Piano Questions

Question/ Looking to buy the Roland AX-7 or the Roland AX-1 Midi Keyboard Controller. Please reply with price, and availability…Thanks!

Answer/ Dear Friend
The Roland AX-7 and AX-1 have recently been discontinued.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

“All I’ve got at the moment is a Yamaha EZ 200. What I would like is advice on what to buy next.”

Thanks for your digital piano book and regular emails Graham, which are much appreciated.  They encourage me to
keep practising.  I’ve had the Rocket Piano course since last December and recently started on the
Intermediate book. I can’t say I mastered everything in the Beginner book although I spent time on
each chapter and feel it has given me a good basic knowledge of reading music.

Sometimes when I revisit a piece that was giving me a lot of trouble I find it now comes much easier to play.
I’m semi-retired in my sixties and am learning for my own enjoyment.  I’ve been a passionate jazz lover
since my late teens and what I would like to do is to get to the point where I have a good basic knowledge
of chords.

As you know jazz piano is very much about chords and that’s why I wanted to delve into the Intermediate
book asap where they are gone into in some detail. I go to a lot of live jazz and listen intently to the
pianists and their skill with chords and their various progressions and their ability to improvise over them.

These days the pianos they play on are usually of very good quality not like the old days and the sound through
much improved PA systems even in pubs and clubs can be excellent.

Now this is the nub. All I’ve got at the moment is a Yamaha EZ 200. What I would like is advice on what to
buy next.  I would like something with a proper piano sound and feel. I know this will be hard work at first
since the EZ200 has such a light touch. I’m not interested in bells and whistles. To me the piano sound is the
No.1 priority. I’m not a fan of bright piano sounds but I do like the crisp sound I hear sometimes when chords
below middle C are played on good quality grand pianos. Above middle C I like a medium warm tone. Thin tones
put me off.

PLease let me know what you think. Should I go for another keyboard or straight to a digital piano?
My budget would be no more than £1,000.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards Mike

Reply/ Hi Mike

I certainly recommend you get a digital piano that’s
got fully-weighted, touch sensitive keys.

The Yamaha keyboard you have is not really suitable
for playing anything past beginner standard…

Here’s two digital pianos I recommend looking at:

Roland HP603 and Kurzweil MP120.

They’re both really nice pianos. And either
would be ideal to learn and progress on.

Here’s some of the differences:

The Roland has a striking, bright sound. The
Kurzweil has a warm, European sound.

The Roland has more instrumental voices.

The Kurzweil has a slightly heavier key touch
than the Roland. This makes it feel closer to
playing a real piano.

The price is also less for the Kurzweil.

You can read more about them here:

www.ukpianos.co.uk/roland-hp603

www.ukpianos.co.uk/kurzweil-mp120

To find out more, you can call me on 020 8367 2080.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

What are your reviews on the Yamaha DGX620?

 

Hi Graham,

I am Gary, I have just started taking piano lessons from a teacher, i have a chappell Piano at home..

its about 20 yrs old.. my father had purchased it second hand… its old hampour and has 50 keys,

my teacher came home and checked the piano… since no one has been playing on it.. it went out of tune and few keys have gone damp… as in when u press the key there is no sound…

the tuner came and tuned the piano… and i left the few not functional keys as it is as the tuner said it would be expensive and didnt make sense repairing it….  as tomm if i go to sell this piano  i would get only 50 pounds or so… and repairing would atleast 100 pounds…the tuner said its ok to learn on it for now..  as the keys towards the end are not working….

my piano teacher says if ur totally going to learn the piano… i should buy the Yamaha DGX620 which about 500 pounds….india  pricing…

as i am also a dj it will help me out in midi sync and my pproduction which i plan to do later on…

what are ur reviews on the Yamaha DGX620.??? Do u have any other suggestion tht i could buy…

he said i should buy weighted digital paino as it is good to learn  on a weighted piano..

would love some advice from u

Thanks

Gary Chillack’s
G.Fernandes

Reply/ Hi Gary

I don’t advise on buying the Yamaha DGX620. The keys are weighted buy not enough. You really need to look at a digital piano such as the Broadway B1 or (for even more money) the Yamaha YDP163.

