Need advice on a good piano ....

my best advice is to play it before you buy it.  feel the keys - how well do they respond compared to other DPs?  how does it sound?  be careful, too, about how it sounds.  what is it being sent through?  a behringer keyboard amp?  or a roland?  or a crown and Rokits?  is that what you're going to use in the studio (I assume this is not for gigging).

don't laugh - but I have a Casio PX-3 stage piano.  the sounds are not the greatest - I used to run it through a motif to get the best piano sound, but I sold my motif (and I'm kind of regretting that because it sounded so good!).  but the feel of the graded hammer action keys on the Casio were better than any other DP I played.  but they vary so much in feel and tone.

I know this isn't really a direct recommendation for a particular DP, but I feel it absolutely necessary to play it with the closest environment you'll be playing it in when you buy it as possible BEFORE purchase.
 
EDIT:  oops - I just noticed that's not a Digital Piano - but a real acoustic one.  sorry - but the advice still stands.  play it first!!!  listen to it in the best environment you can closest to what you'll be using it in.

I recommend you do 2 things:

Shop for a nice used piano... and definitely play it before you choose.

Watch this movie: http://www.notebynotethemovie.com/ so as to gain an appreciation for how important it is to play it before you choose.


best regards,
mike

I agree with a few of the statements above.

1. Play it before you but it.
2. Used piano's are a really good deal. 
3. Do not discount the digital piano's.

Many people run out and buy a brand new piano thinking it is something they will totally love. If your wife was already a player of several years experience and not just getting ready to start.... I might say yeah, go buy a new piano if that's what you want. BUT since your post indicated that she is planning to start learning. She might find out that the piano is not something she wants to do after a few months of lessons and practice. SO..... i would recommend either a nice used piano or buy a nice digital piano.

Others who started and gave up, after buying a retail piano generally have them for sale at really sweet prices. Understand that a real piano is large and really, really heavy. I know because I bought one from a church and had to get it down from the second floor, load it on a trailer, and then get it into my living room.

As far as the digital piano's go, you can now find some excellent ones with weighted keys, so they feel similar to the "real ones" with hammers and mechanical linkages, and if you play a few, you will discover quickly that each piano has it's own feel and action. (That's why you need to play it)  Digital piano's tend to be less expensive than the real ones.... and like was mentioned, they have excellent sound samples in them, output midi, are much much lighter, smaller in size, have headphone jacks for silent practice, and have excellent resale value if that becomes a reality.

Visit a music store, and also a classic piano/organ store. That way you can get the feel of both and make an informed decision.

Personally, the only way I wold buy an acoustic piano would be if I had the room, and I mean, a lot of room for it. The one I had was an old tall upright so it didn't take up too much room but it was obviously the biggest thing in the room.

Good luck... and have fun on the hunt for the right instrument.

Totally noob player , she is , that's why i'm asking ...if it was me i put the trigger on a roland virtual ...but she wants a real piano and new !.... so i just wanted so real player advice to add to my hear ;)

mike_mccue


I agree 100% about the need for a piano tech.

You can find used piano at actual piano stores.

They frequently do trade ins when people trade up.

The point is... the piano tech can be from that store... and the store can determine if the piano has issues above and beyond basic maintenance.


best regards,
mike

+1

If you're in or near a large city, there should be at least one piano rebuilder who's well-regarded.  He/she will likely be part of a small one or two man shop... If you're lucky, not only will you get a quality piano at a cost much lower than new, but it will (likely) be as good as new or better in terms of care/craftmanship.  The tech/tuner may even be the person who rebuilt the piano, so will know it very well -- and often will throw in a few months of tunings with purchase, so this person will offer quality follow-up care for months or even years afterwards.

I have a Yamaha U3 which I really love. Its pretty much bang on your price range and sounds and plays great. I will warn you that it is very loud. It sends my dog running to the next floor (maybe its my playing). You could, if you want to go smaller and a bit cheaper, look into the yamaha U1 which has been a staple of piano education for a long time. Walk into a music school, conservatory exam centre, or university and it won't take you long to find a U1.
 
Anyway, big ups for Yamaha.  I played a lot of pianos in my search.
 
