“Are You Drowning In The Sea Of Digital Pianos?”…
So you’ve decided you want to buy a digital piano…
You’ve visited a few piano shops and been shown different makes and models…
You’ve been given lots of conflicting advice and don’t know what to do!… Help!
Have you experienced something along these lines?
Go Shopping for digital pianos…
You enter your local piano shop and you’re confronted with lots of digital pianos with different styles, colours, shapes and sizes. Some have a few buttons (gadgets) and some hundreds of buttons, flashing lights and LCD screens…
— HELP! —
You visit the first piano shop and they recommend the Roland digital pianos…
“Roland are the best digital pianos around by far”, they say…
“They have the best piano sound, and you get a lot more useful features”…
You say “What about Yamaha or Kawai? I’ve been told they’re very good pianos? What do you think?”
They say “No, no, no, the Roland digital piano is better than the Yamaha, and far better than the Kawai”. They then sit down and play the Yamaha, and then the Roland and convince you that the Roland would be far better for you than the Yamaha and the Kawai.
You trot off to another piano shop to get some more advice and to compare prices. Again you walk in and you’re confronted by a similar set up. The salesperson, like before, shows you the different digital pianos and advises you that the Kawai is the best piano, not the Yamaha, and CERTAINLY NOT the Roland. “Roland digital pianos are overpriced!”, they say.
You explain that you’ve just been to another piano shop and were told that the Roland is better than the Yamaha, and the Kawai is nowhere near as good…
“They don’t know what they’re talking about!”, the salesperson says.
“Kawai have the best digital pianos… I’ll show you”…
Now you’re totally confused and walk out of the store with no idea who to believe.
If you have experienced something similar to the above, and you’are at the end of your tether, then I’m here to offer you some unbiased advice on which digital piano you should consider.
In this report you’re going to find out the merits, pitfulls and popularity of each brand. You’ll read about each brand’s strengths and weaknesses. And you’ll also discover exactly what I think of them (hold on to your hats!) You can also view a list of the most popular digital pianos.
I’ve also done a score sheet for each brand so you can see how each compares. The overall rating is an average of each score. The most important scores are for touch, sound, and value for money, Graham Howard
Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
or Call 01327 300 016
Graham Howard’s Top 3 Recommendations:
1) Yamaha digital pianos
Yamaha are the most well known digital pianos. Their most popular lines are the home piano range (CLP Clavinova), the entry level (YDP Arius), and portable stage pianos (P Series). Yamaha also offer the CVP Clavinova and AvantGrand range. Yamaha’s best sellers are: YDP163 and P115.
Yamaha Strive to make their digital and stage pianos sound and feel as close to a real piano as possible. The sound sample they use for their digital pianos is taken from their own acoustic concert grand.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: YDP143, YDP163, CLP625, CLP645, CLP685)
Touch: 9
Sound: 8.5
Design: 7.5
Build Quality: 7.5
Reliability: 7.5
Resale Value: 9
Recent popularity: 9
Value for money: 7.5
Overall rating: 81.88 out of 100
Advice: Buy any model from the CLP range, (if your budget allows). Second best choice is the YDP range. For gigging, choose a P series stage piano.
Price: Starter digital pianos start from around £800, portables from about £450.
More information:
- The Howard Score (rates all digital pianos out of 100)
- The Digital Piano Bible (7 things you must know before you buy a digital piano)
- Yamaha digital piano reviews
- See all Yamaha digital pianos
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Yamaha digitals.
2) Roland digital pianos
Roland digital pianos have a warm, mellow, and rounded piano tone around the centre of the keyboard. The keys feel nice under the fingers. Roland stage pianos rank amongst the best (RD and FP range) — The realistic key touch and sound is just what’s required for travelling professionals who perform for a living. If I were to buy a new stage piano then the Roland FP90 would be my first choice.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: F-140R, RP501R, HP504, HP603, HP605
Touch: 8.5
Sound: 8.5
Design: 7
Build Quality: 8
Reliability: 7.75
Resale Value: 7
Recent popularity: 7
Value for money: 7
Overall rating: 75.94 out of 100
Advice: Go ahead and buy any Roland digital piano from the HP, RD, DP, RG or FP range (you pay a little bit more for a Roland, but they’re reliable and rarely go wrong).
