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“The Digital Piano Bible”

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1. 24 Dust can take a long time to build up And if too much of it gets underneath the keys it can interfere with key s contact pads This could result in some notes not sounding What about cup stains A dust cover is the answer Dust covers are useful for keeping dust from getting under your keys they re also ideal for covering your piano when you re having a party You know people ALWAYS put their drinks on your piano Well with a good quality dust cover you don t have to worry The waterproof material stops liquids from spilling on or even worse IN your piano And if someone does place a hot cup of tea on top of your piano then it won t leave a horrible ring mark If sticky drinks spill on your keys then you could be in for a VERY expensive repair bill Liquid will certainly drip down onto the electronic parts and contact rubbers which are located underneath your piano keys For between 10 and 20 you can get a dust cover that fits over the whole of your piano s top Some are even waterproof and anti static With a suitable dust cover you re protected Here s the dust cover recommend Classenti Dust Cover Picture shows the cover s bottom right corner This cover fits over the top of you piano keys and top wooden panel You ll have to fold down the music rest though If your piano has its own key cover it will fit over that too 25 It s made from a high quality vinyl shee
2. If you do intend buying from a mega retailer then there are some important things to bear in mind You won t get the same level of service or expertise you would from a piano shop or online store If you encounter a problem with your piano during the warranty period then you will have to bring it back to the mega retailer The mega retailer will then refund or exchange your piano That s just how they work If you buy online or from a piano store it can be a little less stressful You ll usually be offered an appointment with a technician to come and fix your piano in your home Or if you want to return it for a refund you can get it collected from your home instead of having the hassle of bringing it back Some of the physical stores have more than one website They usually have their main website in the same or similar name to their physical store Their other websites can often be incompletely different names 63 Here s a list of the most trusted but not necessarily the cheapest online stores in order of the most trusted first Note The most trusted list was compiled by studying customer feedback and experiences over the previous 12 months and additional factors such as e Size of business e Age of business e Customer service level e Knowledge and helpfulness of salespeople e Date of establishment e How long they ve been trading online The Most Trusted ONLINE STORES in order of most t
3. The Digital Piano Bible 7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy a Digital Piano Important note To follow any link in this guide you must hover over the link hold down the ctrl key then click on the link Author Graham Howard You are welcome to print out this guide for personal use but please be warned there s about 75 pages Sorry got a bit carried away with it My digital piano buyer s guide will help you choose a piano that s right for you and your family Graham Howard If you ve just started out looking for a digital piano or you ve been researching for a while and can t make that important final decision then you ll find the information in this book invaluable This book will help you make the right decisions and probably even more importantly stop you from making VERY expensive mistakes Buying a digital piano isn t something you do often Well hopefully not if you get it right the first time After you ve digested the detailed information this book you will no longer be an easy target for salespeople In fact you ll most likely be more knowledgeable than the salesperson themselves wish you many years of enjoyment with your soon to be new digital piano Oh and just one more thing update this book weekly so if you want the latest copy just send me an email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk This book was last updated on 23 11 2015 Here s what you re going to g
4. Korg and Nord available to try in store The UK s largest selection of sheet music and music books Click here to see Music Room s range of pianos Click here to browse piano sheet music and books 5 Andertons Music Address St Vincent House 59 Woodbridge Road Guildford Surrey GU1 4RF Telephone Pianos for sale Yamaha Roland and Korg available to try in store Website www andertons co uk gt Read Anderton Music reviews 67 6 Yamaha Music London Address 152 160 Wardour Street London W1F 8YA Telephone 020 7432 4300 This store is owned by the Yamaha UK distributor and has the largest selection of Yamaha digital pianos in the UK Pianos for sale Only Yamaha digital pianos and keyboards available to try in store A superb selection of music books and sheet music gt Read Yamaha Music London reviews 7 Dolphin Music Stores in Gateshead Huddersfield and more towns throughout the UK Pianos for sale Yamaha Roland Casio Kurzweil Korg and M Audio available to try in store gt Read Dolphin Music reviews Online Stores in the USA Zzounds Music Online since 1996 Click here to visit their store Online Stores in Europe Thomann online since 1997 Click here to visit their store http www thomann de gb keys html partner_id 74827 Woodbrass Online since 2000 Click here to visit their store If you re intending to buy from a store but you re not sure who t
5. Touch 9 3 Sound 9 2 Design 8 25 Build Quality 8 Reliability 8 Re sale Value 6 5 Popularity 7 6 Value for money 8 Overall rating 64 85 out of 80 Useful Links For CLP545 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp545 Read customer reviews Yamaha CLP545 Reviews Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp545 review Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha digital piano questions 2nd place Yamaha CLP575 Touch 9 3 Sound 9 25 Design 8 5 Build Quality 8 Reliability 8 Re sale Value 6 Popularity 7 5 Value for money 7 75 Overall rating 64 30 out of 80 Useful Links For CLP575 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp575 E Read customer reviews 48 Yamaha CLP575 Reviews Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp575 review P Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha digital piano questions 3rd place Yamaha CLP525 Touch 8 Sound 8 25 Design 7 5 Build Quality 8 Reliability 8 Re sale Value 7 5 Popularity 7 Value for money 7 5 Overall rating 61 75 out of 80 Useful Links For CLP525 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp525 E a Read customer reviews Yamaha CLP525 Revie
6. Yamaha Roland and Kurzweil have been producing digital pianos for the longest 43 Kurzweil were the first company to successfully emulate the sound of a grand piano in a digital instrument in 1982 Yamaha introduced its first digital piano in 1983 the YP 40 The first Roland was in 1986 the RD 100 Other manufacturers entered the market much later The first digital pianos to be manufactured in China was in 1999 Although you shouldn t base your buying decision entirely on how long a manufacturer has been producing pianos it does give you a little extra confidence It may also add a little to its resale value Here s my top five in order of the most Popular in the long term first 1st place Yamaha digital pianos Yamaha have been producing digital pianos for the longest They ve held the number one position from day one And without doubt they are the most popular long term 2nd place Roland digital pianos Since Roland introduced their first digital piano they ve been trying to catch up with Yamaha And they ve been doing a good job of it In fact sometimes Yamaha are having to play catch up with them when it comes to designing new features 3rd place Kurzweil digital pianos Kurzweil stage pianos synthesizers and keyboards are popular worldwide Their home digital pianos are better known in the United States and Eastern Europe than they are in the UK and Western Europe This is because they only
7. sampling are often superior Cabinet styles and designs can be dated Older cabinet styles are usually bigger or chunkier than current ones This means they take up more space in your home Can be damaged when shipping 29 Unless you plan on picking up the piano yourself then it s not wise to let a private seller arrange deliver of your piano by courier A second hand piano can get damaged if you allow it to be delivered by a courier company This is because it s almost impossible to pack it securely enough unless it s in its original packaging highly unlikely if it s a second hand piano You d be best off collecting the piano yourself or asking them to deliver it personally Very difficult to make a claim Buying a second hand digital piano from a reputable piano shop is your best bet All pianos delivered by a shop are fully insured So if anything were to happen you would get your money back Might be in need of repair Repairs on second hand digital pianos can cost you a fortune Even something as simple as a single note not sounding could cost upwards of 150 to get fixed That s assuming parts are still available Parts may be hard to get Manufacturers don t always keep parts for older models So if you have a piano that s more than 5 years old you could find yourself in a situation where it s difficult to get hold of parts If parts are not available then a good digita
8. which brand should i buy html This article also gives independent scores for each brand on Touch sound design build quality reliability resale value recent popularity value for money and an overall rating To read the article click here http budurl com whichdigitalpiano Important note To follow any link in this guide you must hover over the link press the ctrl key then click on the link 6 Which Best Digital Pianos Are The Best a The top ten list of piano models Rated on touch sound design build quality reliability resale value popularity and value for money I mportant Note This is an overall score on all attributes listed above You might find that a particular piano scores higher or lower in this list than in other lists This is because both resale value and popularity is taken into consideration For example J ust because a piano is popular or has better resale value doesn t make it sound or feel any better to play Nor does it improve its reliability A digital piano should sound and feel as close to a real piano as possible You would also expect it to be resilient and reliable The two most important aspects of the piano are the touch and sound You should look extra carefully at the pianos that score the highest in both these categories The value for money score I ve given for each piano is also important Here is my top ten list 47 1st place Yamaha CLP545
9. GH3X is an upgrade of the GH3 And the NWX is a natural wood action The GH3X key actions are in Yamaha s latest Clavinova models CLP535 and CLP565GP 12 Yamaha s NWX key actions are used in the following models CLP545 CLP575 and CLP585 g Keyboard split The keyboard split allows you to play a different voice sound over different parts of the keyboard For example You could choose a string bass from the G below middle C downwards and a harpsichord from G upwards This is a useful feature to have if you intend being part of a group or if you ll be giving live performances on your own h Polyphony Most digital pianos today have the following polyphony 32 64 96 128 192 or 256 Older pianos can have 16 or 32 note polyphony This number represents how many sounds can be played at the same time It also includes notes that are held down by the pedal 64 note polyphony is probably more than you would ever need However If you desire a digital piano that has many different instrumental sounds effects rhythm percussion and sound layering then you might need a higher polyphony if you use a few of these features at the same time This is because when you combine multiple effects with complex chords and long sustained notes with the pedal then the polyphony value can multiply Recommendation 32 note polyphony is OK for beginners 64 note polyphony is good enough for nearly all types
