Best weighted 88 keys?

[Konway]

Anyone have a recommendation?

 

I need a replacement practice keyboard, so the only thing I care about is the feel of the keys. The keyboard will only be for practicing with a pair of headphones, so it doesn't need 800 voices and 42 different outputs with hyper-turbo supersonic polysampling waffle-maker.

 

It will be replacing a Yamaha P80 that my brother recently broke a key on . The feel of those keys was pretty good but a little on the heavy / slow side. I would just go ahead and get the P85 but can't find a comparison anywhere...

[Nillerbabs]

I take it you're looking for a piano-like keyboard. As you seem to know, there is no unequivocal answer to your inquiry. Looking at top shelf products, a lot of people like the RD-700GX and the Yamaha CP300 - and there seems to be universal appreciation going on about the keybed on the new CP-5.

 

Since you're looking at the P85, I take it you're on a restricted budget. In that case I can vouch for the new Casio keyboard line, PX330/130 or, if an elegant practice solution is what you're looking for, the new PX-830. That's a purty one.

[Konway]

I take it you're looking for a piano-like keyboard. As you seem to know, there is no unequivocal answer to your inquiry. Looking at top shelf products, a lot of people like the RD-700GX and the Yamaha CP300 - and there seems to be universal appreciation going on about the keybed on the new CP-5. Since you're looking at the P85, I take it you're on a restricted budget. In that case I can vouch for the new Casio keyboard line, PX330/130 or, if an elegant practice solution is what you're looking for, the new PX-830. That's a purty one.

Cool, thanks for the info! I'll have to look into reviews of all the models you mentioned after my classes are over today. I saw the CP33 and CP300 mentioned somewhere as being the true descendants of the P80, but they seemed to have a lot of unnecessary features. Are their keybeds significantly different from the P85? I already have a Motif XS7 with more technical features than I currently need but we all know synths are useless for classical practice, the only thing I care about on this one is how the keys feel Budget isn't the concern because my idiotic brother broke the key , so he or my parents will pay for a replacement.

 

Most upright pianos seem to have a light feel that I really like. My parents have a 30-ish year old Baldwin baby grand and the action on that is definitely heavier than any piano I would spend my own money on. The P80 was the best of the keyboards I was personally able to test at the time (around 10 years ago) but the action is also much heavier than what I consider ideal, and it felt a bit slow too.

[Masaaki]

If your budget is not a big concern, I recommend either Roland RD700GX, Kawai MP8II, or upcoming Yamaha CP-5 (available in May). They are all ~$2500 range. I recently got RD700GX for the similar purpose, and I like the touch/feel of the keybed. I also have upright piano, but recenlty my daughter monopolize it, and I can't play late at night. So, I wanted something I can play with a feel of real piano, without making big noise at night. I used to play my grandfather's ~70yr old Yamaha grand, which was incredibly heavy, and I didn't like most of the lighter touch keybeds. That was the main reason I chose RD700GX even the sound is not as good as others.

I guess you can try Roland RD700GX at guitar center nearby, and you'll find what I meant. Kawai is difficult to find, unless you have a friend who owns it, or piano dealers have it for demo.

[Konway]

If your budget is not a big concern, I recommend either Roland RD700GX, Kawai MP8II, or upcoming Yamaha CP-5 (available in May). They are all ~$2500 range. I recently got RD700GX for the similar purpose, and I like the touch/feel of the keybed. I also have upright piano, but recenlty my daughter monopolize it, and I can't play late at night. So, I wanted something I can play with a feel of real piano, without making big noise at night. I used to play my grandfather's ~70yr old Yamaha grand, which was incredibly heavy, and I didn't like most of the lighter touch keybeds. That was the main reason I chose RD700GX even the sound is not as good as others. I guess you can try Roland RD700GX at guitar center nearby, and you'll find what I meant. Kawai is difficult to find, unless you have a friend who owns it, or piano dealers have it for demo.

Do the keyboards really feel that much better though? I know everyone has their own preference about whether heavy / light is good, and hopefully weighted keys have progressed enough that they're all faster than the P80 I have, but it just seems like the expensive keyboards are pricier because of all the software features, not because the key action is superior.

 

I just want to be sure it's actually worth it. I don't feel bad telling my brother / parents they need to buy a $2500 replacement because I know they can last. I had the P80 for ~10 years and could have easily had it for another 10+ if it weren't for him breaking a key.

 

Sound is irrelevant to me -- I'll be plugging in a crappy pair of headphones or sometimes even earbuds.