Price: Basic models start from around £600.
More information:
- The Howard Score (rates all digital pianos out of 100)
- The Digital Piano Bible (7 things you must know before you buy a digital piano)
- Roland digital piano reviews
- See all Roland digital pianos
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Roland digital pianos
Rent-to-Buy a digital piano from £35 per month, read more
3) Kurzweil digital pianos
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: MPS10, M110, MP120, CUP320, CGP220W
Touch: 8
Sound: 8.5
Design: 7.5
Build Quality: 7.5
Reliability: 7.5
Resale Value: 5.5
Recent popularity: 6
Value for money: 7
Overall rating: 71.88 out of 100
Advice: Kurzweil offer a nice range of digital pianos, stage pianos and keyboards. Their student model, M110, is really good value, and their mid-range model, MP120, has a really authentic sound. Their multi-functional piano, MP15, competes well against more expensive pianos from other makes. Kurzweil’s grand piano CGP220W and top of the line home piano CUP320 are beauties… their keys are wood and feel firm and solid – you’d think you were playing on a real grand piano.
Price: Stage pianos from£599, home pianos from £899 . Rent-to-buy from £45 per month.
See all Kurzweil digital pianos
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Kurzweils
4) Gewa digital pianos
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: DP220G, DP240G, UP260G, UP280G
Touch: 8.25
Sound: 8.75
Design: 7.5
Build Quality: 8.25
Reliability: 8
Resale Value: 5
Recent popularity: 4
Value for money: 7.5
Overall rating: 71.56 out of 100
Advice: Gewa, one of the largest musical instrument companies in Europe, are fairly new to the piano market. I remember seeing their first range of digital pianos in a music exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. I thought ‘they’re mediocre pianos… they sound alright and feel okayish to play. Nothing special really’. But that was 6 years ago. Today they have a complete new range of digital pianos that compete and even excel against the equivalent priced Yamahas and Rolands. All Gewa pianos are 100% made in Germany. They’re sampled on a Steinway concert grand. And their build quality is outstanding. Well, what else could you expect from the Germans? My favourite in the range is the UP260G. This is the piano I do my daily practice on in the UK Pianos showroom.
Price: Prices start from £999. Rent-to-buy from £55 per month.
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Gewa digital pianos
Get the free Digital Piano buyer’s Guide here
5) Kawai digital pianos
Kawai digital pianos have a nice key weighting with adequate resistance. Kawai have a vast range of models and colour options.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: ES8, CL37, CN27, CN37, CA97
Touch: 7.5
Sound: 7.5
Design: 8
Build Quality: 7
Reliability: 7
Resale Value: 6
Recent popularity: 6
Value for money: 6
Overall rating: 68.75 out of 100
Advice: Kawai offer a vast range of pianos at different price points for beginners up to advanced level.
Price: Budget learner pianos start from £700.
More information:
- The Howard Score (rates all digital pianos out of 100)
- The Digital Piano Bible (7 things you must know before you buy a digital piano)
- Kawai digital piano reviews
- See all Kawai digital pianos
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Kawais
6) Casio digital pianos
Casio offer three ranges: The Celviano, Privia and Hybrid.
Celviano
The key weight is nice, but a little springy, and the sound is OK considering the price you pay.
Privia
The privia pianos (px range) don’t sound as good as the Celviano range. They’re a little tinny because of their small cabinets and speakers. On the first Privia models (PX100), the keys were quite rattly and had too much side to side movement. Casio have vastly improved this now. Each new model they bring out performs a little better.
Casio digital pianos were considered mediocre a few years ago, unable to shake off their ‘calculator and watch’ image. But we’ve seen positive signs of improvement lately. Casio digital pianos aren’t as good as the big 3 (Roland, Yamaha and Kurzweil), but they’re generally cheap digital pianos designed for beginners – between half and two thirds the price of a Yamaha and Roland.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: CDP130, PX160, AP260, AP650
Touch: 7
Sound: 6.5
Design: 7
Build Quality: 5.5
Reliability: 5.5
Resale Value: 5.5
Recent popularity: 8.5
Value for money: 8
Overall rating: 66.88 out of 100
Advice: If you need a basic piano with loads of versatility (gadgets), then go ahead and buy a Casio digital piano from the Celviano range (Casio AP). You may want to consider the Casio Privia digital piano range if you’re short of space and your budget is tight. There’s also Casio’s very vest pianos – The Grand Hybrid range: GP300, GP400 and GP500. But for the price you’d be better off getting either a Yamaha CLP or Roland HP piano.