10. Korg SP170S SP280 LP180 LP380 Kurzweil KA110 M210 MPS10 MPS20 MP10F M1 M3W MP15 CUP110 CUP2 CUP2A MPG200 and stage pianos keyboards Roland F 20 FP 50 FP 80 RD 800 F 140R RP 401R HP504 HP506 HP508 HP603 HP605 HP i50e LX7 LX17 RG 3 Yamaha DGX 650 YDP S52 YDP142 YDP162 CLP525 CLP535 CLP545 CLP575 CLP585 CLP565GP P45 P115 P255 CP4 CP40 CP300 CVP701 CVP705 AvantGrand NU1 N1 N2 and a selection of 61 key keyboards A range of second hand digital upright and grand pianos also for sale Second hand digital pianos Yamaha Roland Kawai Casio Korg Classenti Suzuki Chase Broadway Bentley Gear4Music Minster Axus Diginova Bentley and Winchester 66 For Rent to Own click link below http www ukpianos co uk cmd asp Clk 3912781 Interest Free Finance available click link below http www ukpianos co uk cmd asp Clk 3912834 Go here to see UK Piano s latest deals http www ukpianos co uk digital pianos html gt Read UK Pianos reviews 3 Gear 4 Music Address Unit 2 Great North Way York Business Park York YO26 6RB Telephone 0843 155 0800 Pianos for sale Yamaha Roland Casio Korg Kurzweil M Audio Nord Minster and Gear4Music available to try in store Brand new and second hand Click here to see Gear4Music s latest deals gt Read Gear4Music reviews 4 Music Room Many stores throughout the UK Pianos for sale Yamaha Roland Casio
11. Yamaha Clavinova range CLP 5 models and 1 grand and CVP 3 models and 1 grand Arius and YDP budget range 4 models DGX range 1 model Piaggero range 4 models P series portable range 1 model CP series portable range 3 models Avantgrand 4 models Total 27 different pianos with a varied range of colours Notes Yamaha digital pianos have long been the first choice of piano teachers and music institutions This is due to Yamaha s marketing skills wide choice of models history as a brand and most importantly their close resemblance to acoustic pianos 2nd place Kurzweil M range 4 models MP range 5 models MPS portable pianos 2 models CUP range 5 models MPG grand pianos 1 model 38 CPG grand pianos 1 model KA portable pianos 3 model SP portable pianos 3 models SPS portable pianos 1 model Artis portable piano 1 model Forte portable piano 1 model Total 27 different pianos with a good range of colours Notes Kurzweil offer a vast range of digital pianos for the home portable stage pianos and controller keyboards Kurzweil are famous for their authentic natural piano sound And some of their models use the famous Fatar Italian made key action and Italian made wooden key actions in their top models 3rd place Roland RP range 1 model HP range 3 models HPi range 1 model FP portable pianos 2 models RD and V portable pianos 3 models DP and F compac
12. and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha digital piano questions html 7th place Yamaha YDP162 Touch 7 25 Sound 7 75 Design 7 75 Build Quality 7 75 Reliability 7 25 Re sale Value 6 5 Popularity 7 Value for money 7 Overall rating 58 25 out of 80 Useful Links For YDP162 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp162 piano html Read customer reviews Yamaha YDP162 Reviews Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp162 review html Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha digital piano questions html 51 8th place Roland RP401R Touch 7 25 Sound 8 25 Design 7 Build Quality 7 5 Reliability 8 Re sale Value 6 5 Popularity 6 Value for money 7 5 Overall rating 58 out of 80 Useful Links For RP401r Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk roland rp401r Read customer reviews Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk roland piano questions html 9th place Broadway EZ 102 Touch 6 5 Sound 6 5 Design 8 Build Quality 7 Reliability 7 Re sale Value 5 5 Popularity 5 Value for money 9 5 Overall rating 58 out of 80 Useful Links For EZ 102 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk broadway ez 102 Ee s read cu
13. can benefit from this free guide Summary Hopefully by now if you haven t skimmed the information You re in an excellent position to choose the most suitable piano for your needs update this book weekly so if you want the very latest copy just send me an email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk 70 If you have any unanswered questions then let me know about them I ll be glad to help you out Your questions could be invaluable may have missed something Your questions could well be something I ve overlooked And they really need to be in this book So please ask away You can contact me by email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk Or by telephone 020 8367 2080 would like to hear how you get on Send me your piano browsing stories You can tell me e Which piano you chose e Who you bought from e Which pianos you liked and didn t like e What you think of your new piano e How you were treated e Or anything else You might also want to send me a review of your new piano Reviews are really useful for anyone looking to buy a piano I d really appreciate it if you could find the time to do this And finally Please pass this book to your family friends and neighbours by sending them this link http www ukpianos co uk piano guide html They can then get free access to this information They ll certainly thank you for it Yours pianistically Graham Howard Telep
14. mass shortage of spare parts for those that own digital pianos with wooden mechanisms 26 Although there are no reported instances of this it could be something to think about h Are warranties transferable on digital pianos This is quite a common question But it usually only crops up when someone is about to buy or has just bought a second hand digital piano from a private seller A typical scenario is when the seller tells the prospective buyer that there s still one or two years left to run on the warranty So the buyer thinks he has a guarantee and is covered for future repairs Unfortunately this is not correct Digital piano warranties are NOT transferable to a new owner The warranty remains with the original owner Of course this is not usually the case when you buy a second hand piano from a shop Although the warranty is still not transferable you do get the shop s own warranty This usually covers parts and labour for one year sometimes two By all means look around for a second hand bargain on the internet But just be aware that digital pianos aren t covered by a warranty when you buy from a private seller If you would prefer to have the peace of mind a warranty provides then recommend buying from an internet store or retail shop choose from my list of recommended stores in section 7b But check what type of warranty you ll be getting parts and labour parts only fix at h
15. page 28 3 The Disadvantages of Buying a Second hand Digital Piano Versus a New One 4 6 Simple Tests You Can Do In A Piano Store Before Making Your Decision DON T BUY If The Digital Piano Doesn t Pass All 6 a Stand at a distance and get someone to play page 32 b Turn the volume off or right down Are the keys noisy or clicky page 32 c Do the keys move a lot from side to side page 33 d Are the keys touch sensitive page 33 e How much resistance weight do you feel on the keys page 34 f How long does the sound sustain page 35 5 A Complete List of Digital Piano Brands And The Top Digital Piano Brands Scored On a Selection top 6 brands page 38 b Reliability top 10 brands page 42 c Long term popularity top 5 brands page 47 d Recent popularity top 5 brands page 49 e Overall result top 16 brands page 49 6 Which Digital Pianos Are The Best a The top ten lists of piano models Rated on touch sound design build quality reliability resale value popularity and value for money page 50 b The top ten list of piano models in each of four categories the best under 500 the best from 500 to 700 the best from 700 to 1000 and the best over 1 000 page 58 7 Should You Buy Online Or In A Physical Store a The advantages and disadvantages of both page 65 b A list of trusted online and offline sto
16. piano advice by calling 020 8367 2080 2 Top Ten 500 700 internet prices 1st place Broadway B1 599 650 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk broadway b1 2nd place Yamaha YDP142 550 600 Click link below for info and best prices http ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp142 3rd place Kurzweil M210 650 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil m210 4th place Kurzweil MPS10 575 625 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil mps10 5th place Casio AP260 650 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio ap260 6th place Yamaha DGX650 625 650 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha dgx650 7th place Broadway B2 499 599 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk broadway b2 8th place Casio PX350 600 650 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio px350 9th place Korg SP280 575 600 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk korg sp280 10th place Casio PX760 600 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio px760 gt gt Find out how all digital pianos rate in the Howard Score http www ukpianos co uk the howard score 57 Get free piano advice
17. play an upright or grand piano you ll struggle to adapt and you ll find yourself playing too loudly most of the time This is because you ve been used to thumping the keys to get a louder sound So you ll have to re train your fingers in order to play with expression And that s a lot of work In musical terms here s a summary of the dynamic levels used on digital pianos 3 levels mp mf f 4 levels mp mf f ff or sometimes p mp mf f 5 levels p mp mf f ff 6 levels pp p mp mf f ff Notes Your piano MUST have touch sensitive keys The more dynamic levels the better This is absolutely essential recommend buying a piano that has at least 4 levels You can get up to about grade 7 with 4 levels To go above grade 7 you need 5 levels If you want know how many dynamic levels a specific piano has just send an email to grahamhoward ukpianos co uk c Graded hammer action Here s the definition of graded hammer action With heavier key weighting in the bass left hand end getting gradually lighter as you go up the keyboard towards the right This mimics the exact feel of an upright or grand piano Upright and grand pianos have hammers The hammer strikes the string which then produces the sound On an upright or grand piano the strings are thick in the bass left end The strings get gradually smaller in diameter as they go up towards the top treble right end To achiev
18. service be Would they look after you if you had a warranty claim iii How secure is your personal information When purchasing online you re usually required to submit your credit or debit card details name address email phone number s password and occasionally other personal details Tip You can check yourself to see if a website is secure When going through the checkout the section that asks you to enter your name address 61 and credit card details should show a padlock sign in the address bar at the top of the page And the url in the browser should start with https The ADVANTAGES of buying from a physical store i You can try out the piano or get a demonstration ii You have the peace of mind that you ve actually visited the store and it really does exist The DISADVANTAGES of buying from a physical store i The price you pay in a physical store is usually a lot more expensive than online ii If you have a problem with your piano then you would usually have to bring it back to the store you bought it from iii You might have to deal with that dreaded pushy salesperson who could talk you into buying the wrong piano iv Your choice is very limited Most piano shops usually stock a selected range of pianos that MAKE THEM THE MOST PROFIT These are often pianos that aren t heavily discounted online Summary The advantages of buying from an online retailer FAROUTWEIGH those o