One of the fun things about buying a piano is the salespeople compliment your playing. I was stinking my way through the start of Rhapsody in Blue when one gentlement told me my playing was beautiful :)

One of my buddies just had a family owned piano shipped down from upstate NewYork. It's been tuned up and will now have to settle in for a few months before it gets another tuning.

They already have a small grand at their house and now they have a marvelous upright as well.

Real pianos... even bad ones... make inspiring sounds... a sound that I have never heard coming out of my speakers.

I'd say that there's no reason not to have a real piano to get started with. It's what many generations of people have started on... and frankly, even the very best digital piano is lacking in that glorious and inspiring sound that vibrates off the sound board of an actual acoustic piano.

I didn't learn to play piano as a kid but I grew up in a house where one was played almost everyday by someone in the family.

My guess is that if Zo is even inquiring about a actual piano then he can probably afford to put one in the house and take a chance on *love*.

Anyways...

all the best,
mike

If you're intent on buying a brand new acoustic piano, then IMO, any reputable outlet should provide the services of a decent tech to come and set up/tune the thing once they've delivered it, free of charge.

This is a MASSIVE investment you're making (and earning them a good profit as well) so the very least they should do is to say, yeah, we'll get it set up & tuned for you, for free.

Use your bargaining power man!!!!

There is no Digital piano that will give the same player feedback as a real hammer striking a real string and falling back. No way you can capture the subtlety of dynamics either. If its " real " she requires - then there's no substitute. Now whether new or high end used....that's something worth fighting for... and against.

Find a professional pianist ask them what they recommend.
A piano is an complicated instrument and there's so much more to one than there is to a guitar. We have a Yamaha C2 ( I think that's correct) in our auditorium. We bought it second hand from a music college for $10,000.
It was in mint condition. Many very very talented pianists have now played it at our concerts. I have recorded it many times as well.  We chose that piano because it was recomended by the artists who would be playing it. It was also approved by the Royal Conservatory examiner who comes every year to test our students.
It is the SM 57 of grand Piano's ( and it's Black) There is a pair of white gloves you must wear before you can touch it. It is tuned every 2 months on a contract. We have a humidity controlled box to park it in.

Point to be made here is that owning a real grand piano will require a proper humidity/ temp controlled room and a good tech to keep it in shape.
 Do not purchase a second hand piano without having the person you will have service it giving you a thumbs up. There are many parts that can wear out. Sometimes Hotels and such get ride of them because they are worn out and need new felts and keyboard leveling. If your tech thinks it's worth the effort these can be a good bargain. If money is not the issue , buy new. It will sound excellent. Little bright at first but just play it! Nothing can replace a real grand piano.

I'm a professional player and my Dad is a piano technician/re-builder.  The best advice I can offer is this: pianos are largely hand-made and entirely hand-maintained.  Each one is unique; depending greatly on the environment(s) it's been in and who's been taking care of it....this includes new pianos btw.  Pianos are like dogs, they come in breeds but each one has its own "personality" and the right one for you will be just that....the right one for you.  For example, I saw several recommendations for Yamaha.  I hate them, with the exception of ONE in a studio that I have spent a bunch of time in.  It is a beautiful C7 that a love to play.  Steinways are popular in the "legit" croud, I like SOME of them...many of them are crap.  Bosendorfers have a particular case design that I tend not to like the sound of.  My favorite piano I've ever played was a Mason & Hamlin.    Older Baldwins can be nice many of them, particularly newer ones, are utter crap.  Young Changs are very popular as budget pianos.  The quality of these can be a bit iffy but they can serve you well if properly maintained.  Don't bother with lower-end spinets; the Baldwin Acrosonic for example is one of the worst instruments ever built. 

Basically, choose a piano the way you would choose a house.  You may like the style and price-range of a particular builder but each one is unique. 

VERY IMPORTANT:  Before you start shopping, find a really good technician and include him in the process.  Not only will he be able to steer you away from "turds," the way a piano is maintained makes all the difference.  A good voicing, for example, will make or break any piano from a Kawai studio upright to a 9 foot Steinway concert grand.  Good luck!