Price: Basic models start from £300.
More information:
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Casios
7) Broadway digital pianos
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: BA1, EZ-102, B1, B3, BG2
Touch: 7
Sound: 6.5
Design: 7.5
Build Quality: 7
Reliability: 7
Resale Value: 5
Recent popularity: 5
Value for money: 8.5
Overall rating: 66.88 out of 100
Advice: Broadway offer a nice selection of pianos. The BA1 is a portable piano that’s lightweight and can easily be put away when not in use. Broadway’s base model (EZ-102) is more than good enough for beginners up to intermediate level. The B1 and B3 pianos have a more realistic sound and a really nice, fully-weighted imitation ivory key feel. The Broadway B1 is my top recommended piano for a budget of around £800 and is UK Pianos’ number one selling digital piano. Then there’s the Broadway MK11, which is the only digital grand piano that plays songs by itself while the keys move up and down… it’s popular in restaurants, nursing homes, piano bars, hotels and even shopping centres. Both of Broadway’s grand pianos: BG2 and MK11 have wooden keys,
so they feel very much like playing a real acoustic grand.
Price: Portable model is £499. Home pianos start from £599. Rent-to-buy from £39 per month.
More information:
See all Broadway digital pianos
Broadway digital piano reviews
Email: grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for questions about Broadway
8) Classenti digital pianos
Classenti pianos offer a warm, resonant and realistic piano sound. The touch is heavy-weighted and authentic. There’s lots of good reviews from delighted customers. The current range is quite old now though, but I’ve heard Classenti are developing a new range. Watch this space!
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: CDP1, CDP2, UD1, DG1
Touch: 7
Sound: 7
Design: 7.5
Build Quality: 6
Reliability: 6
Resale Value: 6
Recent popularity: 5
Value for money: 7
Overall rating: 64.38 out of 100
Advice: If you’re buying your first piano and you want a decent sound, a realistic touch at an affordable price, the Classenti CDP1 is a good choice. The digital baby grand (DG1) is the most compact mini grand on the market, and great value at under £2,500.
Price: The first model in the series (CDP1) starts at around £600. These pianos are sold only online. Call 020 8367 2080 for the best deals.
9) Hadley digital pianos
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: S1, D10, D20, D30, D40
Touch: 6.5
Sound: 6
Design: 6.5
Build Quality: 6
Reliability: 6.5
Resale Value: 3.5
Recent popularity: 4
Value for money: 9
Overall rating: 60 out of 100
Advice: A really good range of digital pianos that are ideal for anyone learning to play. All Hadley digital pianos have the correct weighting on the keys. Their base model (D10) is excellent value and is the piano I recommend for children to learn on if you’re on a tight budget.
Price: Basic models start from £399. Rent-to-buy from £35 per month.
10) Korg digital pianos
Korg are better known for their high end keyboards and stage pianos. Although they do offer a limited range of budget pianos that compare well against other makes. If you’re on a really tight budget then check out the B1.
Korg digital pianos are fairly priced but, overall, their performance falls a long way short of the top manufacturers: Yamaha, Roland, Kurzweil, Kawai and Gewa.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: SP170S, B1, SP280, LP380
Touch: 6
Sound: 5.5
Design: 6
Build Quality: 6
Reliability: 5.5
Resale Value: 4.5
Recent popularity: 6
Value for money: 6
Overall rating: 57 out of 100
Advice: Wouldn’t really consider a Korg digital piano, but some people like their sound.
Price: Basic models start from £400.
More information:
11) Gear4Music digital pianos
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: SDP-2, DP6, DP7, DP10X, DP20
Touch: 4.5
Sound: 4.5
Design: 5
Build Quality: 6
Reliability: 6
Resale Value: 3.5
Recent popularity: 4.5
Value for money: 6
Overall rating: 50 out of 100
Gear4Music pianos are priced close to the bottom end of the market… they’re really basic. You can pick up a beginner’s digital piano for around £300 – £350… For that money it’s hard to find anything better.
