We’re looking to get a new digital piano for home so MsGinge can get back into playing and hopefully get littleGinge involved too. When MsGinge used to play it was on an old upright at her parents house, which has long since been moved on, so we don’t really have much experience with the modern digital versions.

Had a bit of a look about online and it seems like a Kawai CN39 might fit the bill for us but we haven’t been to try one yet (it’s out of stock at our local music shop) so we might need to order online if we go down this route. Having said that, there seem to be a lot of other options that are around the same price point, or a good bit under, that might also be fine for our needs. I figured it might be worth asking here to see if anyone can offer any useful pointers, experience or alternatives on what we should be looking for. Budget is around the £1000 ish mark and being able to find things in stock is a big plus too.

We got a Gear4music GDP-200 for our daughter who plays at grade 3/4 level. It’s sounds great and is plenty good enough for learning at home

Kawaii are nice but so are Roland, Yamaha and others.  We went down that line a few years ago and it is really worth the effort of trying them as they will feel and play differently so it will really depend on what MsGinge feels at home with.  We expected to get a Yamaha but ended up with a Roland.  It’s heavy to move around but that’s the result of having a nice action. My memory is that that is a nice price point but we ended up spending a bit more once we actually got to try one out

I have an older Yamaha. I did a bit of research at the time and decided a better quality second hand instrument was better than a newer version with more bells and whistles. I just wanted the basics: 88 keys, weighted and graded, plus MIDI so I can use it to control other stuff occasionally. Yamaha seemed to be well regarded from memory and I’m certainly happy with mine. I suppose the newer ones have more gadgets and connection options so It depends what you need.

I’m sure a Kawai will be good too, I saw a few when I was looking.

Like @jambourgie we went down the used route with a second hand Roland something or other.
I think we paid £400 for it a couple of years ago and it’s been perfect. Was heavier than I imagined though.

Something like this
https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/digital-piano-yamaha-clavinova/1420746419?

Casio Celviano are good.
We got a bargain one in mint condition from an auction/house clearance…£50!
Think ours is the AP-250 model.

I learnt on an old upright, and modern digital pianos are really good.

I’d definitely look secondhand.

I have a Kawai stage piano, probably a decade old now. I remember trying Korgs and Rolands at the time and preferring the key feel, but I don’t recall specifics. Try a few if you can!

Does anyone know anywhere good to look for second hand pianos? Looking on eBay and at the used models listed on our local shops website it seems that older used models are, broadly speaking, listed around the price you can pick up the current models for online.

Gumtree or Facebook marketplace

We have a slim Yamaha one it’s really nice. Not sure of the exact model.

Yamaha were the first to make a proper electric piano, IIRC, certainly they were the first ones I can remember seeing played, and being really impressed that they sounded exactly like a conventional piano. They were pretty big, though, and with big improvements in getting sampling right and proper weighting, attack and decay,  most portable synth-type keyboards seem to sound like a proper piano. I remember seeing someone playing live with what appeared to be an old upright piano, but the keyboard had been removed and an electronic keyboard installed instead. Sounded just like an upright. From most angles, it looked pretty convincing, but I was stood more to one side, and I could see the joins at the end!

I think it was Duke Special, Irish singer/songwriter.

When I was in the market for one I had a right faff working out whether I needed a digital piano, a stage piano, an electric piano, or just a full-sized keyboard. I already owned a synthesizer and a MIDI keyboard 🙂

It must be like saying “hmm, I think I shall buy a bike…”

When I was in the market for one I had a right faff working out whether I needed a digital piano, a stage piano, an electric piano, or just a full-sized keyboard. I already owned a synthesizer and a MIDI keyboard 🙂

It must be like saying “hmm, I think I shall buy a bike…”

Definitely after a full sized digital home piano as a smaller, and potentially much quieter (especially when teamed with a pair of headphones), alternative to an analogue upright. Doesn’t need to be portable but should feel, play and sound as much as possible like a traditional piano.

No immediate plans to connect it up to any sort of midi equipment but it would be nice if it supported this sort of thing just in case.

After a recent shopping trip and the advice of my neighbour who is the main piano gue at a local music shop (who stock Bechstein and Steingraber acoustics amongst others) I bought a Roland Fpx-30.
I demo’d loads, Kawai we’re nice keybeds but had no usb midi, Yamaha also nice but had midi issues (feel free to research it’s common) in that triggering the internal sounds is fine but midi out can’t/won’t send velocity higher than 110.
Korg nice and compact but lacking something in the action.
I keep going back to the Roland’s as they just felt more piano like.
Check out https://youtube.com/c/MerriamPianos for great reviews

Save a giveaway piano from the skip!

Bought Mrs P a Casio Privia PX110, primarily because of the compact physical depth (it sits very out of the way), the quality of the keyboard/feedback/weighting, and the admirable sound. For the budget, I’m still impressed decades later. They can go for anything from £100-250 on ebay etc.

Don’t be tempted to overlook the Privia range because Casio are synonymous with watches. Casio also since bought out the newer PX-S range with ‘88 Weighted Keys with Smart Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard, with simulated ebony and ivory texture’. Also improved (already was v good) sounds. I’d have a read of and look at:

Casio PX-S1000 Review: A New Era of Privia Digital Pianos

Might fit yr remit? £399 at Andertons

Doesn’t need to be portable but should feel, play and sound as much as possible like a traditional piano.

Usually big bucks and even then it depends very much what ‘traditional’ piano she is referring to. You’ll be hard pushed at £1k new to find something very, very good in that dept. Bechstein is £2k entry-point*

Bechstein Hammer Action- The Real Deal

“We believe we have crafted a sensational Digital Piano we can be very proud of” Werner Albrecht – Master Piano Maker at C.Bechstein.

Using this fantastic collaboration, Casio’s Grand Hybrid Pianos have the full length, Wooden hammer action mechanism of a Bechstein acoustic piano on each key. The only major difference is that instead of hitting a string the hammer hits a sensitive contact point.

Many digital pianos claim to have a “hammer Action” keybed, but in reality it is either simulated, or the design has to be compromised in some way to fit into the cabinet of a digital piano. The Casio Grand hybrid has not had to make any of these compromises.

This essentially means that you not only get the proper weight of a hammer key, but you also get to feel the natural and unique response of how the hammer mechanism works- something that just cant be recreated any other way. All these subtle elements all feedback into the key and into your fingers, giving you the perfect feel and expressive control of your performances.

* Used OTOH <-I’d be all over that.

I tried Kawais and Clavinovas and bought a Clavinova cos it felt better. Your partner really needs to try some out

For that budget it is worth visiting a big shop with a few to try. I would recommend PMT music in Leeds if you are nearby.

Looks like we should be off to the local piano shop later on to see what we can find. I guess even if they don’t have the exact model in we’re after they might at least have something with a similar key mechanism to try.

Well that didn’t work out too well. The piano shop had a grand total of one digital/hybrid/electric piano on display and are stuck for more stock for an unknown amount of time because of the whole global electronics component shortages. It’s so bad they’ve closed off more than half of their floor space as they haven’t got anything to put in it.

Guess we’re back to making an educated guess at what might work and trying to order something without trying first.

Maybe try another piano shop with some stock?

Though the distance-selling rules could mean you can make the pianos do the travelling while you audition them and then send them on their way if they do not satisfy your needs.