How do i decide what piano to buy? Been playing for about 3-4 school semesters.

[freezybox]

Hi. I've been practicing with an M audio midi keyboard with only 49 keys and they are not weighted, everything is plastic.

I want to buy a piano now or at least a nice keyboard 300-700$ i guess would be the price range hopefully cheaper though.

I want it to have all the keys possible and weighted. Also with the correct pedals would be cool.

Can anybody give me any tips on what to look at? I have no idea how to decide what piano is good or not, mine is garbage.

Thanks for any help !!!!!

[iansinclair]

The best bet, in my view, would be a real piano -- a spinet or an upright, most likely.  But that assumes that you have room for it, and that you don't need it to be silent.  And it also assumes that you live somewhere with decent access to used pianos -- since this forum is global, that has to remain as an assumption!  But in most of Europe, United States, Canada, Australia at least, that's quite possible.

You could get something in your price range which would be pretty decent, I suspect.

[hfmadopter]

If not to go with a real piano as has been suggested then in your price range Yamaha has some options. Obviously your search for a piano has to start with your budget, which you have set or stated at least. It ( the budget) will put you into GHS action or so called Hammers from Yamaha, which isn't there best weighted system but not the worst on the market either. If you don't have the bucks you don't have the bucks and that's about the size of it. But all of Yamaha's latest sound engines are quite decent and if you run it through virtual software it doesn't much matter anyway. One of their latest pianos out is a simple piano, replaces the P95 but adds a few features the P95 didn't have, including a new sound engine.. It's the P105, brand new piano out this year ( well last year now already !). It has GHS action, again not the best but not the worst either, it feels fairly decent and the grand piano sounds are nice. It has USB Midi, 1/4" line out and head phone jacks too, some of which was a downfall of the P95 where it didn't have all that. On sale you can find this for $500. that's one piano you might want to watch some demos and reviews on , then go try one out.

You could do worse than picking up a Yamaha DGX 640. Nice sound, decent built in software for the money and a really sturdy stand, I mean rock solid stand. Again , in your price range this is a GHS piano.  It has a lot of functionality for working with software on board or with a computer. Again, watch listen to some videos, then try it out.

Casio I would jump over everything till you get to the Privia PX350. If you can find one on sale it may come in at your top price point. The PX 130-330 are now irrelevant as a new purchase IMO since the outcome of the 350. It's worth saving up an extra $100 or $200 to get the 350.

Another thought is last generation used pro stage pianos or even digital consoles. I'm personally Leary of used electronics but a lot of folks don't mind, as the price difference from new is pretty large. This could get you into pro level gear.

There are a lot of upright pianos listed all the time in my local Craigslist though. Some nice sounding Baldwins in supposed nice shape for $350. That's your call. With acoustic you do have tuning charges and moving costs etc.

[bronnestam]

I suggest you visit a dealer, or several dealers, and try some models out. If YOU like a piano, then go for it! Don't listen too much to every self-appointed expert out there ... having a piano is like getting into a long-term relationship, it should be YOUR choice on what suits YOU the best.

I have played on Yamaha Clavinova since the beginning of the 90's ... I recently bought a new one - CLP 456GP - and I simply love it. Nice sound, nice feeling, nice look, which means I love to play it and that is what matters. A piano that annoys you will not do.
There is a certain, personal feeling in acoustic pianos that you rarely can get from a digital, but to most of us they also have clear disadvantages: they need to be tuned regularly, they are heavy and sometimes hard to fit in a room, and they can be disturbing to the whole environment, which might have negative impact on your practicing habits. On the other hand, they are not popular anymore, at least not here in Sweden, which means that you sometimes can get them almost for free! (Or for "transportation costs" ...)

So, this is what I would do if I were you: 1. Go finding the best pianos there are, the most spectacular grand pianos etcetera. They are not reserved for the "royalties", every serious piano buyer should get a chance to TRY them. For example, if my budget and my living space were unlimited, I would probably choose a Yamaha grand, or maybe a Steinway. I don't like Bösendorfer at all, though, the touch and sound does not suit me. What about you?
2. Go to dealers that sell pianos that you can afford (real and digital) ... and try to find the one that you like the best, now when you know what you are looking for. And forget the technobabble about feature this and that, "real pianists play on real pianos" and so on, because you should follow your own taste and preferences.

[indianajo]

your continent matters.  I the far east, you are pretty much limited to something new or recent. In North America, hundreds of competent console pianos are going to the dump every day.   Meanwhile, the brand names are being destroyed by companies that bought the old names to sell their budget line import pianos. 
I also see great pianos being dumped by individuals for $0-300, to reappear on craigslist for $500-$750 by dealers.  A great line of ** from a salesman who exudes confidence, a good tuning, and truck and crew available at the right time can double the cost of a used piano. Even if the showroom is a booth in a flea market. 
Here is what to look for- nothing shorter than 39".  Great tone on at least one note, the rest can be out of tune and probably will be.  No sticky keys - try chromatic runs up and down several times, to make sure everything works if not sounding good.  No pings or bonks from broken strings.  No rattles from a broken soundboard.  Speed of action. Play one note as fast as possible with two alternating hands, to see what the limits of the action are. Much variation in brands and even between models of one brand in this last category.  Matching sound between the 2 string and 3 string notes.  Usually about A3 is the split.  Open it up. No visible denting of the hammers or dampers in the middle, that show the piano was used in a school or has too many hours. No bent hammer shafts.  I accepted one spliced string on the 1941 Steinway 40 , it is not perfection and bonks slightly, but the piano is overall worth it at the $1000 I paid.   
Brands I have liked- Sohmer, Baldwin, Hamilton by Baldwin, Steinway, Mason & Hamlin, Wurlitzer, Chickering, Everett.   Brands I actively disliked - Kimball, Winter, Yamaha, Cincinnati.   
Note the brands on the like list, built after 1985? might be anything from anywhere, I'm talking about US production here on these brand names.  . 
Tuning- I tune it myself. It is not perfect, but pretty good and getting better all the time.  Wear safety glasses, you can break  a string if you go too far sharp at once.  The most stable tuning brands have been Steinway and Everett.  My 1982 Sohmer needs tuning twice a year, the 1941 Steinway I did 7 times the 2 months after I bought it to get it right and it needs it again about two years later.  My mother's 1953 Everett was tuned twice in the 16 years I played it, and did not  sound bad ever, other than the A3 to Gb sound mismatch I mentioned. 
So find a friend with a pickup available at short notice, salvage 3 2"x8"x8' boards for a ramp,  buy a piano dolly (I like the 1200 lb from mcmaster.com, $72+10 freight) and watch craigslist for a bargain that has to move by this weekend.  You'll save $300 right there.  You'll need the dolly and ramp in the future, a student moves a lot.  I move mine with 2 men, even upstairs, and I am a small 160 lb guy in my sixties.  Do pushups and situps and squats to be ready when you find it, the army daily dozen or the Pilates regime is good for your overall health, anyway.  Good hunting!

[freezybox]

Thanks a lot for all the posts you guys it has helped me a lot I'll try to check out some pianos soon.