looking for an electric piano

[apollo526]

So I know that there are pianos, keyboards, and digital pianos - and likely no such thing as an electric piano.  But... that is what I want.  I would simply buy a piano if it were not for the fact that I live in a one bedroom apartment (meaning I A) don't have the room and B) can't be that loud).

So I have resigned myself to getting a digital piano / keyboard.  This is where I get frustrated.  It seems that every keyboard offers 100+ "gimmick" features, likely the ability to record, the ability to play sounds, demo sounds, etc.  I don't want that.  I want what I would get if I bought a piano, except smaller (or at least the ability to break down) and the ability to play nearly silently.

I've seen digital pianos, but suddenly we jump into $500+ digital pianos.  Why do the keyboards that come with 100+ features cost $120, but the ones that simply mimic an actual piano cost $500+?  Is it really just that the keys are weighted?  I'm not fully against spending $500+ on a digital keyboard, but it annoys me when I see actual pianos on Craigslist for $200.

So - with my rant drawing to a close - can anyone please recommend a keyboard / digital piano / electric piano / something that meets my criteria?  For price, lets keep it under $1,000, but obviously lower is better.  Who knows, I might find that I hate this entire experience and give it up within 6 months...

On that note - does anyone recommend a good beginner method / book / process for an adult?  This might be a better question for the student forum, but I figured why not start here?

Thank you!!

[j_menz]

So I know that there are pianos, keyboards, and digital pianos - and likely no such thing as an electric piano. 

There is, actually. Or at least there used to be - not sure if they still make them. I played one many years ago, and they have an "interesting" sound. Most digitals these days have an emulation in their sound bank.  Used chiefly for pop/rock and occasionally jazz. They sound nothing like a "real" piano.

I've seen digital pianos, but suddenly we jump into $500+ digital pianos.  Why do the keyboards that come with 100+ features cost $120, but the ones that simply mimic an actual piano cost $500+?  Is it really just that the keys are weighted? 

Pretty much, but that (along with 88 keys) is what you'll need.

[minifingers]

I found the best budget option digital piano (with stand and a stool it cost me under £500) that sounds and responds enough like a real piano was the Casio CDP 120. It only comes with a tiny selection of non-piano sounds and of course you can plug your headphones in to it. It is the full 88 keys in length though so is almost as long as a real piano but quite a bit slimmer.

The only real criticism I have with it is that it only has a single sustain pedal and it's really rubbish but I bought a much better replacement fairly cheaply so that's not the end of the world. It's great for a beginner like me anyway and they're pretty well reviewed on amazon so it's not just me!

[lhorwinkle]

You said ...  "I'm not fully against spending $500+ on a digital keyboard, but it annoys me when I see actual pianos on Craigslist for $200."

Well, those $200 Craigs List pianos are often junk. Any of them will require $100 or $200 or $300 to be moved, and another $100 or $150 for tuning. And in many cases they require thousands of dollars of restoration. They're described as being in "fine condition", and indeed the cabinet might be so. But the inner workings are often in dismal shape. Most were low-grade consumer pianos when new, and are worse when old. There are exceptions, but you'd need a qualified technician to render an assessment.

So don't compare a $500 digital piano to a $200 junk acoustic piano.

You also said ...  "I've seen digital pianos, but suddenly we jump into $500+ digital pianos."

Well, digital pianos under $500 are toys. Pianos under $1000 are only a smidge better than toys. If you want something decent (new), plan on spending over $1000 minimum. The low-price units are for kids, or for someone unsure of whether he (or his kid) might give up the piano before long and so the spend/waste must be kept to a minimum.

A beginner might make do with a cheap digital. But if he persists and wants to become skillful, the cheap piano will have to go, and be replaced by something better ... which just doubles your spend.

[minifingers]

Well, digital pianos under $500 are toys. Pianos under $1000 are only a smidge better than toys. If you want something decent (new), plan on spending over $1000 minimum. The low-price units are for kids, or for someone unsure of whether he (or his kid) might give up the piano before long and so the spend/waste must be kept to a minimum.

A beginner might make do with a cheap digital. But if he persists and wants to become skillful, the cheap piano will have to go, and be replaced by something better ... which just doubles your spend.

I don't think my piano is like a toy I've only been learning a year but i've had two considerably more experienced piano players have a go and they had no complaints as to the quality of sound produced and I found their music very enjoyable to listen to.

If I hadn't been a beginner myself when I first bought one I possibly would have gone for a much pricier model. But if mine broke today I would replace it with one of the same, in a few years time I may buy a more expensive model but I really wouldn't be upset by the loss as I could still use the stool and could probably get some of my money back selling the piano or at least the stand, losing me about £200 in total, a small price to pay for getting me into a hobby that I love. There is logic on getting the best model from the start but there is also logic in going for a cheaper but still decent piano as a beginner and if you get really good then going for the more expensive model (by which time you will have probably played your poor old first piano to death!).

[rockandroll]

Hi , the less sounds and widgets a keyboard has , the more time ( and room ) the makers have for making the piano sounds brilliant.
Personally I enjoyed playing on 100 euro piano's as well as 2000 € piano's ( NOTE : real piano's , old  pieces)
In electronics it's a different story , you pay a lot for the software and the engineering behind the product. How the keys act , and mostly how the stuff sounds ! The soundcards of digital piano's with 5 sounds vs keyboards with 300 sounds is way more advanced and gives a real impression of how it sounds in real life
You can find good sounding piano's for 500 € , electronic or real. Sure it won't do if you are a classical student in a music university or something , but for normal people it does the deal , you can make brilliant music on it. Everyone saying that it's all junk or bad is ignorant and are just defending their own material.
Go for something which sounds good to you , and which feels good. Def go for weighed keys and 88 keys. FOr the rest , ENJOY. You don't need tons to make good music ;-)

If you want it cheap ,  you can go to a MIDI keyboard.
88 weighed or semi-weighed . this way you buy only your controller , so it's pretty cheap because you don't need to buy the software along. I have one from M-audio (prokeys 88 I think) and it plays pretty good for the 100 € I payed for it. The sound I get with contact 5 and Giantpiano on my laptop

Connect it to you computer and get software like Contact5 from "sources" ...