19. LP575 and CLP585 Roland HP603 HP605 LX7 and LX17 and Kurzweil M3W CUP2 CUP2A and CGP220W digital baby grand piano have wooden keys with synthetic ivory that s a nice name for shiny plastic key tops on the top and front Wooden keys are more expensive to produce than plastic keys This is why you only find them on more expensive digital pianos But do they really make a difference to the key touch When you play the piano your finger is in contact with the top part of the key only the plastic part So physically wooden keys can t feel any different to plastic The wood is slightly heavier than plastic so all things being equal the touch should be heavier or at least feel more solid firmer But Yamaha Roland and Kurzweil prefer to keep the key touch a similar weight for both wooden and plastic keys So they adjust the key weight on the wooden keys to make them only slightly heavier about 5 grams do find that the touch is more solid with wooden keys The feeling is an overall solidness or firmness no matter where you touch the key Wooden keys can also make a difference psychologically 19 If you re used to playing an upright or grand piano then seeing the wood on the side of your digital piano s key could make you feel better But what about the sound The key doesn t play any part in the piano s sound So wooden keys would make no difference at all Is it really worth pa
20. ality of materials used including build quality v The factory s quality control procedure v Percentage of warranty claims vi Average life of the piano Here are the top ten most reliable pianos 1st place Roland 84 out of 100 42 2nd place Yamaha 83 out of 100 3rd place Kurzweil 81 out of 100 4th place Kawai 74 out of 100 5th place Broadway 73 out of 100 6th place Casio 67 out of 100 7th place Classenti 65 out of 100 8th place Korg 64 out of 100 9th place Hadley 64 out of 100 10th place Thomann 52 out of 100 Notes 10 11 and 12t place are very close between many digital piano brands So here are the ones that narrowly missed the top 10 Gear4Music 49 out of 100 Hemingway 48 out of 100 Suzuki 45 out of 100 Yamaha Roland Kurzweil Kawai Casio and Korg manufacture their own pianos These manufacturers rely on physical shops to sell them in their stores and on the internet Thomann pianos can only be found on the Thomann website Their pianos are produced in a factory that also manufacturers for other brands Important note you shouldn t choose your piano just because it rates high in reliability An authentic touch and realistic sound is much more important c The top 5 digital piano brands scored on LONG TERM POPULARITY Before the year 2000 there were only a handful of digital piano makers Today there s over 30 and counting
21. amaha sold worldwide Young Chang sold mainly in China Total 105 brands And here s a list of companies that have stopped making digital pianos Akai discontinued producing digital pianos Bohemia discontinued producing digital pianos Bohm discontinued producing digital pianos Daewoo discontinued producing digital pianos Gem went out of business in 2009 Robertson went out of business in March 2013 Solton discontinued producing digital pianos Stagg discontinued producing digital pianos Technics discontinued producing digital pianos Wersi discontinued producing digital pianos Winchester discontinued producing digital pianos in 2014 a The top 6 digital piano brands based on SELECTION Too much choice can be confusing for some And not enough choice can be a problem for others Buying a digital piano is something you don t do very often So getting it right the first time is VERY important 37 Touch and sound are the most important aspects of the piano to get right This shouldn t be compromised no matter what After that you ll likely want to find a piano that s the right size style weight and colour You ll probably have to make some compromises but the more selection you have to choose from the more likely you ll find something that suits most of your needs Here s a list of the top 5 brands starting with the brand that has the largest selection of models and colours first 1st place
22. an Do In A Piano Store Before Making Your Decision DON T BUY If The Piano Doesn t Pass All 6 a Stand at a distance and get someone to play This is usually the best way to tell if the piano sounds good or not By standing a short distance away from the piano while someone else is playing makes it easier for you to concentrate on the piano s sound b Turn the volume off or right down Are the keys noisy or clicky 31 A frequent complaint about digital pianos is the noise of the keys Key noise is not so noticeable when you play the piano with the volume turned up The best way to test this is to turn the volume down or off Then press down the keys You should be able to hear a dull thud when the key goes down and a soft plop when the key returns There are many different digital piano brands and models Each one makes some degree of noise from the keys The best piano mechanisms make a soft dull thud when the keys go down and a very light thud or a delicate plop on return The worst mechanisms make a loud clicky thud when the keys go down and sometimes an equally loud rattling noise on return Another test is to play the key hard and flick the finger away so it returns quickly A poor mechanism will make a loud clicky noise c Do the keys move a lot from side to side Wiggle a key from side to side with your thumb and index finger Then press the key down to the very bottom and wiggle in the
23. and piano Semi weighted Examples of semi weighted keys e Chase all models e Gear4Music SP DP and V models e Hemingway all models e Mantova all models e Suzuki all models e Thomann All models except DP50 e Williams all models Weighted Examples of weighted keys e Casio CDP130 CDP220 e Galileo all models e Orla all models e Thomann DP50 Medium Weighted Examples of medium weighted keys e Broadway B2 e Casio AP Celviano and PX Privia range e Kawai CL26 CL36 KDP90 ES100 e Korg SP170S SP280 LP380 e Kurzweil KA110 e Yamaha DGX650 P45 P115 YDP142 YDP V240 Fully Weighted Examples of fully weighted keys e Broadway EZ 102 B1 B3 BG1 MK10 BA1 e Classenti CDP1 CDP2 CDP3i UD1 DG1 GR1i e Kawai CN25 CN35 CA17 CA67 CA97 CS4 CS7 CS10 ES7 e Kurzweil M210 M1 M3W MPS10 MPS20 MP1OF MP15 MP20F CUP2 CUP110 CUP2A MPG200 CGP220W e Roland RP401R F 140R RD800 F 20 FP 50 FP 80 HP504 HP603 HP605 HPi 50e LX7 LX17 DP 90e DP 90Se e Yamaha YDP S52 YDP162 YDP181 CLP525 CLP535 CLP545 CLP575 CLP585 CLP565GP CVP701 CVP705 CVP709 CVP709GP P255 CP300 NU1 N1 N2 N3 Notes Fully weighted feel closest to playing a real piano b Touch sensitive keys and dynamic levels When you press the piano key down softly you hear a quiet sound When you press it with force you hear a loud sound And there are various degrees in between Touch sensitive m
24. ard Score The rating system for digital pianos http www ukpianos co uk piano rental html 7 Should You Buy Online Or In A Physical Store a The advantages and disadvantages of both The ADVANTAGES of buying online 60 i Online prices are usually significantly cheaper than physical stores You can also quickly compare prices from other websites and secure the best deal ii It is easier and quicker to make your purchase no need to drive to a showroom struggle with parking or wait for a salesperson iii You can make your purchase anytime 24 hours a day 365 days per year iv If you have a warranty claim then you have a BIG advantage if you purchased online This is why The distance selling regulation states that an online retailer must either collect repair and return the piano to you or fix it in your home all at no cost to you i You don t have to talk to any pushy or biased sales people ii You ve got a much larger selection of pianos online than you d ever find in physical store iii You can read reviews from people that have already bought the piano you re considering The DISADVANTAGES of buying online i Is the store real You may have some doubt that the store exists What if you get a problem with your piano Would there be somewhere you could actually visit And would you be able to talk to someone in person if you had a major problem ii How good would their after sales
25. became available in the UK about 6 years ago Kurzweil offer a nice range of digital pianos both for the home and stage If you want an authentic piano tone then Kurzweil are hard to beat 4th place Casio digital pianos 44 Casio are more famous for their electronic keyboards than they are for their pianos But they do offer a good variety of pianos From the year 2003 2006 they expanded their range of pianos quite considerably Casio used to offer a comprehensive range of digital pianos including portable multi functional compact and key lighting pianos Included in their line up were the extremely popular PS 20 and the first ultra compact piano the PX100 from their Privia range In recent years they ve reduced their selection to the Privia range the Celviano and a couple of budget model pianos 5th place Kawai digital pianos Kawai have been making acoustic pianos for many years But they ve fairly new to the digital piano arena The first Kawai digital piano played on was in the year 2002 It had a very bright harsh sound And the touch was poor They ve improved a lot since then Kawai have a big range of digital pianos to choose from So they ve worth considering if you re looking for a specific style d The top 5 digital piano brands scored on RECENT POPULARITY By recent mean in the last 1 2 years All day long get phone calls and emails with questions about digital pianos I
26. by calling 020 8367 2080 3 Top Ten 700 1 000 Top 10 pianos between 700 and 1 000 internet prices 1st place Kurzweil M1 775 825 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil m1 2nd place Yamaha YDP S52 650 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp S52 3rd place Yamaha YDP162 700 750 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp162 4th place Roland RP401R 900 950 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland rp401r 5th place Kurzweil MP10F 999 1050 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil mp10f 6th place Roland F 140R 700 800 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland f 140r 7th place Classenti CDP1 600 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk classenti cdp1 8th place Broadway B3 950 1000 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk broadway b3 9th place Casio AP650 875 1000 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio ap650 10th place Casio PX860 800 850 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio px850 4 Top Twenty Over 1 000 58 Here s the top 20 pianos priced over 1 000 internet pr
27. chords AND using the sustain pedal all the same time Not very likely though 96 and 128 polyphony is really overkill It s absolutely not necessary c How much speaker wattage do need The majority of digital pianos range from 2 x 6 watts total of 12 watts output to 2 x 40 watts total of 80 watts output 2 x 6 watts isn t enough Pianos with such low speaker wattage produce a weak thin tone And to comfortably hear the piano without bashing the keys too hard you d need to turn the volume up to its maximum This isn t good Two exceptions to this rule are the Yamaha YDP142 and Broadway B1 because of the quality parts used in both these pianos the power level easily fills a medium sized room Ideally you should have a total output of at least 24 watts 2 x 12 watt speakers for a small sized room Or 30 to 40 watts for a standard sized room 2 x 15 or 2 x 20 watts Usually the larger wattage produces a deeper richer sound This is assuming the quality of the speakers is the same d What s the difference between digital and stage pianos Stage pianos often called portable pianos are designed to be easy to move around If you intend to perform away from your home then a stage piano is really what you need 21 Stage pianos are lightweight slim line and easy to transport in the back of a car You can also get soft or hard cases to carry them around You would usually buy a heavy
28. d range of colours 40 Notes Casio digital pianos are aimed at the lower end of the digital piano market Their build quality is OK but could be improved their sound a little thin and their touch not as realistic as the big four Yamaha Roland Kawai and Kurzweil Why would anyone buy a Casio then You might buy a Casio if 1 Your budget is REALLY tight and it s all you can afford So a really cheap second hand Casio might do the job for a year or maybe two but certainly no longer than that Please note there are many makes of digital pianos out there that aren t as good as Casio So you could do a lot worse 2 You only have space for a slim line digital piano The Privia range fits the bill Casio offer 2 piano ranges Celviano and Privia Celviano pianos start with the letters AP Casio s AP range are multi functional pianos This means they re loaded with gadgets instrumental voices internal songs etc They re a bit over priced for the quality you get really Casio s Privia range are budget pianos that are suitable if you have limited space Although they have the advantage of being compact the sound and touch is inferior to the big four brands But for the price the Privia range is really good value for money They re much better than most Chinese budget models 6th place Classenti CDP range 3 models UD range 1 model GR grand piano 1 model DG grand piano 1 model Tota
