Key Board for mom, please help!

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So, my mom is 85 years old now and living with me. After my dad passed away she sold most of her belongings including her upright which she used like to play.
I don't have the cash for another piano but was thinking that I could at least get her something to keep her fingers and her mind sharp.
I'm looking for something that would give her the experience of playing a piano without breaking the bank. I'm thinking like $500 or $700 but definitely under a $1,000.-
Is there something like that even available? I'm not a musician so I have no idea about these things.
 
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This model from Casio sounds as if it would be ideal for your mom and is just within your budget. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PX770BK--casio-privia-px-770-black-finish. Check out the reviews and if you decide on this one, remember to add a bench. There are other makes and models that might meet your requirements so do a bit of online research before purchasing. Sweetwater are a very reputable company and should be able to guide you.

Alternatively, you could get a cheaper keyboard but then would need a stand and optional sustain pedal. This would be more or less essential for a true piainist but these pedals tend to 'wander' as they are being used, so your mom would find this frustrating.

Also, check your local Craigslist postings as people sometimes list free or very cheap pianos.
 
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Do you have a Music Instrument Store near where you live?

If you do why not take your Mum there for her to try a few different ones.

Keybed feel is an important factor and only trying different brands will she know which feels best for her.

I would suggest a Yamaha P225, plus stand, bench and a three pedal unit with an price for all three would be about $960.

If the store has any Kawai models she would probably like to try them as well.
 
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I think Gourokians idea of checking out Craigslist is excellent.
Unfortunately a lot of people who buy pianos and keyboards to learn on. sooner or later find out that they either don't have the time, aptitude, ability or even commitment to actually learn to play.
It's sad really, but at this time of year there are always Lots of such bargain instruments about, and even free.
Well worth checking out what's available.
Lots of advice here so ask away.
 

Rayblewit

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Unfortunately a lot of people who buy pianos and keyboards to learn on. sooner or later find out that they either don't have the time, aptitude, ability or even commitment to actually learn to play.
This statement is irrelevant to the OP's request.
Mum is 85 and had and sold an upright which she loved playing.
Biggles suggestion is the most suitable.
 
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This statement is irrelevant to the OP's request.
Mum is 85 and had and sold an upright which she loved playing.
Possibly irrelevant but keep in mind she sold it before moving to her son's house, possibly before even knowing she was moving there. Her circumstances have obviously changed but it may be that another used, cheap or free piano could be accomodated. Without knowing the situation, none of us can say which is the best option, only make suggestions to help the OP decide.

My suggestion of the Casio PX-770 was based on the fact that it is an all-in-one unit, only requiring the addition of a bench.
 
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Not sure if this is out of your budget, but a used PX-560 would be amazing. One of the best keyboard that Casio ever made. And if your mom doesn't make use of it, it will have good resale value. My $.02.
 
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There is also the Casio CDP360 @ $600 for a new unit plus pedal(s), bench and stand.

Again it is the feel of pressing the keys that is the weight it takes to press the key, the rebound of the key, the expression a player can put into the keyboard is the most important factor.

There is a vast difference in the feel of a keyboard’s keybed and only by hands on can one be sure if a particular keyboard is the one for you.

Buying a second hand sight unseen unit is not the way to go.
 

happyrat1

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Numa Compact 2x or Numa X Piano.

The compact has a semi weighted non hammer Fatar Action which is a relief for tired old arthritic fingers and you can download and install a kickass German Grand from the bonus pack.



 
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In hammer action boards, I think all the suggestions here are overkill, going to the higher end of OP's budget unnecessarily. Since no sounds are required other than piano, with budget a priority, I'd look at Yamaha P-45, Roland FP-10, and Korg B2, all under $500. which I think are will sound and feel sufficient for these purposes. The Korg starting price is a bit higher than the others, but if you want an aesthetically nice stand, a pedal that is more like a real piano pedal (instead of a small square footswitch) and bench, the three will all end up in the 6-something range, I believe. The Korg has the nicer pedal out of the box, but also, gets you an optional triple pedal, if she might want that... the B2SP is the B2 bundled with the stand and triple pedal, and it's probably the cheapest model with that functionality.

Personally, I'd probably lean toward the Korg. I have the step-up XE20, and the action is particularly quiet, which might be beneficial here, for not wanting to bother others in the house when playing with headphones, and while sound is always somewhat subjective, I think it also might beat the others in sound. I happen to like Korg's Italian Grand sound quite a bit, and while the B2's speaker/amp system is a step below the XE20, it probably still beats those others, it certainly does on paper. At any rate, I'm not sure I see any reason to go beyond these in price unless something about these are unsatisfactory.

