What should i look for? Gift for my wife.

[tburkhart]

My wife loves playing piano, so since we cant really get her piano into our small Chicago studio apartment I wanted to buy her something in the next month or 2.

The Important Factors:

She is a pianist so I assume things like weighted keys, having at least a sustain pedal (im not a pianist so bare with me if i get details wrong lol), and having a full set of keys (its 88 right?) are important.

My budget is a little flexible, but I want to spend hundreds not thousands. When throwing ideas out multiple price points would be greatly appreciated. I would love to be under 500, and i am more than willing to buy off craigslist.

output... I can always have her play through a guitar amp for now, she just wants to be able to play now. but i know an amp or something will factor in at least eventually. That being said, I would like her to be able to bring it to an open mike or something with me.

So what should i look for? Brand and model suggestions are welcome, I will be looking on craigslist, so a list of what to look for is optimal as well. Thanks everyone!!!

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, a standard acoustic piano has 88 keys.

While I can't give you any advice based on personal experience with digital pianos, following are some web sites I found by searching for "digital pianos reviews."

In addition to some of the considerations mentioned in the reviews (type of keys, number of keys, price, etc.), if you'd like your wife to be able to take it to an open mike with you, you'll also want to consider portability-- e.g., the weight of the keyboard and the size/shape/weight of the stand. Some digital pianos have stands that look like they're meant to be set up in one spot in your home and left there, versus being taken on the road. So unless you've got a crew of roadies, you'll probably want a model that doesn't have an ungainly stand. (While most keyboards can be placed on a wide variety of stands, some digital pianos look like their pedals are integrated into their stand.)

Of course, you don't need to limit yourself to digital pianos, since many digital keyboards have good acoustic piano sounds. But a digital piano is usually designed to have a more piano-like feel as far as the key action, as well as typically having 88 keys, and the piano sounds are presumably better; whereas a digital keyboard typically has more synth-like key action, fewer keys (76 or 61), and the piano sounds might not be as satisfactory.

http://www.digitalpianoreviews101.com/
http://www.digitalpianoexpert.com/
http://bestdigitalpianoguides.com/
http://www.bestconsumerreviews.com/digital-piano-reviews/
http://azpianonews.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-20122013-digital-pianos-under.html
http://digitallypiano.com/
http://10topratedreviews.com/best-digital-piano-reviews/
http://www.ragtimedigital.com/

 

[happyrat1]

If you're open to Craigslist for used gear then your $500 is a very doable price range for a used professional stage piano like a Korg SP series

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=korg sp&clk_rvr_id=708263506979&mfe=search

Or a used Roland RD series

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=roland rd&clk_rvr_id=708260647887&mfe=search

Or even a used Casio Privia series home or stage piano.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=casio privia&clk_rvr_id=708258365609&mfe=search

Bear in mind that with a lot of professional stage instruments there are no onboard speakers so be prepared to drop another $100 or so on a used keyboard amp for it.

A few tips on buying used.

1) Try and find an instrument that sat peacefully in a studio for years instead of one that's been gigged and tossed around like a football.

2) As a personal rule with used keyboards I usually won't even consider anything older than 5 to 6 years old.

3) Rather than buy a pig in a poke on ebay I prefer to shop on craigslist locally and handle the merchandise before I buy. Make certain all buttons, knobs, switches and keys are 100% functional before you buy and check the cosmetic condition for dings and dents and scratches. If it's been abused just walk away from the deal and look for a better one.

Once you have an eye on a particular model number google the forums and youtube reviews to get an idea of how well it was received and what it should sound like.

A pretty good website for finding the going price for used gear is this one.

http://www.prepal.com/

They don't always list every make and model but they're generally a good indicator of what you can expect to pay.

Happy hunting and I hope your wife enjoys her gift

Gary

EDIT >>> BTW, I just reread your post about using a guitar amp. Guitar amps are no good for keys. Either get a proper keyboard amp or in a pinch a Bass amp will do. Ideal setup is a couple of studio monitors with a subwoofer but that will blow away your budget.