You can check these both out here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/yamaha-ydp163
www.ukpianos.co.uk/broadway-b1

It is essential to get a piano that has heavily weighted keys so if you want to play a real piano at a later time you will be able to make the transition much easier.

The key weight on all keyboards is too light and I advise you to spend a little more money on a digital piano.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

“Which keyboard lasts the longest?”

Question/ Hi Graham,

How long does a keyboard last? Does it mean that a yamaha would last longer than a casio? Which keyboard lasts the longest? Just when I thought that, since I will be migrating, I will give this keyboard to my mother, it stopped playing.

I thank you very much for your help. Even though I will investigate from one of the local dealers the cost of repairing it, I rather buy a new one. I have proven over the years that most of the repairers here tend to repair things to last for a short period of time, because they make more money by repairing the same thing more than once.

I will be taking the keyboard out of its storage area, give it two whacks, blow in it to see if dust is inside, then plug the adaptor in the electrical outlet. If it does not make a sound when I turn it on, I am going to sing, ‘Meet Me By the River Someday’ or some other funeral songs, then place it back in the storage area.

Anways take care.

Patricia

Answer/ Hi Patricia

Yamaha and Casio keyboards are of the same quality in my opinion. I hope your keyboard magically starts working again so your mother can start playing soon.

Regards

 

“When I turn on my keyboard, the light doesn’t come on”

Question/ Hi Graham,

I have noticed that something strange has happened to my keyboard. I had left it on the table for some days uncovered, and now, when I turn it on, the light is not coming on. Nothing is wrong with the adaptor, because the light on it is working.

Could it be that it is the end of the life of the keyboard, or dust is in it? Maybe, I should take better care of it.

What do you think is wrong with it?

Patricia

Answer/ Hi Patricia
It sounds like it is at the end of its life.

If you take it down to your local music shop they
might be able to put you in touch with a keyboard
repairer. Get an estimate first though because it
could be more expensive to get it repaired than
the keyboard is actually worth.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

“What’s the difference between a keyboard and a digital piano?”

A KEYBOARD usually has 61 keys. It’s much smaller
and lighter than a digital piano. And you can carry
it under your arm.

The key touch is much lighter compared to an acoustic
or digital piano.

You also get hundreds of instrumental voices, percussion
sounds and effects.

A DIGITAL PIANO is designed to replicate the sound
and touch of an acoustic piano.

A digital piano’s key touch is heavier and has more
resistance than a keyboard.

Most digital pianos have a substantial wooden cabinet.
This cabinet holds the keys, music rest, electronics,
speakers and pedals…

So the overall weight is substantially more than a
keyboard. But still 3-5 times lighter than an
acoustic piano.

 

Hello Graham,

I was wondering if you can help me answer a few questions.
I am taking up piano lessons soon at a beginners level.
Iwould like to buy a yamaha keyboard (as i cant quite afford to buy an upright piano for the time-being).

I want to hopefully not spend more than £600-£800 on the keyboard.
Can you tell me the difference between a electronic keyboard and a digital piano?

Which one would you recommend?

I know the touch sensitivity keys is very important, does low buget keyboards have this feature at a quality level?

Many thanks!

Reply/

Hi Sam

The differences between keyboards and digital pianos are:

1) Keyboards have much lighter weight keys than digital pianos

2) Keyboards usually have 61 keys versus 88 keys for pianos

3) Keyboards have hundreds of sound and buttons.

4) Keyboards have much smaller speakers which results in a thin sound

It is FAR better to go for a digital piano than a
keyboard. Especially if you are a beginner…

Your fingers need to get used to a fully-weighted
piano key right from your first lesson.

