quark Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My son has been playing for almost 8 years and is now thinking of taking music even more seriously. He would like a portable model, something he can easily bring into our minivan. Good sound, headphone capability etc. His favorite genre is jazz. I'm almost completely illiterate when it comes to pianos other than knowing that analogs/ uprights need tuning and digitals probably don't. Would love suggestions. This digital one might also completely replace our analog piano. Our budget is around $750-$1000. Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 The awesome electronic pianos from Korg with weighted keys and actual recorded sounds of grand pianos, etc....are not really truly portable. I mean, by the time you have 88 keys on a heavy base and something is worth almost a thousand dollars, the word "portable" doesn't quite fit... I don't really know much about pianos and music but I do know that it seems he will want a really great electronic piano that he would very rarely ever move, like a nice Korg or keep the old fashioned paino....- AND get a lightweight, cheap ish, small one he has for use when he is out. The Yamaha keyboard we bought on amazon doesn't have great sound, and the keys are not weighted...but it is 1/10 of the weight of our Korg. I heard of serious piano students lugging their keyboards around or keeping it in the music room at school, with special permission, so that they could practice in between other events like sports or drama, etc. I even heard one girl set up the trunk of her mom's car with the keyboard and kept a chair in their that she could pull out and practice while they were here and there/on the go.....just ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Agree with everything Calming Tea said. We have an ancient, beat up, bought for $4 at a garage sale many many years ago electric keyboard that is very light weight and DD lugs wherever..but it sounds pretty bad now (probably 25 years old or older). We bought a really nice Yamaha DGX-650 that is SUPPOSED to be portable but honestly that is unrealistic. It is too heavy, too bulky, too costly and too easily damaged to just lug from place to place. Works great for at home use, or relocating to somewhere else, but not for every day lug around, haul from place to place playing. We are in the process of looking for something in between since we will be driving back and forth between one city and another for a while. We plan to do what we did before, research good sound/portability but this time really focus on portability, then go out and look for all clearance sales, bargain sales and estate sales...we got the Yamaha for a considerable discount by just doing a bit of research and looking for great sales. I also have a friend who is a piano teacher and she is going to send me recommendations based on our criteria. I can pass on your situation to her and see if she has a suggestion, if you would like.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thank you both! OneStep, I would love suggestions from your friend! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammarGirl Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Yamaha Clavinova. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 O.k. her recommendations are as follows: Mid Range cost and good sound with definitely portability: Casio WK-225 76 keys w/headphones, stand & power pack roughly $230 Yamaha Portable Keyboard 76 keys (soft touch keys) $290 But the above won't last a long time and won't sound as good as the below selections. They ARE much easier to cart around and do have good sound, though. For higher end, with better sound, still portable but not as easy to lug around: 88 Keys as mentioned up thread usually indicates a higher end keyboard . Yamaha DGX 530 portable Kb w/88 keys touch sensitive box style with damper pedal attachment $500 Korg SP 170 S with 88 keys (price varies but about $500) There are higher end ones but she recommends these unless the person is a professional or a music student at a University. She says these should do fine. I also found an article that I found interesting although I don't know how accurate it is. I have linked it below: http://www.digitalpianoreviewguide.com/digital-piano-vs-keyboard-which-is-better/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Thanks so much OneStep! He does have a smaller Casio but it's old, and I should have emphasized that he is definitely looking for an 88-key. He plays in a student band and will be taking courses at the comm. college too. I will look into the models and link suggested in detail. Many thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 So if you are looking for higher end than what she listed, I can ask about that if you like... And good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 If the CC has a music program, you may want to see if he can get access to a practice room-usually it's a small fee/yr to get a room key for a piano room, a little more if you want set hours reserved each week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammarGirl Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Oops! I missed the portable part. But, since your son is getting serious about music, you may be interested in a Clavinova for home. They are great when you're on a budget because you get better sound quality than from a cheap acoustic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Thanks everyone! We'll look into all of the above. OneStep, I'm investigating that link you sent in a pp. We should be okay I think. :) Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 If anyone is interested in an update, we ended up with a Yamaha DGX650. Like Calming Tea said, it was hard to choose between sound quality/ nifty stuff and portability and we went with sound/ nifty stuff instead. It is too hefty to lug around very often yet light enough to lug around on those few instances when he will REALLY need to so I think we struck a good middle ground too. Thanks to all who weighed in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 If anyone is interested in an update, we ended up with a Yamaha DGX650. Like Calming Tea said, it was hard to choose between sound quality/ nifty stuff and portability and we went with sound/ nifty stuff instead. It is too hefty to lug around very often yet light enough to lug around on those few instances when he will REALLY need to so I think we struck a good middle ground too. Thanks to all who weighed in! Just saw this thread but wanted to let you know my dd had this keyboard all through college and loved it. It's perfect for a dorm room. Now she's ready to haul it off to grad school so it has served her well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Can I jump in and ask what kind of keyboard I could get for my 8yo? He will start lessons this Fall. We have limited space and I don't want to spend a lot or get a piano until we see how he likes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Just saw this thread but wanted to let you know my dd had this keyboard all through college and loved it. It's perfect for a dorm room. Now she's ready to haul it off to grad school so it has served her well. Thank you so much for letting me know! Makes me feel good about our choice. :) It was pricey (still within budget) but both kiddo and his dad love it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Can I jump in and ask what kind of keyboard I could get for my 8yo? He will start lessons this Fall. We have limited space and I don't want to spend a lot or get a piano until we see how he likes it. There are a number of Yamaha models available for $100 onwards. We settled on Yamaha due to the favorable reviews from friends, posters here and also from our own research. We have a 61-key Casio that worked out really well when kiddo was 3-6yo then we rented a spinnet piano followed by our old-ish console piano and now we have the brand new 88-key DGX650. It will depend on budget and goals. I suggest walking into a store that carries several brands and speaking to the people in charge of the keyboards. Do some research on Amazon, and google for reviews on digital pianos and you should get some helpful hits. I'll step back now and let someone else with more experience and knowledge advice you. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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