29. d by Costco Canada not available in the UK Alesis Andante sold only in Northern Ireland Artesia Astiar sold mainly in China Aura made by Kaino not available in the UK Axus sold only in the UK Amadeus sold only in Holland Amason sold only in China Ashton Baldwin sold only in China Behringer Bellissimo Benjamin Adams sold only in the US Bentley Berkeley sold only in the UK Bestman sold only in China Bluthner Broadway Cameron sold only in the US Carlsbro Casio Chase Classenti sold worldwide Classic Cantabile not available in the UK Cool 35 Cranes Crawzer made by KDY sold only in China Cristofori made by Sejung sold only in Asia Crumar Delson Digiano sold only in the UK Diginova sold only in the UK Dorimei Dynatone sold throughout Europe and the US Eagletone Ensoniq Entrada sold only in Holland Fame Farfisa not available in the UK Feeling sold mainly in China Fujiyama sold only in Canada Galileo not available in the UK Gear4Music sold only in the UK Gewa Greaten sold in China Korea Canada and Holland Hadley Hailai made by Huangma sold mainly in China Hammond only stage pianos available in the UK Harmony made by KDY sold mainly in China Hemingway sold in UK and Europe Hongye sold mainly in China HStar a k a BrahnerHstar Huangma sold mainly in China Ingale sold mainly in China Kaino Kawai sold world
30. d popularity aren t taken into consideration because they don t affect the piano s performance 1 Top Nine Under 500 internet prices 1st place Broadway EZ 102 450 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk broadway ez 102 2nd place Roland F 20 about 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland f 20 3rd place Yamaha P115 about 450 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha p115 4th place Casio PX160 450 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio px160 5th place Yamaha P45 350 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha p45 6th place Kurzweil KA110 450 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk korg sp170 7th place Korg SP170S 335 400 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk korg sp170 8th place Casio CDP130 300 350 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk casio cdp 130 9th place Gear4Music DP60 450 475 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk gear4music dp60 10th place Thomann DP50 400 450 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk thomann dp50 56 gt gt Find out how digital pianos rate in the Howard Score Get FREE
31. duty x stand to put your stage piano on This type of stand folds up so it s easy to transport Click this link to see the stand recommend http budurl com keyboardstand Some stage pianos have the option of a fixed stand Fixed stands are more stable than fold away x type stands So it s better to have a fixed stand if you intend using your stage piano mainly at home Stage pianos come either with or without speakers The best stage pianos usually come without speakers This is because they re used mainly by professional musicians for gigs The player would usually carry a separate amplifier to connect to the piano The amplifier produces a much louder clearer sound This is essential when playing in a group or in a noisy place Some stage pianos come with built in speakers These are OK for home use The real problem is the sound Because stage pianos are slim line and come without a fixed stand there s not much space to fit large speakers So stage pianos usually have very small speakers This results in a weak thin sound Digital pianos are primarily for home use Digital pianos come with a fixed stand The speakers are either built in to its stand or underneath the key bed The speakers are usually much larger and of a higher quality than stage pianos This makes the sound more realistic louder and resonant 22 Because a digital piano s body is larger than a stage piano there s mo
32. e Pythagorean and Just intonation It s highly unlikely you d make use of the scale tuning feature u Display screen A display screen like the one on Roland s HPi series pianos might be useful if you ve got young children learning to play This type of display screen has many musical games that teach children the names of notes pitch rhythm and how it all relates to the piano s keys But you can get these online for free anyway Other types of display screens can be found on pianos that have hundreds of functions Pianos such as the Yamaha CVP range A display screen is necessary in this case because there just isn t enough space on the piano to put all the buttons and it s supposed to make navigation simpler well simpler for those born into a world of mobile phones Nintendo Wii iPods iPads iTouch and i everything else But on the other hand a display screen is really just one extra thing that can go wrong or suffer accidental damage 18 Useful Links Music Notation http budurl com musicnotation7 music composition software Important note To follow any link in this guide you must hover over the link press the ctrl key then click on the link 2 Common Digital Piano Questions a Are wooden keys better than plastic keys Yamaha Roland and Kurzweil s top digital pianos use wood in their keys instead of plastic The white notes on the Yamaha CLP545 C
33. e an even sound the hammers have to be different sizes Large in the bass getting gradually smaller as they go up towards the treble Different sized hammers affect the resistance of the key The heaviest key is on the far left The lightest key is on the far right How do they replicate this on a digital piano To achieve the same feel as an upright or grand piano a digital piano s key weight must be designed to feel heavy in the bass and get gradually lighter as you go up the keyboard The correct terminology is graded hammer action This term is used by Yamaha Kawai Kurzweil Broadway and Classenti Just to confuse you some manufacturers use a different name for their graded hammer action Why do they do that The other names I ve seen in use are progressive hammer action scaled hammer action balanced hammer action and linear graded hammer action Here are those culprits e Yamaha use linear graded hammer action on their latest Clavinova key action e Roland use progressive hammer action e Casio use scaled hammer action e Suzuki use balanced hammer action Notes The graded hammer action is not an important feature to have d Mechanism with escapement You can feel the key escapement on an upright or grand piano when you press the key down VERY Slowly 10 When the key gets to the bottom of its travel you ll feel a slight jump This jump is called the escape
34. e such as a basement or subject to steam from cooking Excessive condensation can cause problems with your piano s electronics This is something you d definitely want to avoid You should also try to avoid putting your digital piano directly in front of a radiator especially if you have the heating on very high Ideally you should leave at least a 3 inch gap between the radiator and your piano about the size of your hand If you want to preserve the colour of your digital piano then you should keep it out of direct sunlight So the worst places to put your digital piano in order of worst first are e Near a cooker in an open plan kitchen e Ina damp basement e Next to a window that s permanently open e Directly in front of a hot radiator e In a conservatory under direct sunlight Providing you can avoid most of the above then you can place your digital piano in any room e Bedroom e Lounge e Hallway e Basement e Conservatory e Extension e Outbuilding f How do I protect my piano from drink spills dust and cup stains A sliding key cover will help protect your piano from drink spills It will also keep dust from getting underneath the keys There s nothing worse than a sticky drink that s spilt on your keys It not only makes your keys sluggish but can destroy the electronic circuits sensors and contacts underneath the keys Dust isn t really a major problem if it gets under the keys
35. eans the harder you strike the key the louder the sound Or to be technically correct the faster the key goes down the louder the sound So it s very important to buy a digital piano that has as many touch sensitive levels as possible Now here comes the confusing part Different terminology is used by manufacturers to describe these different levels of touch sensitivity Here are some of the common jargon words you ll come across e Touch sensitivity levels e Touch response levels e Dynamic levels What gets even more confusing is when the above terms are incorrectly used to describe something completely different For example key weight Some pianos have a feature that allows you to set the key weight to feel differently when you play So you can get a louder sound by pressing the keys down lightly for instance But won t go into this right now So now back to touch sensitive keys The term will use from now on to describe how many levels of touch sensitivity a piano has is Dynamic levels If you want to cut through the jargon and really know how many dynamic levels a specific piano has then just send an email to grahamhoward ukpianos co uk and l Il tell you If you practice on a piano or keyboard that doesn t have dynamic levels you ll end up with bad habits and a very poor technique This is a real disaster because if you ever want to play a real piano you ll find it really d
36. enough Tip You should call the phone number on their website to make sure it s real d How to GUARANTEE your money is safe when you buy online even if the store goes bust The only way to guarantee you don t lose your money when purchasing online and offline is to pay by credit card 69 All purchases you make with your credit card are protected under the Consumer credit Act of 1974 This makes your card issuer liable if anything goes wrong So if the store you purchase from goes bust and you didn t receive your product then you get a full refund from your bank Tip You can also claim a charge back through your bank if the store you bought from fails to honour a returns guarantee or product warranty not a lot of people know that The above ONLY applies to credit cards NOT debit cards So to be safe and for your own peace of mind ALWAYS pay by credit card If you don t have a credit card then the next best way to pay is by PayPal PayPal is a great Company If you have an issue with any transaction then you can open what PayPal call a buyer s dispute PayPal can then put a transaction on hold until it has been resolved between you and the seller Useful Links Piano store reviews http www ukpianos co uk piano shop reviews html The Rating system for digital pianos http www ukpianos co uk the howard score html Please click on the red Google Plus image above so others
37. et 1 How to Understand Confusing Terminology Piano Geek Speak You re going to find out what the following terms mean a Weighted keys page 4 b Touch sensitive keys and dynamic levels page 7 c Graded hammer action page 10 d Mechanism with escapement page 11 e Key weight control page 12 f GHS GH GH3 key touch page 12 g Keyboard split page 13 h Polyphony page 13 i Midi IN OUT USB page 14 j Aux IN OUT page 14 k Record facility page 14 1 Built in metronome page 15 m Speaker wattage page 15 Dual voice page 16 String resonance page 17 Key off samples page 17 s Brilliance page 18 Scale tuning page 18 u Display screen page 18 2 Common Digital Piano Questions a Are wooden keys better than plastic keys page 20 b How much polyphony do need 32 64 96 128 or more page 21 c How much speaker wattage do need page 22 d What s the difference between digital and stage pianos page 22 e Where are the best and worst places in my home to put a digital piano page 24 f How do protect my piano from drink spills dust and cup stains page 25 g Are wooden mechanisms a good thing or could they be a risky purchase page 27 h Are warranties transferable on digital pianos page 27 i What s the average life of a digital piano