The best piano in the £600 to £800 price range is,
without doubt, the Broadway B1.

The Broadway B1 has a fully-weighted touch that
feels close to a real piano. It also has a good,
realistic piano sound.

The speaker power is 2 x 15 watts. This is almost
double that of other pianos in the same price range.

It also has the following positive attributes:

Slim line cabinet (takes up less space)
Headphone connections (for silent practice)
USB (connect to your computer)
Metronome
Record and play-back

It also comes with a 3 year warranty. This includes
all parts and labour. Pianos are repaired in your home.

You can read more about the Broadway B1 here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/broadway-b1

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

“I’m looking to buy a second hand keyboard for my 9 and 10 year old boys”

Question/ Hello there

I am emailing you from New Zealand. I have a 9 and a 10 year old boy and I am wanting to get them started on Piano Lessons, so am presently looking to buy a second hand keyboard – or something that they can start on. I have found a CASIO CPS-50 Keyboard on trademe and I am wondering if this would be a suitable option for them to start on – seems to be a bigger keyboard than the Yamaha PSR175 that I am looking at too. Do you have any advice for me – please help!

Thanks in advance for any help that you may be able to give me on this.

Warmest wishes, Pam Hanretty

Answer/ Hi Pam

I am not sure which models are available in New Zealand but the Yamaha PSR175 is probably too basic to start with. You really need a keyboard with touch sensitive keys (this means that the harder you press on the key, the louder the sound). I recommend to buy the Yamaha PSR295 or PSR293.

Ideally you should consider buying a digital piano rather than an electronic keyboard. Digital pianos are designed to feel and sound like the real thing – of course they cost a lot more though.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

“Can you recommend a touch sensitive keyboard with the best ‘touch’ for piano?”

Question/ Hello UK Pianos.

I bought a Roland EP760 from you 4 years ago on your advice (I had a new job as a peripatetic piano teacher) I have found it excellent, but would also like a smaller 61 key similar quality keyboard that’s lighter and less cumbersome to take around schools. I have been unable to find any digital pianos that size, but wondered if you could recommend a touch sensitive keyboard with the best ‘touch’ for piano. Thank-you, Sally Bryant.

Answer/ Hi Sally. It is nice to hear from you again.

If you want a 61 key keyboard with touch sensitive keys,
and is light and easy to carry around, I recommend the Casio
LK93.

The Casio LK93 has a good weight of key – not as heavy
as a digital piano – but certainly one of the heaviest touches
out of the electronic keyboards I have tried.

This keyboard also has the keylighting function that can
be turned on, or off.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

“Should I move my Steinway to Africa?”

We are probably moving to Sub-Saharan Africa in the summer for several years. I have a vertigrand (Steinway) which is beautiful and has a wonderful tone, but is extremely heavy to move and I am assuming would not do well being shipped over the ocean and then bumped overland for 3 days in a truck. It would presumably also not like the very hot dry temperatures of the dry seasons and even less like the very humid rainy seasons.

I was thinking of buying a smaller, more transportable piano, possibly digital but that gives a good tone and maybe has some accessories – like backing rhythms, etc (I have 3 small children who would like to learn and enjoy having fun on it).  The only downside is that these presumably don’t work without power – and there are lots of power cuts there!

Any ideas?

Thank you very much for your help
Elizabeth

Answer/ Hi Elizabeth
You are right about not shipping over the Steinway. Depending on its age it is probably not a good idea
to move from the UK climate to the humid African climate. The piano would suffer and may incur irreparable
damage – even more so if it is shipped back to the UK at a later date.

A digital piano is probably the best idea. Yamaha and Roland would be the best choice, they offer many
different instrument sounds and a realistic piano tone. You will need to check if the voltage is ok for Africa.
You can call Yamaha on 01908 366 700. You will probably need a different plug as well.

