Kawai ES520 Piano

Description

Questions/

I have read your ‘Bible’ as part of my ongoing research into choosing a piano for myself. Excellent work.

My situation is this: I am 79 and want to start playing again after a gap of 35 years. At that time I was largely self-taught and able to play things like Bach inventions, the easier Mozart sonatas, bits of Schubert etc. Not very good but time was so limited. Nowadays we have no room for a real piano, nor a furniture style digital one, but only for one of those ‘stage’ pianos. It has to fit into a small office/bedroom. In your various lists you don’t cover many of them sadly. As I live miles from any large showroom I think my best option is to hire for a month or so to see if my project gets going – or whether it’s just a pipe dream. I can read music OK, know my around the keyboard but the fingers will behave very badly indeed, sure of that!

After a lot of online research I found I liked the idea of a Kawai ES520 at around £700 but there are so many others!

So, what would you recommend? I really have no interest in all the other sounds that digital pianos can produce, nor the numerous electronic controls. I just want a proper touch and a good sound (40W probably). All the clever stuff like rhythm backing, drums etc I find annoying but guess you have to put up with it.

Reply/ Hi Stephen

The Gewa PP-3 is the piano I recommend for you.

It has a fully-weighted key touch that feels
close to playing a real piano.
It’s sound quality is really nice, having been
sampled on a Steinway grand… You can hear
its rounded tone in the middle registers and
the rich, vibrant bass notes.

It’s really good value too.

You can see it here

We don’t do a month’s hire, but we do offer
a Rent to Buy.
The monthly rental is £40 and you can buy
it at the 6 month point with all rentals
counting towards the price.
Or you can return it, if you prefer.

Yours pianistically

Graham Howard