37 with retail price of ~$2860, and bought with less than a year of use at ~$1570, ended up having some issues and was sent to repair at one point, but still was a good price, so i sold it for $150 extra, so you can think of it, as i rented it for 4 months for -$100 wich is still a profit.

Oh he knew - he just didn’t care - or he had something to prove to someone.
It has gone on to someone who will appreciate it and I finally have what I’ve wanted ever since sending back my rented Kawai acoustic.

Guy arguing with GF for some time:
GF: sell that piano and you are going to give me the money, is that clear?
Guy: yeah yeah, sure, i will arrange that.
.....
Guy: here are your earnings, 200€
GF: what?