As far as electricity goes, there doesn’t seem much you can do about this.

 

“Do any digital pianos sample on the Steinway sound?”

I want to buy a digital piano that has the best piano tone.
Steinway is the best, right?

Don, Coventry

Answer/
Hi Don

I agree that Steinway is the original and best piano sound.
It’s always been the standard.

Gewa digital pianos are sampled on a Steinway concert grand.
They recorded one in a studio in Hamburg.

I love their sound. It has all the characteristics of Steinways.
You can check them out here: Gewa

Regards
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

“Do you know about Steinmeyer pianos?”

Question/ Hi. I could not see a Steinmeyer on your list can you also provide any more
information on this type of piano – I have one that has three in-laid panels
is an upright and has a date on that says 1890 although I am not convinced
it is that old!
Would be grateful if you could provide any further information

Thanks
Bob Hogben

Answer/ Hi Bob

Modern Steinmeyer pianos are made in China and sold by The Piano Warehouse.

They are pretty awful pianos – thin, bright sound – very poor quality materials
and will not last anywhere near as long as the older Steinmeyer pianos.

From what you have described, it sounds pretty much like you have an old
Steinmeyer. On the one hand that is good, because they WERE made very well,
but on the other hand, old pianos are usually beyond repair, or repairing
them would not be cost effective.

I don’t think it could be as old as 1890. The date you see on the piano probably
refers to when the Steinmeyer Piano Company started piano production.

The best way to get a correct valuation is to ask your local piano tuner to
come and take a look. You can find a list of UK piano tuners here:
ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners

You may also want to read an article I wrote about valuing your piano and
what to look out for: www.ukpianos.co.uk/get-your-piano-valued-find-out-how-much-it-is-worth

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

Question/ hi please give me a brief overview of where allison sit, quality and tone wise, within the piano world?   am looking at some 1920, 1930’s allisons at the moment to buy.
many thanks

Answer/ Allison make pretty decent pianos. I have tuned, repaired and rebuilt Allison pianos in the past and i a was impressed with the build quality. If you are looking at a piano of this age you should make sure that you get it checked out by a piano tuner first. He will be able to identify any potential problems.

Comment/ Great, Will do Thankyou M

“How old is my Yamaha U1?”

How can I find the age of a used Yamaha U1 that we bought about 5 years ago, so our daughters could take lessons
( the lessons didn’t take, but they do play other instruments.)

The complete number is   U1  J 3102165

Is there a place we can look up the ‘pedigree’ or year of creation for our Yamaha upright ?

Thanks awfully for your help.
– Chuck

Answer/ Hi Chuck
You can try here: besbrodepianos.co.uk/pianoserialnumber/yamaha.htm

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

—

Since the pandemic, I decided to spend far more time practising. I have a lovely Yamaha piano, which is two years old and I am a lot more proficient as a result of more practise. I’ve even done a few (amateur) live performances in a 3-piece ensemble once a month!

I bought a decent case from you when I worked in North London, nice shop. But unfortunately moved (far) away from London after retiring from my career in London.

Happy to keep in touch though.

Regards – Kevin

“How to get rid of old piano?”

Question/

We have an upright Caldecourt piano we want to get rid of. We have had it around 20 years from a local shop in
Shoreham but our two daughters have left home and it hasn’t been played for years. My wife says it has a cracked sound board
and some of the keys don’t sound and others don’t return to the horizontal when depressed. We don’t want to spend money on
repairing it or on a piano tuner to value it or pay out to remove it! My wife suggests breaking it up
-any other possibilities or alternatives?

Thank you

Reply/ Hi Philip

Your piano is unlikely to be worth anything.

You could try giving it away here: marketplace.ukpianos.co.uk

It’s the fastest way to sell (or give away)
any piano…

There’s no selling fee or commission. Only
a small listing fee.

Whoever takes your piano will be responsible
for collecting it.

