i need a piano

[ricwyk]

Anyone knows where to rent a good ( cheap rental, nice sounding ) piano home?

P/s . I just came to vancouver and need urgently a piano at home to coutinue my study. I live in vancouver , near burnaby.

[janice]

Call your local music store.  Music stores rent out pianos.  Could you afford a cheap, low-quality piano?  Would that suit your needs?  Look in the classified ads of your newspaper.  I have a friend who just bought a Wurlitzer spinet. (He wanted a better piano, but for now, he will make do with it because his wife just had a baby and they are strapped financially)  He's not crazy about Wurlitzer spinets.  It was listed at $500 but he talked them down to $300.  That's pretty good bargaining!  So ya never know what might happen!

[ricwyk]

should i consider a nice digital piano. ( i am currently at grade 6/7 in rcm ).

it's cheaper. and i heard the technology now can make it feels like a real piano.

[janice]

should i consider a nice digital piano.

Possibly.

Someone else should answer that.  If price is an issue, then a digital piano might be cheaper, in the long run, than a "real" piano. The cost of maintenance and upkeep of a "real" piano can really add up to alot of money over the years.  It is recommended (at least it is her where I live) that pianos be tuned twice a year.  This costs (on average) between $40-$70.  Digital pianos never have to be tuned.  Throw in some periodic maintenance costs and it adds up.

Before you think that I'm advocating a digital piano, I am not!  I have a bad attitude towards them!!  But that's just me, so don't listen to me!!  LOL

Now for input from others.............

[jr11]

Hi Ricwyk;  I'm in the Vancouver area too, but a long way from Burnaby. There are plenty of respectable shops in town that will rent or rent-to-own. The yellow pages are a great resource, but if you are really confused, send me an instant message and I'll recommend a shop to you out this way.

There is no substitute for a piano in good repair; after all, that is the instrument we are learning to play. However, pianos are expensive, big and heavy, require maintenance, are a pain to move, and cannot be played silently (ie: with headphones). Digitals solve these problems, but you sacrifice some touch sensitivity and audio ambience.

Grab some music today and go to a well stocked store, preferably at a quiet time of day. Play every piano and digital available for rent, or purchase if that is an option. Get one... don't delay your practice any longer! Have fun.

[Shagdac]

Ricwyk,

I agree that digitals are no substitute for the real thing, however they do serve a purpose as far as practicing goes. If you have the room for one, I feel a real piano is best. There may be some differences in the cost but I don't agree that the cost of a digital is necessary less than that of a regular accoustic. Sure a regular NEW is going to be much more, however there are so many used pianos in good condition out there (at least in my area) it is ridiculous. Not just at the music stores, which tend to be slightly higher priced, but I see literally 3-5 a week in our classified section of the daily newspaper that are advertised for "FREE if you pick up" or under $200.00. Seriously. No granted, they are not steinways, but for the most part they are in fairly good condition, and may just need a tuning. Some are excellent, people just want to get rid of them. Also check out Estate sales. I have 2 friends that just got pianos from a school that replaced many of theirs, and they got them for $50.00 each. They are in great condition.

Also, I have a digital Yamaha Clavinova CLP-120. It's great for practicing when everyone else is asleep or when I can't disturb anyone, and also for recording and doing other things. But it cost far more than the used pianos I see in the paper...or the stores for that matter.

JR11 gave good advise....visit the music stores, play on various pianos, also check out the digitals. But base your decision on your need. Do you need something portable, what about upkeep? Although other than tuning a piano once or twice a year...there's not much to it. Do you just want to play it, or do you want to do other things? Then decide what you feel will best fit your needs, and based on the different digitals and accoustics you've tested choose what you liked the most. Then shop around for the best price. I bet you will find one cheaper than what your thinking!

Good luck
S