Piano Reviews & Recommendations

Digital pianos & helpful accessories

 

When shopping for a digital piano, there are a few features you should be sure to check for before purchasing:

  • 88 Full-sized keys.
  • Weighted keys – this means that they respond to differences in touch.  They play louder with more force and softer with a lighter touch.
  • Audio out port - for recording or patching into a sound system.

 

 

After much research and experience playing many different styles and brands of digital pianos, here are my recommendations:

Yamaha P125 ($600): Hooks up to a computer to write/record music. Portable. 

If you get the P125, I'd really recommend (for home) the furniture stand ($100), and these pedals ($75). 

Note: There are cheaper pianos by Yamaha (like the P71 ($400), but the touch isn't as authentic as the P125, it doesn't have quite as full sound, and you can't get built in pedals to feel like an actual piano. However, it IS $200 cheaper. If you get the P71, here's the furniture stand ($95) I'd get for home use.  From what I can tell, you can NOT get the built in pedals for this. You CAN get a more solid pedal than the very cheap plastic one that comes with the piano, but it will tend to slide all around (another pretty strong reason I'd probably not go this route)

Casio Privia PX 160 ($460): Hooks up to a computer to write/record music.  Portable. 

For home use, I'd highly recommend this solid stand and pedal combo ($150) with the built-in pedals which make it more like an acoustic piano (rather than using the cheap pedal that comes with the PX160 and will slide all around). 

I'd definitely get a strong padded bag ($59) if you're going to be carrying it around - something like this if you get the Casio Privia.

Accessories

If you need a portable keyboard stand, the well-rated single X-stand ($26) works fine.  

If you get any of these more portable pianos, you'll need a dust cover ($17).  Keeping dust out of your digital piano is very important to extend its useful life.  

Here's the piano bench I recommend ($35).  There are cheaper benches, but this has more options for height that will help as children grow. 

Need a piano tuner?

For the Gainesville & Ocala, Florida areas, I recommend:

Bob Sluss 

352.372.9212