This would save you the high cost of moving
and disposing of your piano.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

 

Hi Graham,

Would be grateful if you can give me an idea of the approximate resale value of our KAWAI upright piano: Model: KS 1 49″, Serial number: 222 428.

Thank you in advance,

Eileen
Brussels, Belgium

Reply/ Hi Eileen

The only way to get a proper valuation would be to ask a local piano
tuner to come and take a look at it.

The value of the piano depends on the condition of the parts inside.
You can find a list of piano tuners here:

www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners
You might also be interested in an article I wrote about how to value your piano:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/get-your-piano-valued-find-out-how-much-it-is-worth

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your reply.  I have done exactly as you have advised and have made an
appointment with my piano tuner to come and give me an estimation. He said he will give
me 2 prices, one for buying it off me, and one for what I could sell it for if I were to
put an ad somewhere.  He mentioned 500 euros or maybe 1,000 euros if it’s in very good
condition.  I did read your article, which is very informative indeed.

Kind regards,

Eileen

 

“Would you be interested in valuing/tuning my piano?”

Dear UK Pianos Piano Valuation And Tuning Service

I am hoping to sell my piano. I came across the UK Pianos website where I can advertise my piano, but I have no idea of it’s worth. Within the site it was suggested that it is best to get your piano valued by a piano tuner. Would you be interested in valuing/tuning my piano?

When I bought the piano, about 9 years ago, my piano teacher was with me and she said it was a good beginner’s piano.

It is a Cramer, I think made in London between 1921 and 1930
The soundboard patent number is 2771 with a date 1910
The piano’s serial number is 59138
It is 51 inches high, 62 inches wide and 26 inches deep
It has a music holder/rest which will fold up into the top
It also still has the key, so the keyboard can be locked.
As far as I can work out by looking at pictures and descriptions on the web it appears to be overstrung with underdampers
It is a dark colour wood and in reasonable condition

However, it has not been tuned for many years and the sustaining pedal has become detached.

I could supply a jpeg image if this would be useful.

Please let me know if you would be able to help me with this, and if you think it is worth my while. I worry that the cost of  the tuning, valuation and repair would work out more than I would receive when selling it.

Thanks and regards, Linda Anthony

Reply/ Hi Linda

Your piano was made in 1922 and was a fine piano in its day.

It is impossible to correctly value your piano without seeing it.

The real value is dependant on the condition of the parts inside.
In particular the soundboard, frame and tuning pins.

You need to ask an expert to come and take a look at it.

Here is a list of London piano tuners:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners-london-all-districts

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

“Hi i have an eavestaff mini piano which i am looking to sell”

It is serial number 4457 and black with chrome and has the original stool as used by TRH Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose of York. It is in need of tlc but i have read that it may be valuable and i wondered if you could give me some idea of what its worth and how to sell it.

Answer/ Hi Nicola

Your Eavestaff mini piano sounds like it is quite old, so it probably isn’t worth much. Generally the older the piano the less it is worth. This is because pianos rarely have an antique value. The only way to get a proper valuation would be to ask a local piano tuner to come and take a look at it. The value of your piano depends on the condition of the parts inside.

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

 

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I would be grateful if you would advise in relation to the valuation of my piano. It is an Ernst Kaps piano and the serial number is 25531. The piano was bought 20 years ago for £550

My old piano tuner (who has now passed away) always said it was a great piano – he loved its rich tone/sound and said it was rare to find a piano that ‘sings’.

He also said that I’d bought it for a bargain price.

His only criticism was the plastic keys – he said the piano looked like an old person with false teeth and that we should invest in ivory keys for it.

Unfortunately, we did not and some of the plastic keys have now come unstuck. However, I would imagine this is a straightforward fault to fix/restore.

Today, I had my piano valued by a different piano tuner (who also sells pianos). I was very surprised when he said it was worth nothing and that I’d be very lucky to get rid of it for as much as £200.

He complained about the keys.