More information:
See all Gear4Music digital pianos
12) Thomann digital pianos
Pianos reviewed: SP-5500, DP30, DP50, DP85
See all Thomann digital pianos
13) Suzuki digital pianos
Suzuki make great motorbikes… but digital pianos?
Yes, Suzuki are famous for their motorbikes and well known in the world of musical instruments. They’re famous for the ‘Suzuki teaching method’. Suzuki make great violins and bows, recorders, harmonicas and guitars…
Their digital pianos, however, fall well short of the mark.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: SS100, HP97, HP275)
Touch: 2
Sound: 3.5
Design: 3.5
Build Quality: 3.5
Reliability: 4
Resale Value: 4.5
Recent popularity: 1
Value for money: 2.5
Overall rating: 30.63 out of 10
Advice: Buy the Suzuki digital piano only if you are on a really tight budget.
Price: Basic model starts from RRP £799.
See all Thomann digital pianos
Reviews coming soon: Galileo, Hemingway, Orla, Dexibell, Bluthner, Chase
More digital pianos…
Gem digital pianos (No longer being produced from June 2009)
Gem (short for General Music) looked nice and had a good name behind them. They did lack in quality though. The sound wasn’t that good and they offered only a limited range of digital pianos.
Graham Howard’s Score Sheet:
Touch: 4.5
Sound: 5.5
Design: 6.5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Resale Value: 1.5
Value for money: 3
Overall rating: 38.8 out of 100
Advice: Gem pianos ceased production in 2009. There were less than a handful of Gem sellers in the UK when they were at their prime. You may be able to find the odd one, or two for sale in the secondhand market, but be careful. Finding spare parts for them are difficult now.
Price: Basic models used to sell for around £700-£800.
The digital pianos listed below vary in quality and haven’t been reviewed yet:
Alesis, Amason, Andante, Axus, Baldwin, Behringer, Bentley, Bluthner, Bohemia (no longer in production), Chase, Classic Cantabile, Cranes, Daewoo (no longer in production), Delson, Dexibell, Digiano, Diginova, Digitech, Dynatone, Eagletone, Ensoniq, Farfisa, Galileo, Gem (no longer in production), Hammond, Hemingway, Ketron, Kobrat, M-Audio, Mantova, Minster, Orla, Pianonova, Rikter, Ringway, Robertson, Samick, Sejung, Solton (no longer in production), Studiologic, Sulinda, Technics (no longer in production), Viscount, Wersi (no longer in production), Williams, Worlde.
Click here to find out how the above pianos rate in my book: “7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano“.
Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2019. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).
Graham Howard’s Top 3 Recommendations:
Now you’re armed with the right information you can go out and buy a digital piano with confidence. Don’t take too much notice if you feel you’re being pushed towards any particular digital piano. Ask the piano salesman to demonstrate a few different piano brands and then make the decision yourself based on the above information and what you feel is right for your needs.
You can buy a digital or upright piano on this website: www.ukpianos.co.uk. Most makes and models are available.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for then email grahamhoward@www.ukpianos.co.uk for advice.
Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your new digital piano! – Graham Howard
Further Reading:
The Digital Piano Bible (by Graham Howard)
Should I Buy a Digital Piano or an Upright Piano? (by Graham Howard)
Digital Piano Rankings – see how all pianos rate out of 100 (by Graham Howard)
The best place in your home to put your piano
Rent-to-Buy a digital piano from £35 per month, read more
Questions, reviews and comments
“You appear more of a philanthropist than someone who just wants to make money”
Hi Graham
What a fantastic website you have, you appear more of a philanthropist helping the world love pianos than someone who just wants to make money out of the business! something to be commended in this day and age!
Dawn
“Please could you advise which piano would be suitable”
Hi Graham
Q/ I am shortly taking early retirement and hope to learn the piano. I am considering a digital piano that be suitable for a beginner, but would also be suitable for advanced level should the need arise. I don’t need one with lots of bells and whistles, but would prefer a warm and rich sound, not something that sounds ‘tinny’. A head phone jack would be required for silent practise. Space is rather limited, as the piano will go in my bed room upstairs, so this would need to be taken into consideration.