38. f buying from a physical store You will get more details and advice about this in the next section If you intend buying from an online retailer but you re not sure who they are then send me an email and I ll check them out for you grahamhoward ukpianos co uk Notes An online retailer with exception to mail order and catalogue companies MUST have a physical store in order to be eligible as a seller for major brands b A list of trusted online and physical stores Website and contact details included There are literally hundreds of online and physical stores that sell digital pianos Most web stores that sell pianos actually belong to a physical store This is because most brands 62 will only supply those with a physical presence that are able to display and demonstrate pianos There are exceptions to this i Classenti is the only company that sell pianos through a network of online retailers rather than high street retailers Classenti most likely choose this unique way of distribution well unique in the piano world to avoid the very high costs of operating from physical stores This enables them to invest the savings into producing higher quality pianos at less cost ii Stores such as Costco and Argos offer a very limited range of budget digital pianos Prices from mega retailers are usually less than your average piano shop But you ll still find a much better deal if you shop online
39. grades it s really unnecessary r Key off samples Acoustic pianos have dampers These dampers prevent notes from sounding until you press down a key Pressing down a key raises a single damper off the string so the note will sound when the hammer strikes it When the damper returns to the string it doesn t cut the note off immediately It takes a fraction of a second to do this It s more noticeable in the lower bass due to the heavier thicker bass strings A Key Off Sample system tries to replicate this on each individual note 17 Note An acoustic piano has many faults The failure to cut off a note immediately when the damper returns to the string is one of them But some manufacturers are intent on copying an acoustic piano s good points AND FAULTS I m not sure if it s their ego that drives this you Know we re better than rest or just a cunning plan to earn more money for their top end pianos A bit of both suspect s Brilliance The brilliance feature can alter your piano s sound It can make it more or less brilliant A brilliant sound is one of extreme clarity It s very rich bright piercing and vibrant like the sound of a trumpet fanfare t Scale tuning Scale tuning could mean a number of things Commonly it refers to the type of tuning The piano is tuned to an equal temperament scale Other scales that used to be common but are rarely used today are the Mean tone scal
40. hey are then send me an email and I ll check it out for you grahamhoward ukpianos co uk c Two simple ways to find out if an online retailer is legitimate If you intend purchasing from an online retailer but you re not sure if they re legitimate or if 68 they have a bad reputation then recommend you do this Search on Google for the domain name followed by the word scam then try it for the following words spam rip off fraud bust administration pankrupt liquidated liquidation etc Look at the results that come up in the search engine You ll instantly be able to see if anything negative comes up For example The online music store Bobby s Piano Bargains this is made up name has the domain name www babbyspianobargains com This is what you would search for bobbyspianobargains com scam bobbyspianobargains com spam bobbyspianobargains com rip off bobbyspianobargains com fraud m sure you get the idea The second way to put your mind at rest is to look for the contact details on their website You ll find them in contact Us or About Us You can usually find these links either at the top or bottom of all pages You should also be able to see the physical address and phone number on their website If you can t find both the address and phone number then DON T BUY from this website can t state this strongly
41. hone 020 8367 2080 Online chat http messenger providesupport com messenger ukpianos html Email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk Website www ukpianos co uk Twitter www twitter com grahamhoward Facebook www facebook com ukpianos 71 Please click on the red Google Plus image above so others can benefit from this free guide Further Resources click on the links below Hejran s om Prone ner I recommend this method for all beginners Graham Howard Hejran s Piano Method For Beginners Printed Paperback Book Click to view gt gt http www ukpianos co uk hejran s piano method html Howa rd Score The rating system for digital pianos http www ukpianos co uk the howard score html http www ukpianos co uk digital pianos which brand should i buy html http www ukpianos co uk should i buy a digital piano or an upright piano html http www ukpianos co uk get your piano valued find out how much it is worth html http www ukpianos co uk where is the best place in your home to put your piano html Rocket Piano The Best Online Piano Method By Far http www ukpianos co uk rocket piano online course htm Copyright All contents Copyright 2009 2015 Graham Howard All rights reserved This work is registered with the copyright UK Copyright Service Registration number 312645 This book may be printed or freely distributed in its entirety
42. ices Excludes grand pianos stage pianos and Yamaha AvantGrand 1st place Yamaha CLP585 3 000 3 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp585 2nd place Yamaha CVP709 6 000 6 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha cvp709 3rd place Roland HP605 1 800 2 000 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland hp605 4th place Yamaha CLP575 2 000 2 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp575 5th place Yamaha CVP705 4 000 4 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha cvp705 6th place Yamaha CLP 545 1 600 1 800 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp545 7th place Kurzweil CUP2 2 200 2 300 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil cup2 8th place Kurzweil CUP2A 3 000 3 250 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil cup2a 9th place Roland HP603 1 450 1 550 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland hp603 10th place Roland LX17 3 500 3 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland Ix17 11th place Kurzweil M3W 1 700 1 800 Click link below for info and best prices http
43. ifficult to adapt Digital pianos vary in the number of dynamic levels they offer You get anything from 1 to 6 levels Most cheap digital pianos have between 1 and 3 levels But the more levels the better The more popular makes such as Yamaha Roland Kawai Casio Classenti Broadway and Kurzweil have between 3 to 6 dynamic levels Most of their basic pianos have 3 or 4 levels their mid range has 4 levels and their very best pianos have 5 or 6 levels Here s what dynamic levels means Pushing down a piano key with a different force produces a louder or softer sound It has nothing to do with the weight of the key only the force required to adjust the sound of each note So hitting the key hard produces a loud sound and pushing it down gently produces a soft sound A real acoustic piano has a huge number of dynamic levels It all depends on the velocity of the hammer as it strikes the string But even the highly trained ear of a piano tuner can distinguish only 6 or 7 or maybe 8 at a struggle Digital pianos try to replicate this Some do it quite well and others poorly Important A minimum of 4 dynamic levels is essential If you practice on a digital piano that has a restricted number of dynamic levels you will develop a poor technique You ll find it really difficult to play music with expression This is a serious disadvantage because most music changes in volume What s more when the time comes to
44. l 6 different pianos with a vast range of colours 41 Notes With all Classenti pianos you get a realistic sound this gets even more realistic as you go up the range and a heavy weighted touch The weight of the key on all Classenti pianos is close to a grand piano Classenti is the only brand that sells directly to the public via internet stores Because of this you won t find Classenti pianos in most physical stores By avoiding high street mark ups Classenti offers good quality digital pianos at affordable prices b The top 10 digital piano brands scored on RELIABILITY How reliable are digital pianos Most digital pianos are either made or assembled in the Far East China and Indonesia in particular The assembly and quality control processes in Far Eastern factories play a MAJOR factor in your piano s overall reliability The quality of materials used in producing digital pianos varies widely from one brand to the next You can be sure that many corners are being cut to produce most of the very cheap digital pianos mostly those under 500 Summary Assembling quality control and selection of materials affect your piano s overall performance reliability and ultimately the life of your piano Taking everything into consideration here s my list of the top ten most reliable piano makes l ve based this on Who manufacturers them i The standard of the factory they re made in ii Qu
45. l piano technician should be able to fix your piano in most cases But this takes a lot longer than simply replacing a part Technicians charge by the hour usually from 50 to 75 per hour So watch out Usually no user manual If you re lucky you ll get a user manual with a second hand digital piano Otherwise you may 30 have to spend hours online trying to find out how to use some of its functions There really is only one advantage of buying a second hand digital piano over a new one the price of course But You may be pleasantly surprised at how much a decent new digital piano costs these days Not only has technology advanced but prices have held and in some cases reduced over a long period For example bought a very basic Yamaha Clavinova in 1989 paid about 1 000 for it Today you can buy the equivalent model for around the same price Here s what advise If you really must buy a second hand digital piano then get something that s no more than 3 years old You ll save a little money and hopefully you ll get something that has current technology Where to buy from Here s where you can find some bargains on second hand digital pianos from private sellers http marketplace ukpianos co uk Or check out the complete range of second hand digital pianos available from ukpianos co uk http www ukpianos co uk used digital pianos html 4 6 Simple Tests You C
46. m not complaining enjoy it So get a good feel for which pianos people ask about the most This is the surest gauge for which pianos are the most popular right now Here s a list in order of asked about most first 1st place Yamaha digital pianos Most popular models asked about YDP162 YDP S52 P115 P45 CLP525 and CLP535 45 2nd place Roland digital pianos Most popular models asked about F 140R F 20 RP 401R HP603 HP605 FP 80 3rd place Casio digital pianos Most popular models asked about CDP130 PX350 PX160 and AP260 4th place Kurzweil digital pianos Most popular models asked about MP10F M1 MPS10 MPS20 MPG200 5th place Kawai digital pianos Most popular models asked about CN25 CN35 CL36 and CA65 e The top 16 digital piano brands OVERALL RESULT Taking all of the above into consideration Here is the top 16 digital piano makes 1st place Yamaha 2nd place Roland 3rd place Kawai 4th place Kurzweil 5th place Casio 6th place Broadway 7th place Bluthner 8th place Classenti 9th place Korg 10th place Galileo not available in the UK 11th place Gear4Music 12th place Thomann 13th place Minster 14th place Orla 15th place Suzuki 46 16th place Hemingway Further Reading If you ve been overwhelmed with information then you can read my simplified article Digital Pianos which Brand Should You Buy http www ukpianos co uk digital pianos