On the other hand, if you own a decent stereo you are also ok just buying the right cable and hooking it up to your auxilary inputs. Audiophile home stereos are fully capable of reproducing the dynamic range and frequency response a keyboard is capable of and the line input levels are fully compatible.

This is the cable you'd need.

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-Cable-CPR203-Dual-Inch/dp/B000068O18

Or with the proper adapters you could even hook it up to a decent set of 2.1 computer speakers. Again signal levels and dynamic range are all in spec.

DON'T use a guitar amp though. You'll likely blow the input and it will sound like crap,.

 

[Wes]

If I were buying a stage piano with little concern for budget right now, I would probably choose the Yamaha CP4. Maybe the CP5. I have played the CP5 and love it. But that's way out of your budget.

So let's talk about realistic targets: Yamaha P105 is exactly what you want IMO. You get everything you need in the box, and you should be able to get close to your budget target new (check Guitar Center etc). For christmas you can buy her a nice bench and the three-pedal accessory. And it will look nice in your studio apartment, not a "stage rig" perched on an X-stand with cables all over the place. (Of course, it can do stage duty also if the need arises).

You could also consider the P-35 but I don't like it as much as the P105 and the price difference is small. The P35 has the advantage of real MIDI ports. The P105 uses USB MIDI.

Used consider - DGX 620/630/640/650, P95, P155, etc. Be aware that keyboards wear out...

FWIW I really like Yamaha pianos. I think they are both a great value and sound fantastic.

Wes

 

[TommyP]

I've done some research on this for a friend and I think you can find even a new digital piano for under $500 easily.
The best one I've found for under 500 is the Alesis Coda Pro. Even if your wife is not a beginner, this one will be very good for her. There's some more pianos in my blog post and more information on them.

Hope this helps you!

 

[Fred Coulter]

Don't connect the digital piano to a guitar amp. Guitar amps are designed to make guitars sound better, not to produce a nice flat wide frequency range sound.

Many digital pianos include built in speakers, which avoids the whole separate amp issue in the first place. Or get a keyboard amp; one with a wide frequency range. (The bottom of a piano is 27.5 Hz, an octave an a half below the bottom of a guitar, and a fifth below the bottom of a bass.)

If she's not planning on playing out, then weight shouldn't be a concern. If she is playing out, then you've got to balance the weight with other issues.

I'm very happy with my DGX-650, which is probably a bit above $500. The DGX-640 would also be a serious consideration, and probably cheaper. (Both have been discontinued, so the used market is where you'd find them unless a dealer is trying to get rid of their last one.) Both of them have solid stands and support Yamaha's three pedal set. If she's not playing out, I would look here. If she is planning on playing out, they're probably way too heavy. (And the stand is bulky, so one more reason to not transport it more than necessary.)

 

[Keyboardie]

Don't connect the digital piano to a guitar amp. Guitar amps are designed to make guitars sound better, not to produce a nice flat wide frequency range sound.

Many digital pianos include built in speakers, which avoids the whole separate amp issue in the first place. Or get a keyboard amp; one with a wide frequency range. (The bottom of a piano is 27.5 Hz, an octave an a half below the bottom of a guitar, and a fifth below the bottom of a bass.)

If she's not planning on playing out, then weight shouldn't be a concern. If she is playing out, then you've got to balance the weight with other issues.

I'm very happy with my DGX-650, which is probably a bit above $500. The DGX-640 would also be a serious consideration, and probably cheaper. (Both have been discontinued, so the used market is where you'd find them unless a dealer is trying to get rid of their last one.) Both of them have solid stands and support Yamaha's three pedal set. If she's not playing out, I would look here. If she is planning on playing out, they're probably way too heavy. (And the stand is bulky, so one more reason to not transport it more than necessary.)

I agree. If she's used to playing piano on a live piano, she won't like the sound produced through a guitar amp