I have been looking at the following recommendations:
1. Roland FP30, which had a really nice sound which I liked, but not sure what level this would be suitable for. The size seemed suitable.
2. Yamaha 163, again this had a lovely sound
3. Broadway B1 or B2. I’ve sadly been unable to find out what it sounds like.
4. Classenti CDP2
Please could you advise which would be suitable, or is there something else that I have missed. As this is a one off investment, I want to make sure that I get it right. My budget is under £1000, but could stretch a little further if necessary. However I would prefer to keep within my budget.
Many thanks, Irene
Hi Irene
A/ I like all the pianos on your short list.
It seems you’ve done some good research.
The Yamaha YDP163 would be my first choice.
It has the most realistic key touch. It feels closer to
playing a real piano, and the keys are more sensitive.
This would matter more when you reach a higher level.
The FP30 or B2 would be most suited to a tight space.
Being narrower, they take up less space than other pianos.
The FP30 has the edge on key feel, but they both sound nice.
Broadway B1 is the best value. Although its length is more
or less the same as the FP30 and B2, its depth is slightly
deeper. This is due to larger speakers and sliding-style
key cover. So, if you’re looking for a decent piano that’s
also compact, without spending too much, this would
be an excellent choice.
Yours pianistically, Graham Howard
“For first timers you simplify the jargons”
Dear Graham
Wanted to thank you for your inputs on which piano to buy.
First the argument between acoustic and digital is very well put across.
Secondly for first timers you simplify the jargons .
Thirdly your comparisons allows us to be aware of the trade off we are making.
There by allowing us to take a well informed decision.
Cheers, Mohita
“Thank you”
Dear Mr. Graham,
Thank you very much for your immediate email reply and and most applicable information. You are the expert!
Lenart
“A gold mine of information”
I’ve been researching pianos for my family for Christmas and came across your site today. What a gold mine of info! Thank you for putting all this online for free, I really appreciate it 🙂
John Segrave
“Thanks for giving your knowledge”
It’s reassuring to know that there are still people out there who want part with their knowledge to get others to appreciate music and playing whether by piano or any other musical instrument.
Once again thank you, Patrick
“Thanks, Graham, for the great input”
I am tied up on another project for a while and very limited in my time. I promise to do my due diligence:
1. Read everything I can, including personal reviews from others
2. Visit and try out as many digital pianos as I can find, even those which are geographically not so convenient
3. Provide you with a detailed repost on my findings an decision
Kate
“Extremely helpful and informative”
Hi Graham
Two summers ago I bought a digital piano to replace my old upright which had succumbed to moth in a terminal way! It seemed the best solution given our itinerant lifestyle. I went to THE piano shop in Norwich and tried a few Clavinovas before the salesman steered me towards the Kawais and proceeded to sell hard. Having recently read your online book “Digital Piano Buyer’s Guide”, which was extremely helpful and informative, I now understand why!
“Thanks also for your brilliant buyer’s guide”
Hi Graham
Very many thanks for your most helpful advice on the CLP645.
Thank you too for your absolutely brilliant buyer’s guide.
Kind regards, Geoff
“Kawai versus Yamaha, have you any advice?”
Dear Graham,
Q/ I went through your article on “which brand should I buy”. Indeed I want to buy a digial piano to learn the piano (I have never practised so far), so I’m far from a specialist in pianos sounds…
I went into a first shop & listened to Yamaha clavinovas & Casios and I definitely preferred the Yamahas. Then I went into another shop & listened to the Kawai digital pianos and I then preferred the Yamahas. The salesmen in both shops were very nice & didn’t try to influence me, they just let me listened.. I’m hesitating between the Clavinova CLP635 & the Kawai CN37 both on the same prices… I listened to both of them and I preferred the Kawai sounds… however since I don’t know pianos I was confused by your ratings with Clavinova ranging firsts… Have you any advice on the new kawai CN37 ?
What do you think I should choose?
Many thanks in advance for your help, Stéphanie
Hi Stephanie
A/ I have heard a lot of good comments lately about Kawai digital pianos.
I did this comparison and review a while ago and having played the latest Kawai models – I have to say they are definitely improving!
Still I would go for the Yamaha though. The touch is superb (close your eyes and you could well be playing an acoustic piano). The sound on the Yamaha has the edge over Kawai.