47. ment or set off You can only feel this when no sound is made Digital piano manufacturers have tried to copy this feel but it s not beneficial and doesn t improve the actual piano s touch In some cases when it has been overdone the key touch can feel very lumpy It s actually a fault on a real acoustic piano So why would a manufacturer try to replicate this fault It doesn t make any sense It appears that most digital piano manufacturers attempt to copy all aspects of an acoustic piano without actually discovering whether it s beneficial or not This is complete madness So in short key escapement is just another one of those gimmicks that increases the perceived value enabling these digital pianos to sell at higher prices You ll find this key escapement on Yamaha s top end CLP pianos Roland s top end HP pianos and Kawai s top end CA pianos Recommendation If the piano you intend buying has the escapement feature sit down and play it for a while close your eyes feel the keys when you play softly and slowly Then make sure you re OK with the lumpy jumpy feel of the key when it reaches the bottom of its down stroke e Key weight control Some digital pianos have the option of changing key weight There are usually 3 settings light standard which is the default and heavy The standard setting is BY FAR the most realistic touch It s a nice idea to be able to change
48. mmend Because of its quality parts and amplification system the power level easily fills a medium sized room For a large room you may require 30 or 40 watts 2 x 15 or 2 x 20 watt speakers If you plan on using your piano for performing in a small to medium size hall then 80 watts 2 x 40 watt speakers would be best If the hall is quite large then you may need to buy a separate keyboard amplifier to boost the sound even more 15 Notes 2 x 12 watts or 4 x 5 watts should be a minimum wattage for home use n Transpose If you wish to accompany another instrument that s not in C then the transpose feature will come in useful For example Your friend plays trumpet The trumpet is a Bb instrument Middle C on a trumpet sounds the same as Bb on a piano The transpose feature allows you to change the pitch of your piano to align with the pitch of the instrument you re playing along with In this case the trumpet This will make it easy for the trumpet player o Reverb Reverb is short for reverberation This feature gives a slight echo lingering after the note has been played It gives a similar effect to playing in a large concert hall There are usually a few reverb selections to choose from Room stage hall theatre and concert hall Usually the larger the hall is the longer the echo You just have to decide which effect you want p Dual voice This is a rather nice feature The dual voice allo
49. nd Should You Buy This article gives the touch sensitivity levels for the most popular digital pianos Click on the link below to get it http www ukpianos co uk digital pianos which brand should i buy html Note Most budget digital pianos have three levels of touch sensitivity More advanced pianos have four levels And the best pianos have five levels If you d like to know how many levels a particular piano has then email me grahamhoward ukpianos co uk e How much weight is on the keys When you press down the key you should feel some resistance 33 You should also feel some resistance when the key returns but not as much Many of the cheaper key mechanisms feel false The weighting is un natural It can have a light touch but feel heavy at the same time Let me explain Poor quality key mechanisms can have very bouncy keys It can take little effort to push down the key but you can feel quite a strong springy type of resistance under your finger when the key returns Because of this strong spring like action the key also returns very quickly Ideally you want your piano to have fairly heavy weighted keys This will strengthen your finger muscles making the transition to a real piano much easier The ideal key weight is heavy but evenly heavy on the way down and slightly less heavy on the key s return You shouldn t feel that the key is pushing your finger up too strongly on its retu
50. ny guarantee with a second hand piano New pianos come with a warranty from anywhere between 1 and 10 years The length of the warranty depends on the make and of course where you buy it from 28 No returns policy Buying from a private seller doesn t give you the same legal rights you d get if you bought from a shop If you buy a second hand digital piano then definitely advise buying from either a physical shop or a reputable online retailer This is because by law you get 7 working days to change your mind Some shops offer you 14 or even 30 days If you do decide to buy from a private seller then make sure you get the piano thoroughly checked out before you commit section 4 of this report will give you many tips on how you can do this yourself Please don t take this advice lightly It s extremely unlikely you ll get any guarantee or comeback if you buy from a private seller whether it be through an online auction marketplace local newspaper or by any other means Old technology Second hand digital pianos have old technology Depending on the age of the piano you may get technology that s out dated such as CD drive smart media floppy disk drive etc Digital pianos are always improving Second hand digital pianos often have a less realistic touch inferior key mechanisms than the latest models The sound quality can also be less realistic This is because new methods of sound
51. of music and complex pieces and 128 note polyphony can come in handy for composers using multiple voices and effects i Midi I N OUT USB MIDI allows you to connect your piano to your computer 13 This is a really useful feature Whatever you play on your piano can be replicated in note form on your computer This is great if you want to write your own music And it s essential if your child intends taking GCSE or A level music You ll need a USB to Midi cable and good music software such as Music Notation http budurl com musicnotation7 ideal for Windows or Sibelius http budurl com sibelius perfect for Macs You can connect to other Midi devices such as a Midi keyboard synthesizer or sound module You ll also be able to take additional sounds rhythms and effects from your computer and put them on your piano Some pianos have a USB port for a memory stick This does the same as the Midi IN OUT mentioned above But you don t need a cable j Aux IN OUT sometimes called Line IN OUT Connect your piano to any speaker system amplifier to get more volume home stereo system hi fi mixer sound system or MP3 player Some digital pianos don t have the Aux IN OUT feature If you re piano doesn t have this then you can use the headphone jack to connect to an amplifier or any external device but you won t be able to play any devices through the piano system such as an MP3 player
52. ome return to store and how long it s for The best type of warranty is always In Home with parts and labour included Here are some second hand pianos for sale Click here gt gt http www ukpianos co uk used digital pianos html i What s the average life of a digital piano Digital pianos have an average life of 10 years Now this figure depends on the following 27 1 Quality of the piano s parts especially the keyboard and electronics 2 How much it is played 3 How it is looked after The worst case scenario is A cheap poor quality unknown Chinese digital piano that s hammered for 2 hours a day and kept in a really dusty or dirty place can last only 2 or 3 years The best case scenario is A high quality and high price digital piano from a leading brand that doesn t get played every day and is kept in a clean and tidy environment could last for up to 20 years Useful Links Bags and Cases http www ukpianos co uk gig bags and cases for piano and keyboard html Dust covers http www ukpianos co uk dust covers html Fold away piano stand http budurl com keyboardstand Piano Stools http www ukpianos co uk piano stools and keyboard benches html Headphones http www ukpianos co uk keyboard piano headphones 3 The Disadvantages of Buying a Second Hand Digital Piano Versus a New One No guarantee Unless you re buying from a shop it s highly unlikely you ll get a
53. or iPod k Record facility A basic record feature is all you really need Most digital pianos have a Midi feature that allows you to connect directly to your computer You can then do more advanced recordings With the basic record feature you can usually record up two tracks You would first need to select track 1 then record 14 Whatever you play will then be saved inside the piano s memory You can then play it back anytime you want If you want to record an additional piece then you can use track 2 You can also record something different on track 2 and play it back at the same time as track 1 You can create some pretty interesting things Bear in mind that if you turn your piano off then back on you ll usually lose anything you ve recorded 1 Built in metronome The metronome is simply a constant tapping noise that helps you to play in time to the music This is a useful feature if you re studying for an exam or performance With the built in metronome you can set the speed of the metronome to any tempo you want m Speaker amplifier wattage As a general rule an adequate speaker wattage for a medium size room in your home is 24 watts 2 x 12 watt speakers The volume output depends not only on the speaker wattage but on the power of the amplifier quality of the speakers and acoustics of the piano cabinet An exception to this rule is the Broadway B1 which is a piano highly reco
54. particular model that s not mentioned in this book then drop mean email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk b The top ten list of piano models in each of three categories the best under 500 the best from 500 to 1000 and the best over 1000 Please note The prices in this section have been taken from the internet If you buy from a physical shop then you might pay considerably more It s difficult to know how much to spend on your first piano Especially if it s for your children to learn on you just don t know how long they re going to stick with it Should you buy something cheap until you are sure you ll continue with it Or should you buy a top of the range model so you won t need to upgrade later Well You shouldn t buy the cheapest piano you can find This is because it will have a poor sound and unrealistic touch It s also more likely to be unreliable 54 Likewise you shouldn t spend too much until You are sure that playing the piano is for you Here are the negatives of buying a CHEAP digital piano a You ll find it much more difficult to learn on a piano that performs poorly b You ll find it difficult to transfer to an upright or grand piano if you ve been used to playing on a digital piano with a poor un responsive touch c You could find yourself spending a small fortune to get it repaired after the guarantee has expired d The lifespan of the piano will be less than a bette
55. provided that this copyright notice is not removed But no part of it may be published on the internet or offline nor copied reproduced or altered without the prior written permission of Graham Howard Limit of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty The publisher has used its best efforts in preparing this book and the information provided herein is provided as is Graham Howard makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular 72 purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage including but not limited to special incidental consequential or other damages Trademarks This book identifies product names and services known to be trademarks registered trademarks or service marks of their respective holders They are used throughout this book in an editorial fashion only In addition terms suspected of being trademarks registered trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized although Graham Howard cannot attest to the accuracy of this information Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark registered trademark or service mark Graham Howard is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book Although Graham Howard made every reasonable a
