Digital Piano Recommendations

[mr quick]

There's also the NU-1, which has full hammer action but costs an arm and a leg

[Doctor Jeff]

There's also the NU-1, which has full hammer action but costs an arm and a leg

Well it's all relative. Michelle and I are weighing the pros and cons of instruments costing a couple of thousand dollars. Some people around here spend $5-6000 easy on a guitar they like.

We were very fortunate to get a Yamaha baby grand from my (ex) FIL years back when my kids were taking lessons. It was a WONDERFUL instrument that would cost well over $10,000 today. My ex-wife has it now, so it's still "in the family" so to speak.

I don't think I would spend more than $4000 for a digital though, cause we're not professionals, and I think we could get everything we want out of a less expensive instrument.

Right now the 645 Clavinova is leading the pack. I am a little hesitant to buy a "big ticket" item right now, but my job is secure, I have a bit of money coming back from Uncle Sam, and I feel I might be doing my part to keep the local economy going. The piano shop (Keyboard Kastle) is a very nice establishment--kind of the piano equivalent of Dave's Guitars--and the salesman/owner is willing to really go out of his way to sell us something even with businesses being on partial lockdown. (Internet sales still OK.) I'm not sure he would come down on the price much, and frankly I don't feel good taking advantage of a struggling businessman in these times that are so tough on retailers.

[2bornot2bop]

It's tough to beat a Yamaha, especially the higher you go. Weighted keys are of course a must. I play a now vintage S90ES, circa 2005. Problem with the new Yamaha's is that they don't sound any better today than my vintage S90ES. That's the downside to a digital...it still sounds digital. Will they ever create a digital that sounds like an acoustic? We're still many years away I suspect...and that's what they said well over a decade ago.

My S90ES sounds superior to any of those you've sampled thus far. I uploaded 3 premium sound cards to it years ago. Those cards turned the lowly S90ES into a very respectful digital piano. I've played piano for 40 years, so I know the tonal difference between a digital and an acoustic.