Happyrat's idea of going to a semi-weighted may also be worth considering... it will feel less like a real piano, but will be easier on her fingers, if that might be turning into an issue at her age. But while the Numa Compact 2X--or the lower priced non-X version, which lacks some of the organ, synth, and MIDI functionality you presumably don't care about anyway--would give you a lot of features and capabilities for the money, keeping in mind that the only function here that matters is piano, I think the less expensive Korg Liano sounds and feels much better. Some of that is that the speakers are noticeably better, some is that control of dynamics is better (perhaps related to the fact that the keys don't push back against your fingers so much, and they feel more even in resistance between the front and rear of the keys). I do like the Numa series for all they offer, but strictly as a piano replacement, I think you'd be paying more for less.

Still, even if finger strength is becoming an issue at her age, I wouldn't rule out the more piano-feeling hammer actions I mentioned above, though it might be another reason to lean toward the B2 which I think is the lightest/softest feeling of the three (with the Roland probably being the heaviest feeling).
 
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If it doesn't have to be portable, I'd bet you could find a used Yamaha Clavinova or something similar. It "looks" more like an acoustic piano than a typical slab and they're probably not in as high of demand as some of the much more portable ones. I'd bet Facebook Marketplace might have some. (I know there are several of those in my area that are well within your price range. You probably want something that's not too far from you such that you could go and look, maybe play a little to make sure it still works like it should.)

Good luck!
 
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So, my mom is 85 years old now and living with me. After my dad passed away she sold most of her belongings including her upright which she used like to play.
I don't have the cash for another piano but was thinking that I could at least get her something to keep her fingers and her mind sharp.
I'm looking for something that would give her the experience of playing a piano without breaking the bank. I'm thinking like $500 or $700 but definitely under a $1,000.-
Is there something like that even available? I'm not a musician so I have no idea about these things.

A simple THANK YOU would be appropriate.
 

Rayblewit

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He joined 4 days ago and has checked in since.
He has taken away the info you good people have offered him to his selfish gain.
A little gratitude costs nothing.
Nothing to say? RobWood?
 
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He might not have acted on it yet; so he might not follow up until he actually purchases something.

But since space is clearly an issue, I agree with Biggles: A P225 (portable x stand or the Wooden stand, stand is currently half price until year end (set by Yamaha)! Would be the best option; but also worth checking out Casio PXS1100 (lighter, can run on batteries, light enough to leave on a coffee table or even your lap) or as Bouncing suggested, something used on Craigslist, but as Biggles pointed out: *never* buy used sight unseen. Bring a pianist friend along /bring your mum along trying anything 2nd hand; something to watch out for is *all* brands of digital pianos (except for hybrids) will suffer damaged key sensors if the original owner played the keys as hard as a real piano (they're not designed to withstand the same key press strength, except hybrids) and repair will likely cost more than the 2nd hand unit, unless you're adept with opening stuff up yourself and swapping out the rubber contacts.

Even buying new, find out what the local warranty is like; for example, the closest Kawai repair centre is about 2000 miles away, making repairs incredibly expensive here (as local Kawai customers have been finding out the hard way). Kurzweil, Donner, Medeli, Ketron don't even have a repair centre in Canada. etc.

Gary: Numa Compact2x is a good choice (built in speakers too!) but pricier than the other options.

Sorry, I'm not really a fan of the PX770 (we sold these, compleletely non dynamic. Same as the CDPs360, which we still sell. I never recommend those except as midi controllers due to the 1 sample dynamic layer).

Roland FP10 is also in the mix, but it has slow keys, no line out, and is considerably thicker than the P225 or PXS1100... meaning it doesn't sit well on an X stand or a table; you are kind of forced to buy the matching wooden stand. And while I do recommend it for beginners and jazz players, it can actually cause tendon issues for advanced players due to its slow keys (which one of my customers, a die hard roland fanatic, found out the hard way)


Mark
 
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So, my mom is 85 years old now and living with me. After my dad passed away she sold most of her belongings including her upright which she used like to play.
I don't have the cash for another piano but was thinking that I could at least get her something to keep her fingers and her mind sharp.
I'm looking for something that would give her the experience of playing a piano without breaking the bank. I'm thinking like $500 or $700 but definitely under a $1,000.-
Is there something like that even available? I'm not a musician so I have no idea about these things.
I stopped into a small music shop in kentucky on a trip and they had a Donner DDP-300 Digital Piano. I was impressed. It is in your price range.
 
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So, my mom is 85 years old now and living with me. After my dad passed away she sold most of her belongings including her upright which she used like to play.
I don't have the cash for another piano but was thinking that I could at least get her something to keep her fingers and her mind sharp.
I'm looking for something that would give her the experience of playing a piano without breaking the bank. I'm thinking like $500 or $700 but definitely under a $1,000.-
Is there something like that even available? I'm not a musician so I have no idea about these things.
I stopped into a small music store in Kentucky on a trip and they had a Donner DDP300 Digital piano. I was mildly impressed. It would be a good one, and in your price range.

 

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