56. r heavy weighted like the big boxers Tip Pianos that have a super heavy weighted key touch are usually easy to spot Here are some give away signs to look out for i They usually sell between 299 and 400 But I ve seen some Selling at higher prices ii Sometimes they re marked down from an extremely inflated retail price that gives the appearance of a real bargain iii They re not one of the well known brand names And they certainly don t appear in the top 10 or top 20 lists you ll see later in this book If you ve seen a brand new piano for sale in the 299 to 400 price range that didn t make my top 10 under 500 list be very cautious If you have any doubts at all just send me an email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk The list below describes the actual key weight of the most popular makes and models put together this list over a 6 month period by playing feeling and testing the weight and resistance of the piano key s down stroke and up stroke Light weighted Examples of light weighted keys e Yamaha PSR EZ YPT DGX230 DGX530 NP11 NP31 NP V60 NP V80 e Casio CTK and LK models e Korg PA models Digital pianos can have semi weighted weighted medium weighted or fully weighted keys This means the key touch is heavier than typical 61 key electronic keyboards with a light weighted key touch Fully weighted keys feel closest to an upright or gr
57. r quality one e You ll be more likely to give up playing if you ve been struggling on a poor performing piano Here are the negatives of buying an EXPENSIVE digital piano a If you give up playing then you ll probably regret you spent so much money b The main reasons some digital pianos cost more than others is because you get additional voices rhythms percussion sounds effects and gadgets Most of these you ll probably never use advise getting something between 500 and 1 000 The nearer you can get to 1 000 the better it will perform for you in the long term Don t worry if you can t afford a piano above 500 There s still some choice around this price point There s also a Rent To Own programme Rent To Own gets you a better piano for a small monthly outlay without commitment usually around 35 to 45 Your monthly payments are also deducted from the price when you purchase For more information click here http www ukpianos co uk piano rental html It s also OK to spend over 1 000 if there s a piano you ve fallen in love with Maybe you really will use some of those gadgets 55 So keeping in mind that you may not be buying a piano in the ideal 500 to 1 000 price here s my list of the top 10 pianos under 500 internet prices Note The following lists rate each piano on touch sound design build quality reliability and value for money Re sale value an
58. re space to fit the mechanism speakers and electronic parts This is why a digital piano will usually outperform any stage piano in a similar price bracket Summary If you re buying a piano for your home then you should go for a digital piano If you plan on transporting your piano frequently then a stage piano would be better for you e Where are the best and worst places in my home to put a digital piano Digital pianos are much more resistant to heat cold and humidity fluctuations than upright pianos Digital pianos consist of MDF plastic metal glue grease felt magnets cables and circuit boards Upright pianos consist of Wood spruce maple and sometimes oak MDF iron steel strings plastic leather metal glue and felt Wood is the main problem in upright pianos especially the spruce soundboard bridges and tuning plank The piano s wood expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes These are the main reasons acoustic pianos go out of tune Many of the older upright pianos can have a combination of a cracked soundboard a dried up tuning plank or a cracked bridge Central heating is the biggest cause of damage Digital pianos don t suffer as much from the heat cold or temperature changes You do need to be careful of condensation though Condensation can occur if your digital piano is next to an open window when it s raining or 23 in a cold damp plac
59. res website and contact details included page 66 c Two simple ways to find out if a store is legitimate page 73 d How to GUARANTEE your money is safe when you buy online even if the store goes bust page 74 SO let s get started 1 How to Understand Confusing Terminology Piano Geek Speak Are you confused about all the different terminology that s being used If you are then I m not surprised Here s a typical scenario You walk into a piano shop and you re greeted with a warm hello how can help you You explain that you want to buy a piano for your son or daughter and you need some advice Should be simple right Well The salesperson starts to ramble on about GHE and GH mechanisms polyphony graded hammer action touch sensitivity escapement dual voice split keyboard etc This is something you probably didn t expect After all how can buying a piano be so complicated So you walk out of the shop completely confused You then go online to do some research This is when it gets even worse The same terminology you heard in the piano shop starts appearing in the descriptions of the pianos on websites What does it all mean There are many many different terms used to describe the different parts and functions of the piano Manufacturers also use their own wording as well Now I m going to explain the most common terms So the next time you re conf
60. rn You can get a feel for it by playing middle C slowly up and down several times with your index finger on every digital piano in the shop If you do this enough times you ll discover which pianos have the better key touch The salesperson might also think you re an expert f How long does the sound sustain A good upright piano has the power to sustain a note in the centre of the piano for around 15 to 20 seconds Ideally you want the same with a digital piano After all a digital piano is supposed to replicate a real one In reality the sustaining power of most digital pianos is between 6 and 15 seconds 34 The best way to test the power of a digital piano s sustain is to play middle C as hard as you can and hold it down The note should gradually die away to nothing If the note cuts off in less than 10 seconds don t buy it Note When you are doing the sustain test the volume should be on half way Useful Links http www ukpianos co uk digital pianos which brand should i buy html http www ukpianos co uk digital piano questions html 5 The only COMPLETE List of Digital Piano Brands And The Top Digital Piano Brands Scored On a Selection top 5 brands b Reliability top 10 brands Long term popularity top 5 brands Recent popularity top 5 brands Overall result top 15 brands c d e d e Here s the list of all digital piano brands Adagio sol
61. ronted with Piano Geek Speak you ll nod your head in complete understanding Here we go a Weighted keys Most digital pianos have different key weighting You ll likely come across terminology such as e Light weighted e Semi weighted e Weighted e Medium weighted e Fully weighted The difference between the above key weights is only slight Ideally you should aim to get a piano that has a fully weighted touch These pianos are usually more expensive though So settling for a medium weighted key touch is the next best option Please note Manufacturers usually write their own piano descriptions So THEY choose the terminology to describe their key touch This can often be very misleading I ve seen pianos described as having fully weighted keys when they really only have medium weighted keys On the other end of the scale I ve seen pianos described as fully weighted keys but their touch is WAY too heavy and has so much resistance that a master rock climber would get finger ache playing them It s not good to learn on such a piano If you spend too much time pressing down on hard or stiff heavily resistant keys you ll end up with a very poor technique And you ll find it extremely difficult to control the key touch on an upright or grand piano I ve seen it happen so many times These pianos are misleadingly advertised as weighted and really should be renamed supe
62. rusted first I ve researched and verified each of the top 10 stores on the list below I confidently recommend you buy your piano from one of them Graham Howard UK Pianos Well this is us so it wouldn t be fair to rate ourselves But you can read what our customers say on the number 1 internet review site Trustpilot Click here to visit the UK Pianos website www ukpianos co uk i ar4 1st Gear4Music Saeed Click here to visit the website gt Read reviews 2nd Reidys Home of Music Click here to visit the website www reidys com gt Read reviews 3rd Gough amp Davy Click here to visit the website www goughanddavy co uk Ath Rocking Rooster Click here to visit the website www rockingrooster co uk gt Read reviews 64 5th Music Room Click here to visit the website www musicroom com 6th Robertson Music Click here to visit the website www robertsonmusic co uk 7th Evesham Music Click here to visit the website www jam2day co uk 8th Thomann Cyberstore th mann Click here to visit the website based in Germany gt Read reviews 9th Woodbrass Click here to visit the website based in France gt Read reviews Un rated UK Pianos Rating ourselves just wouldn t be fair But you can see what our customers say on the number 1 internet review site Trustpilot Click here to visit the UK Pianos website www ukpianos co uk Read All Piano S
63. same way Firstly there should be a small amount of movement from side to side The key shouldn t touch the adjacent white or black key Secondly there should be no clicking or tapping noises If you do hear excessive noise then there s probably too much sideways movements on the keys This sideways movement results in a loose wobbly feel when you re playing And that s not a nice feeling You should also check the spacing between white keys The gaps should be the same A sign of good quality is level keys with the same spacing and smooth key edges 32 d Are the keys touch sensitive Don t buy a digital piano that doesn t have touch sensitive keys can t stress this enough How can you tell the number of touch sensitivity levels on a digital piano There are 3 ways i You can ask the salesperson but they may not know ii You can try and work it out for yourself It s not easy to distinguish the different touch sensitivity levels especially if you re not an experienced player Here s the best way to do it Press the key down as slowly as you can until you hear a sound This is touch sensitivity level 1 Next play it with a little more speed If the sound is louder then you ve found touch sensitivity level 2 Keep going until you don t notice any difference in volume no matter how much harder you press down the key iii You can refer to my article Digital Pianos Which Bra
64. stomer reviews 52 10th place Classenti CDP1 Touch 7 25 Sound 7 5 Design 7 5 Build Quality 7 Reliability 7 Re sale Value 6 5 Popularity 6 5 Value for money 8 Overall rating 57 25 out of 80 Useful Links For CDP1 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk classenti cdp1 html k read customer reviews Classenti CDP1 Reviews Click here http www ukpianos co uk classenti cdp1 review html VEO Cone Videos of Classenti CDP1 Click here http www ukpianos co uk classenti digital piano video demonstrations htm Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk classenti digital piano questions html 11th place Casio PX160 Touch 6 25 Sound 6 Design 8 Build Quality 7 Reliability 7 Re sale Value 6 5 Popularity 7 5 Value for money 9 Overall rating 57 25 out of 80 Useful Links For PX160 53 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk casio px160 P z le Read customer reviews Click here 2 Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha digital piano questions html More places you can read reviews http www pianoreviews org http www piano tuners org gt gt Find out how all digital pianos rate in the Howard Score http www ukpianos co uk the howard score If you d like advice on a