He also said that there was no longer a market for old pianos like mine – apparently better quality pianos can be bought cheaply from China.

I have attached some photos for you to look at and would very much appreciate any help or advice you may have.

It pains me to think that my piano could end up battered and abused in an old junk/scrap yard some day.

Kind regards,

Carol Fenn

Reply/ Hi Carol

I will try to help you as best I can.

Your Ernst Kapst piano was made in 1903 in Dresden, Germany.

It is an old piano, but, nevertheless, a good one.

These were fine pianos in their day.

Ernst Kapst started producing piano as early as 1858 and
discontinued piano production in 1930.

Your piano is overstrung (which is a good thing). All modern
pianos are overstrung. This means the bass strings cross
over the treble strings…

Overstrung pianos have longer strings and produce a much
better tone.

Now, what to do?…

A little investigation may be needed?

If your previous tuner had such nice things to say about
your piano, then, probably (unless he was just being nice)
your piano is in good condition.

I took a look at your pictures and the action does seem to
look like it has been re-conditioned at some point in the
last 20-30 years. Hard to tell without looking at it properly.

The advice from your second piano tuner looks a bit dodgy
to say the least…

It looks to me like he is running down your piano so he can
sell you a new Chinese one and make a tidy commission.

Most piano tuners have a deal going with their local piano
shop and get a nice commission when they pass on a
customer. Sometimes as much as 15%.

Much More than they get from tuning!

Of course, I could be completely wrong about this.
So please take my opinion lightly.

My advice is to ask a different piano tuner to come
and tune your piano. Don’t say anything until he
has tuned it.

You should ask him what he thinks about your piano.

Ask questions like:

1) Are the tuning pins tight enough to hold the tuning?

2) What do you think it could be sold for?

Hopefully you will get an honest tuner (there are many
of them about).

You can see a list of qualified piano tuners here:
www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners

By the way. You can sell your piano on the ukpianos.co.uk
Piano Market free of charge.

Here is the link: www.marketplace.ukpianos.co.uk

I wish you the best of luck.

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

“I am looking for some advice on selling a piano”

It is a bechstein mahogany grand made in 1910.  I have recieved very different advice from a number of sources so would appriciate your take on it.
I need to sell the piano as i am moving to a smaller residence for a few years and do not wish to pay huge amounts for storage. Some people have advised me to pay for full restoration approx £7000 and told me i would then be able to sell it privately for approx £16000. Others have said it is not worth paying for restoration and to sell it in its current condition at auction for approx £3000.
Any advice would be great.
Yours,
Lydia

Reply/ Hi Lydia

If you plan on selling your piano, it is usually best to
sell it ‘as-is’.

Spending money in the hope of selling it for more is
generally not a good idea for the following reasons:

1) Even if your piano is fully re-conditioned, it will never
be as good as it was new. In most cases, re-conditioning
a piano ends up in a disappointment.

2) Spending £7000 on re-conditioning it will probably increase
the value by just a few thousand. You will more likely lose money.

Yours pianistically,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

“Hi, I have two pianos for sale. I would like your advise please”

1 Monington & Weston 1930s upright needs a re-polish good order, needs to be loved again. 2 Ascherberg upright in lovely condition looks very nice with candle holders and side lifts in brass. May transport at cost. Any ideas or feedback welcome.

Answer/ Your pianos sound like they are quite old so they are probably not worth much. Generally the older the piano the less it is worth. This is because pianos rarely have an antique value – unless they are one of a kind and over 150 years old.

The only way to get a proper valuation would be to ask a local piano tuner to come and take a look at it. The value of the piano depends on the condition of the parts inside.

You can find a list of piano tuners here: www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-tuners

You might also be interested in an article I wrote about how to value
your piano: www.ukpianos.co.uk/get-your-piano-valued-find-out-how-much-it-is-worth

Regards,
Graham Howard, ukpianos.co.uk