Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards What to buy as a first timer?

So if someone would sell me a Kawai ES8 with 3 pedals, bench and stool for £650 then I should jump at the chance?

The ES8 is out of production, but it's a good step above the PX-160/PX-360 and similar "entry-level" DP's. If it all works, that sounds like a fair price. Even better if it comes with a stand, and triple-pedal setup.

With the lack of availability of new portable pianos, yes. If the used ES8 I linked you to is in good working order, that's a reasonable price. Gets you going on a great piano for half price on a new portable piano, meaning you have £650 to spend on piano lessons.

If money is no option and you can get an ES920, that's another matter. The ES920 is slightly nicer in terms of piano sound clarity due to improved drivers and amplifier. I prefer the metal case of the ES8, stylistically. Although the ES920 is lighter should regular gigging be a requirement.

But from what you've written already, I would jump at that, should the instrument test go without issue.

I have arranged to buy the Kawai ES8 for £650 with stand, three pedals and stool. Bearing in mind I am not a piano expert, what should I be testing out or looking out for? Any help is appreciated.

Test the keys individually. Check that they all move freely and trigger properly on a soft and hard touch. It'll take a bit of time, but if the seller isn't lying to you he'll have the patience for it.

Check that the pedals work and that the speakers don't start fritzing out or making other unexpected noises when you play loudly.

If it does all that, boots up fine and doesn't wobble when nudged, it's probably okay.

Check the headphone sockets work. If you plan to use a VST check midi works (take iPhone, iPad with you and cable) unless seller can demo using a VST.

Technology is improving as time goes on. Besides age, a keyboard that is played everyday is going to wear down faster.

It’s best to find keyboards with 88 weighted keys. I had a few second-hand keyboards before. They lasted between 3-5 years. Some models are no longer in the market made by Roland or Yamaha but are very playable. You might even look at used stage pianos. They’re higher quality keyboards for stage performances.

Besides buying second-hand, you can ask the store to sell you a display model for less. Try to get the stand, 3-pedal unit & bench thrown in. At least you get an almost new instrument.

The 2 important things are the touch of the keys and a good piano sound. An older keyboard you are less likely going to get a natural piano sound. The touch is quit subjective. Some like heavier keys while people like myself prefer a lighter touch. Need to play a few pieces on different brands & models before deciding.

There are an abundance of good pianos. New and used. Enjoy the process. You may find, after testing #327, so many may feel and sound the same. Buy the one you like.

But, above all else, Have fun ...

Good Luck ...

How long they last will depend upon the quality of the build in the first place; the age of the used instrument; the feistiness of the player you're buying it from; and, how frequently they've played the instrument.

I brought my MP7SE from a retired gentleman who also had a Yamaha PSR keyboard which he preferred anyway. The gentleman in question said the instrument was 11 months old (he had the paper work) and admitted to having hardly played his MP7SE, finding the piano action 'a bit too heavy' for him. He wanted to sell his MP7SE to fund the purchase of a Yamaha Genos. That made sense to me. It chimed with the physical sensation of playing the instrument, as the action still felt kind of stiff---like new instruments often do. The keys all felt even around each other e.g., for a particular octave, there were no notes which felt soft or different like they'd been more heavily used.

I always ask questions to ascertain the circumstances behind the sale etc. My first used purchase was from a university student. He purchased the piano for a project and the project was over (so he'd had it for 6 months). He wanted to buy a synth for his next project and needed to liquidate the MP7 to afford it.

These are the kind of things you want to hear when buying a used instrument, just like you want to hear that a used car you're thinking of purchasing has been mostly kept in the garage and only taken out once or twice a week to the shops by a gentle natured 80 year old. Of course, what's said has to fit the facts coming out of the test drive.