65. t This type of material stops most liquids from penetrating your piano s keyboard You can find out more about these dust covers by clicking this link http budurl com dustcovers To summarize these covers are e Waterproof stops liquids from destroying your piano e Hard wearing protects your instrument and prolongs its life e Anti static helps prevent electrical fires e Transparent you can see if you ve left your piano switched on To see which covers fit a specific piano model click this link http budurl com dustcovers g Are wooden mechanisms in digital pianos a good thing or could they be a risky purchase Some top of the range digital pianos now come with wooden mechanisms But have my doubts about this Wooden mechanisms in digital pianos do look like and perform in a similar way to a real acoustic piano mechanism But I m concerned that having a wooded mechanism in a digital piano could cause problems later For instance digital pianos are known to withstand heat sources a lot better than acoustic pianos This is because there ISN T wood inside the piano Adding wood to the mechanism and keys could create problems of loose or sticky notes What s more see it as a risky purchase If digital piano manufacturers decide that it really wasn t such a great idea to put wood inside a digital piano they will revert to plastic and metal mechanisms This could cause a
66. t range 3 models RG grand pianos 2 models LX range 2 models Total 17 different pianos with a good range of colours Notes Roland use samples of a Steinway concert grand in their digital pianos This sound is preferred by many professional pianists With Roland digital pianos you can be sure of getting a realistic sound and outstanding reliability 39 But you ll find them pricier than equivalent models from other brands 4th place Kawai CN range 2 models CA range 3 models CL compact range 2 models CS range 3 models MP and ES portable pianos 3 models KDP range 1 model KCP range 1 model Total 15 different pianos with a good range of colours Notes Kawai are a relatively new comer to digital pianos They offer a good selection of different models to suit beginners up to advanced pianists More often than not you ll discover that Kawai are the pianos that most shops recommend push Kawai make nice digital pianos especially their top of the range models 2 000 But the main reason shops recommend Kawai is because they make more money than they would by selling other brands Beware of piano shops that appear to be pushing Kawai They might have only their own interest at heart 5th place Casio Privia range PX 6 models Celviano range AP 5 models Hybrid range GP 2 models CDP budget range 1 model Total 14 different pianos with a very limite
67. this setting but unfortunately when you select anything 11 other than the standard key weight the touch feels horribly wrong With the heavy setting you get the sensation of the key being stiff and then jumping down With the light setting you get a weird feeling a little bouncy and completely uncontrollable So what s the point of having this setting if you can t use it Unfortunately it s yet another one of those sales gimmicks that either inflates the price of the piano or adds to its perceived value f GHS GH GH3 key touch This is Yamaha s terminology for their different key mechanisms GHS stands for Graded Hammer Standard This is Yamaha s basic key mechanism The hammers are graded see C above but the touch is quite light This can be found on their budget line P45 P115 and YDP142 GH also called GHE is the next level up from GHS This keyboard mechanism allows for greater expression slightly more sensitivity in the keys The GH key touch is slightly heavier than the standard GHS mechanism GHE can be found in Yamaha s mid range digital pianos YDP162 YDP S52 P255 and CP300 GH3 is Yamaha s Graded Hammer Premium mechanism The GH3 is an upgrade of the GH action It includes sensors that allows for faster repetition The GH3 can be found in the following digital pianos CLP525 CVP601 CVP605 CVP609 and CVP609GP Yamaha s latest key actions are GH3X and NWX The
68. tore Reviews lt lt click here http www ukpianos co uk piano shop reviews html Click here to read reviews from customers that have purchased from piano stores in the UK Important Note There are many cheap places to buy online but haven t received good reviews from all of them If you intend buying from an online store that s not mentioned on the list above then send mean email and l Il check them out for you Email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk Top RETAIL PIANO STORES in the UK Here is a short list of stores that have built up a solid reputation on the high street 65 1 Dawsons Stores in Altrincham Bangor Basingstoke Chester Huddersfield Leeds Liverpool Manchester Reading Stockport and Warrington Pianos for sale Yamaha Roland Kawai Korg and Nord available to try in store gt Read Dawsons reviews 2 UK Pianos Stores in Enfield Finchley Hackney and Broxbourne Address of main store 83 Southbury Road Enfield Middlesex EN1 1P Telephone 020 8367 2080 www ukpianos co uk Enfield store 020 8367 2080 Finchley store 020 8343 3778 Hackney store 020 7254 7445 Broxbourne Essex Store 01992 892419 Digital Pianos for sale Yamaha Roland Kurzweil Casio Korg Broadway and Classenti Pianos on display Broadway EZ 102 B1 B2 B3 BG1 MK10 Casio CDP130 PX160 PX350 PX760 PX860 AP260 AP460 AP650 PX 5S Classenti CDP1 CDP2 CDP3i UD1 DG1 GR1i
69. ttempt to achieve complete Accuracy of the content in this book he assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions Also you should use this information as you see fit and at your own risk Any trademarks service marks product names or named featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference There is no implied endorsement for any of these terms Sharing this Document A lot of hard work went into putting this book together Much of the information is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence It can t be found anywhere That means that this information has value And your friends neighbours and co workers may want to share it It should go without saying that you can t post this document or the information it contains on any website electronic bulletin board FTP site newsgroup or blog You are welcome to print out these pages for personal use Email Graham Howard if you have comments on this book grahamhoward ukpianos co uk 73 74
70. wide Kazen sold mainly in China KDY sold mainly in China Ketron only stage pianos available in the UK Keywood Kingston sold by Costco Canada not available in the UK Kobrat sold only in the UK Kohler Korg sold worldwide Kurzweil sold worldwide Laite sold mainly in China M Audio only stage pianos available in the UK Mantova sold only in the UK Medeli sold mainly in China Melodic sold mainly in Australia Minster sold only in the UK Moco sold only in Iran Nord stage pianos organs midi controllers and sythns Orange sold only in Canada Orla Pianonova not available in the UK Rikter Ringway sold in China Spain and New Zealand Roland sold worldwide Roth and J unius 36 Samick not available in the UK Sejung not available in the UK Shijue made by Huangma sold mainly in China Sonic sold mainly in china Silbermann Smallbrook sold only in the UK Steinbeck sold only in Holland Steinfort sold only in Holland Studiologic stage pianos midi controllers and sythns Sulinda sold only in the UK Suzuki sold worldwide Symphonia Tangoo sold mainly in China Thomann sold in UK and Europe Oostendorp sold only in the Netherlands Ousman sold mainly in China Valdesta only available in the US Viscount Wertheim only available in Australia Williams available in the US and Denmark Worlde sold mainly in China Wsman sold mainly in China Wyman Y
71. ws Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp525 review Questions and Answers Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha digital piano questions 4th place Kurzweil M1 Touch 7 Sound 8 5 Design 7 5 Build Quality 7 5 Reliability 7 25 Re sale Value 6 Popularity 6 Value for money 9 Overall rating 58 75 out of 80 49 Useful Links For M1 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil m1 read customer reviews 5th place Broadway B1 Touch 7 Sound 7 Design 8 5 Build Quality 7 5 Reliability 7 Re sale Value 6 Popularity 6 5 Value for money 9 Overall rating 58 5 out of 80 Useful Links For B1 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk broadway b1 html oa E le Read customer reviews Broadway B1 Reviews Click here http www ukpianos co uk broadway b1 review html 6th place Yamaha YDP S52 Touch 7 25 Sound 7 5 Design 8 Build Quality 7 75 Reliability 7 25 Re sale Value 6 25 Popularity 6 75 Value for money 7 25 Overall rating 58 5 out of 80 50 Useful Links For YDP162 Lowest Prices Information and Specifications Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp162 piano html Read customer reviews Yamaha YDP162 Reviews Click here http www ukpianos co uk yamaha ydp162 review html Questions
72. ws you to combine different sounds So one sound would overlap the other For example when you select piano and strings together you get both sounds playing at the same time q String resonance aka damper resonance What is string resonance When you press down a key on an acoustic piano a note sounds If other keys are already pressed down then they and their harmonics will also sound very faintly It s hardly noticeable really 16 But the combination of these other notes and harmonics give acoustic pianos their full rich vibrant sound When you press down the sustain pedal the pedal on the right all the harmonics sound Providing you re not playing notes that clash you get an incredibly beautiful rich sound This is why the pedal is used a lot of the time Top pianists say that digital pianos sound dull and lifeless This is partly due to the missing string resonance Here s how to test if a digital piano has string resonance Without making the notes sound press and hold down Middle C the E to the right and the G to the right of that This is known as the C major chord Whilst holding down the C chord play the C to the left of Middle C firmly You should now be able to hear the C major chord quietly as if you d actually played it Is string resonance important to have It s nice to have if you re an experienced or advanced player But if you re just starting out or going through your
73. www ukpianos co uk kurzweil cup2a 12th place Roland DP90Se 2 200 2 400 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland dp 90se 59 13th place Yamaha CLP535 1 300 1 400 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp535 14th place Classenti UD1 1 900 2 000 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk classenti ud1 15th place Roland HPi 50e 2 500 3 000 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland hpi 50e 16th place Kawai CA65 1 600 1 700 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kawai ca95 17th place Yamaha CLP525 950 1 000 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha clp525 18th place Roland HP504 1 300 1 500 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk roland hp504 19th place Kurzweil MP15 1 000 1 100 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk kurzweil mp15 20th place Yamaha CVP701 2 000 2 300 Click link below for info and best prices http www ukpianos co uk yamaha cvp701 gt gt Find out how all digital pianos rate in the Howard Score http www ukpianos co uk the howard score If you d like advice on a piano not mentioned in this guide then drop me an email grahamhoward ukpianos co uk Useful Links How
74. ying extra money for wooden keys would say only if you can feel the difference and you re happy to pay a couple of hundred pounds more for it Something else to ponder One of the advantages of owning a digital piano is that it doesn t require servicing With all this wood being introduced digital pianos I m a little worried that problems might come up later Let me explain My first concern isn t a worry for you right now It s more likely if it ever becomes a problem to be sometime in the future What if Yamaha Roland and Kurzweil decide to trash their wooden mechanisms and go back to their plastic key mechanisms Then what happens if one of your keys needs replacing in the future Will spare wooden keys still be available My second concern is damp Wood swells in damp conditions If two adjacent keys swell and touch each other you could have a problem with rubbing or sticking keys Summary think all of this is unlikely though and there s been no reported problems so far b How much polyphony do need 32 64 96 128 256 or more 20 32 note polyphony isn t enough for complex pieces You ll lose notes when playing complex chords whilst holding down the sustain pedal 64 note polyphony is what you need This is enough for practically any piece of music 96 128 or even 256 note polyphony could come in handy if you re playing multiple instrumental voices effects complex

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