How long this will continue… who knows?
Regards, Graham Howard, UK Pianos
Further comments/
Hi Graham,
Many thanks for your answer; I bought the Yamaha CLP635 mostly based on your recommandations & on the fact they were at the same price. If the Kawai had been cheaper, I would have gone for it because it has more piano sounds & more features… however I had the opportunity to listen to both in the same shop this morning and I finally went for the yamaha..
There’s no pb for publishing my answer & your question since your site has been of much help to me & I would be pleased if it could help someone else.. (sorry for my English, I am a French expatriate living in Australia, so…)
Kind regards, Stéphanie
“Thank you for creating your piano knowledge book”
Dear Mr. Graham!
I have to thank you for your efforts creating your piano knowledge book. Me and my wife are in the process of buying a digital piano for our son and were totally confused with the
numerous information regarding these magnificant instruments. After reading your piano resource the vast sea of information finally started to make sense 🙂
Jasna
“Impressive information in laymans terms”
Hi Graham,
Many thanks for your excellent digital piano guide, an impressive amount of information in laymans terms.
Stewart
“Your article was really useful to get an insight of the quality and prices”
Dear Sir,
Many thanks for your article ‘digital pianos – which brand should I buy?’. I have carefully read the article and it was really useful to get an insight of the quality and prices of different brand of digital pianos.
I do have a Casio PS3000 digital piano and I can say I am satisfied with the quality of the sound produced and it was really good value for money, although I do not have it with me right now and I do really miss playing the piano as I am an international student at the University of Birmingham and finding a piano to play is not an easy job at all.
I bought my Casio it for $1000 and it has a really good sound similar to the yamaha which is more expensive but with no additional features compared to casio, almost the same sound quality. I even found casio better than yamaha. Hope to get more articles related to digital pianos. Wish you good luck in you work.
Regards, Rami Al Ashi
“Thanks for your independent advice”
Thank you for your time and independent advice, freely given. It makes such a difference to hear the voice of experience.
Kind regards, Alan Hone
“I really appreciate all your comments”
Hi Graham,
Thanks very much for the information – really appreciate all your comments – it helps as trying to purchase a piano is a mind field for someone who doesn’t have the knowledge!
Regards, Romina
“Do digital piano keys feel like an acoustic piano, or is it as light as the keyboard?”
Q/ Thank you for this very informative article. Roland sounds good. Is the feel of the keys like that of a piano, or is it as light as the keyboard? Since I am a beginner, I have been asking every one for advice. I would value yours.
Thanks, Indira
A/ The key weight on digital pianos is lighter than most upright pianos and much heavier than keyboards, as a general rule.
You need to make sure that the digital piano has a weighted action because there are some digitals out there that have keys weighted the same as a keyboard – for example the Roland EP760.
The exception to the rule tends to be modern uprights, especially the cheaper end of Yamaha, Kemble, Kurzweil, Kawai and Broadway pianos where the key weight is almost identical to a digital piano. So, it really depends on which type of piano you are comparing with.
As far as the Roland goes, the touch is on the light side, but much heavier than a keyboard. I would say that the Roland’s key touch is not far away from a brand new Yamaha upright piano with the exception of their Indonesian model B1 which has a stiff, heavy touch.
Here’s a list of the best digital pianos in order of key weight. I have listed the heaviest touch first:
1) Classenti
2) Yamaha
3) Kurzweil
4) Gewa
5) Kawai
6) Roland
7) Broadway
8) Korg
9) Hadley
10) Casio
My recommendation is to go for either the Roland, Yamaha, Kurzweil or Gewa.
Graham Howard
“Thanks for your guidance”
Graham
Thank you for all the help and guidance you have sent me regarding buying a digital piano which has been very useful as there are so many options out there.
Phil
“You are generous with your knowledge”
Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knowledge. It has been a great help to me.
Regards Betty
“You clearly know this market inside out”
Dear Graham,
I greatly appreciated this article about choosing a digital piano. You clearly know this market inside out.
Alex
“Such an informative site”
Hi Graham,
Thanks for pulling together such an informative site – I’ve spent many hours reading through the reviews, the “7 things you must know” book and piano forum.
Rob
“God bless you”
Am so greatful for what you are doing and it is my prayer that God bless you so much.
Best regards to you.
