Electric pianos

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As one who regards electric pianos as fakes, I nevertheless appreciate their uses, and have played on many such instruments.

The early Yamaha Clavinovas had a good basic sound, but a pp sounded as though the instrument had receded into the next room, and a crescendo was more like a staircase than a slope. Both of these annoying characteristics have been sorted out.

The Roland electric pianos I have tried sounded OK, but don't seem to be as well made, with notes that fail altogether and others where the touch sensitivity has died, resulting in a sforzando every time that note is played. Yet other people have better experiences of the Rolands.

An instrument that really does interest me is the Yamaha AvantGrand N3. It's massively expensive - over £13,000, but is brilliant to play. I just wonder whether it's worth that amount of money.

I have a Steinway, so it may seem strange, but at some time in the future, Frau A and I might be buying a flat in York, where a Steinway might be a problem.

[VodkaDilc]

I would sell my bed and my CD collection before disposing of my Steinway! You can't do it, Eine AS. They must accept Steinways in York, surely!

An electric piano for £13,000!!!! (Comment deleted in the cause of decency!)

[MrGongGong]

Frau A and I might be buying a flat in York, where a Steinway might be a problem.

I'm sure they will be able to squeeze it in for you



though i'm not sure that the modernist open-plan apartment is quite what you were after ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I would sell my bed and my CD collection before disposing of my Steinway! You can't do it, Eine AS. They must accept Steinways in York, surely!

An electric piano for £13,000!!!! (Comment deleted in the cause of decency!)

Don't worry. I feel much the same way.

[johnb]

A couple of years ago I decided to attempt to learn to play the piano. I first got a Technics digital piano off e-bay but after starting lessons I very quickly realised I needed something else. A 'real' piano wasn't really an option as I didn't want to drive the neighbours insane.

Based on the digital pianos I tried and on what I read on the Pianoworld forum I finally bought a Kawaii CA63 partly because it had the touch most similar to my piano teachers Schimmel grand.

(The Yamaha AvantGrand N3 is pretty expensive but it does have a full Yamaha action. The problem is that electronics do eventually die.)

I keep fantasizing that one day I will be good enough to justify buying a lovely grand. Some chance.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The problem is that electronics do eventually die.)

That's what bothers me.

[mangerton]

(The problem is that electronics do eventually die.)

Could you elaborate on this, please? I don't know much about electric pianos, but I have a 35 year old reel to reel tape recorder and a 31 yo tuner and amplifier in regular use. OK, you have to take care of them, and especially watch the electrolytic caps., but I expect a good few years out of them yet.

[johnb]

Well, any item of electronic equipment will eventually fail - it's just a matter of how long before it does. It might last for 5, 10, 15, 20 ... etc years but a digital piano will eventually fail (and I very much doubt that today's electronics are designed to last for 35 years). Also bear in mind that digital pianos have been steadily improving over the years and will probably continue to do so.

I've never played a Yamaha AvantGrand N3 but I know they are highly regarded, but then again you can buy quite a decent new Chinese manufactured 6' grand for the same cash (e.g. Brodmann, etc). Not exactly in the Steinway class but likely to be more satisfying and last longer than any digital piano, however advanced.

I suppose one's choices depend on the reason for buying a digital piano, e.g. if it is a substitute for a 'real' piano because of noise or cash considerations or if it is to supplement an existing piano in order to practise longer or at anti-social hours, etc. In each case the solution is likely to be different.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

...I finally bought a Kawaii CA63 partly because it had the touch most similar to my piano teachers Schimmel grand.

I bet your teacher didn't have this one!

[johnb]

I bet your teach didn't have this one!

Definitely not, thank heavens!

[vinteuil]

... I have heard of some quite interesting electronic pianos which attempt to replicate significant early instruments - stein, walther, graf, brodmann, erard, pleyel - but I have no idea of how good they might be. If they were any good, I wd certainly be interested... I wonder if any Board members had had experience of such??

[french frank]

Not as such, but I happily plink on the 'harpsichord' and blare on the 'pipe organ' of my Clavinova. Kinda fun