Samual
“A great help, thanks!”
Hi Graham
Thank you so much for the links you have mailed myself.
I am in the process of getting my daughter a digital piano for christmas.
This has helped me loads.
Very much appreciated.
Thank you again, Mich Carter
“Your book has been invaluable”
Hi Graham,
Thank you for your invaluable advice through the book. It has helped me a lot in understanding the terms used for the specifications and what I need to look out for when deciding on a digital piano.
Pauline, Malaysian residing in Indonesia.
“I wouldn’t know where to start if it wasn’t for your advice”
Hi Graham,
Thank you very much for all the very helpful advice in your book and email. I wouldn’t have known where to start without your help!
Myanah
“You’ve saved me loads of time and effort”
Thank you so much for your help.
I am going to have to save up a bit first, but as I had no idea about digital pianos, you’ve already saved me loads of time and effort, so thank you very much for that. When I do decide to get one, I’ll just read your recommendations again.
Thanx again, Monique
“Graham is always there and replies me”
I find Graham is a very professional pianist, on anoustic piano and on digital ones as well! Each time I need advise from him, he is always there and replies me in a responsible way.
Yasong from Canada
Customer comments…
“Just wanted to say thank you”
Graham,
Just wanted to say thank you. I purchased a Yamaha digital piano after reading an article you wrote re the quality of digital pianos currently on the market. In the past I’ve rented acoustic baby grand pianos but currently do not have the space in my home. I ended up purchasing the YDP223 for around $1500 and couldnt be happier. Thank you for the information in your article (I almost bought a suzuki).
David Leask
“It does come across as an unbiased opinion”
This article was 99% of the reason I bought a Yamaha CLP625 so was an invaluable read. It does come across as an unbiased opinion especially as I believe that you sell Classenti and only put that company 4th in terms of overall score. I also found out about the Rocket Piano courses from your site and I’m currently making good progress with that course. So basically ukpianos.co.uk was by far the most influential site I visited.
Thanks, Chris
“I liked the article. I thought it was very honest”
Hi Graham,
I liked the article. I thought it was very honest. You obviously know your stuff, so an honest approach will always be preferred by readers, controversial or not.
I don’t intend to buy a digital piano at the moment, but I’m sure your article would be something I’d look at seriously if I did decide to. I’d rather go to buy one armed with a good idea of what I’m looking at than going in completely blind and having to play all the rubbish ones to find out !!
I’m sure for most people, the important factors would be the price, how realistic the sound and how it feels. For me the feel would have to be just right for me to consider a digital piano over a real one.
I only started playing a few months ago, on a pretty cheap keyboard (Yamaha PSRE303.. great beginners keyboard!!). As soon as I could play a little I bought an upright piano and now hardly ever touch the keyboard at all.
There’s something wonderful about the feel of a real piano. It almost feels alive. It’s something I’m not sure you could truly reproduce digitally. Playing my keyboard is now a very detached experience in comparison to playing my piano.
I have played on a Clavinova and thought it was very good indeed. I was impressed by the weight of the keys and sound quality was excellent. I didn’t spend much time on it though and as a beginner don’t really feel qualified to comment too deeply.
Mat H
“Thanks once again. We need more people like you in this world.”
Hi Graham:
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion on the best piano brand to buy. I wish I knew you a long time ago before I bought mine. After looking at the different brands, I ended up choosing Casio. I thought it was better than Yamaha because it had a screen that beginners can see which finger is being placed on each note as a song is played from the song bank.
Although I have not chosen the better brand, I think that I have made a wise choice (for a beginner). However, I must assure you that if I happen to migrate I will have to buy another piano because this one is a bit too big to travel with. Then, I will choose Yamaha.
Thanks once again. We need more people like you in this world.
Patricia
“I studied your ‘which digital piano article’ and set my heart on a Yamaha DGX 660”
Graham, thank you for your piano information. I studied your “which digital piano” & set my heart on a Yamaha DGX 660, Clavinovas are out of my price range. I tried that & Casio Privia at Cookes of Norwich but when shown a Kawai CL37, which you didn’t think too highly of, I fell in love with it’s sound, very light touch , silent but weighted action & only 11 inches deep.
I may try rocket piano when I get more used to playing. ”
Les Reilly
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