# of voices / instruments is also irrelevant -- I'll never use anything other than the main piano option.

Composing features / extra outputs / inputs all useless -- I have a motif XS7 for everything else, this keyboard will only ever have headphones, power and sustain pedal plugged in.

 

Interesting side note: I'm looking for another keyboard for the exact same reasons you got one My brother is always pounding the baby grand to death (which is probably how he broke a key on my P80) and my family is asleep hours before I go to bed every night.

[MartinHines]

Budget isn't the concern because my idiotic brother broke the key , so he or my parents will pay for a replacement.

Do your parents know you can get your existing keyboard repaired for a lot less money than buying a new keyboard?

 

Keys on synths sometimes do break, especially since they are made of plastic.

 

If one of your parent's cars gets a flat tire, do they go out and buy a new car?

[Yoozer]

 

Do the keyboards really feel that much better though?

 

The keys of the MP8II are made of wood, not plastic.

 

Personally, I loved the keyboard of the RD700GX but went with an FP7. Felt better to me personally than the Yamahas in the same price range.

[Konway]

Do your parents know you can get your existing keyboard repaired for a lot less money than buying a new keyboard? Keys on synths sometimes do break, especially since they are made of plastic. If one of your parent's cars gets a flat tire, do they go out and buy a new car?

Thanks, Mr. Smart Ass Not everyone has a competent keyboard repair shop just around the corner. I thought I could save space by not explaining the entire situation.

 

First, I'm not driving all over the place just to maybe find someone who can fix what he broke (they can't exactly inspect it over the phone). Second, we were going to need another keyboard for him to take back to college next fall, and the P80 was a gift to me 10 years ago, so my parents agreed to get him a keyboard for school. Now, he'll be getting the broken P80 and I'll get something to replace it. If he wants to get the key fixed it's up to him, but all he does is pound on it as hard as he can with both hands while imitating the moans of a dying cow (I think he calls it "singing"), so I doubt he really cares about one key.

 

Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Bach combined couldn't hold a candle to Ben Folds in my brother's mind. Maybe he'll write some whiny songs about how hard his life is because he has to play a broken keyboard or whatever

[Konway]

 

Personally, I loved the keyboard of the RD700GX but went with an FP7. Felt better to me personally than the Yamahas in the same price range.

 

Thanks, the few reviews I've found through Google seem to all agree that the action of the RD700GX is great.

[zzzxtreme]

hi P85 feels different than P80. I've tried it all except the kawai. Rolands, Yamahas, Korgs, Kurzweil, feel is subjective. But I don't see any reason not to ignore the Yamaha CP33. The best deal out there.

[MartinHines]

 

First, I'm not driving all over the place just to maybe find someone who can fix what he broke (they can't exactly inspect it over the phone).

 

 

There is this new wonderful invention called the "telephone" that allows you to not have to "drive all over the place". The telephone, combined with the Internet, should allow you to find an authorized Yamaha repair facility.

 

Two suggestions:

1) Use this Yamaha U.S. Service Locator webpage to find your closest repair company

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Service/ServicerLocator.html

 

2) Contact your local music store (the nearest store where you can buy a replacement Yamaha product). They should be able to provide the name of a reputable repairer.

 

I thought you were actually interested in getting the P80 fixed given some of your comments like "I would keep the P80 for 10 more years if my brother didn't break it".

[Konway]

There is this new wonderful invention called the "telephone" that allows you to not have to "drive all over the place". The telephone, combined with the Internet, should allow you to find an authorized Yamaha repair facility. Two suggestions: 1) Use this Yamaha U.S. Service Locator webpage to find your closest repair company http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Service/ServicerLocator.html 2) Contact your local music store (the nearest store where you can buy a replacement Yamaha product). They should be able to provide the name of a reputable repairer. I thought you were actually interested in getting the P80 fixed given some of your comments like "I would keep the P80 for 10 more years if my brother didn't break it".

Telephone? Internet? What crazy alien technology will you dream up next, television?

 

It's a 2+ hour round trip to the nearest store, and no one guarantees they can fix anything without looking at it. Got any magical technoboxes for that one?

[omvibraphone]

Okay, rarely post on HC, but can we put the handbags away please on this one?

 

Konway, what martin is suggesting, i.e. a home fix for the P80, IS viable. Its not too hard to open up the keyboard to get at the keybed, normally a case of just unscrewing screws on the outside casing. In my experience of repairing notes on my Roland RD600 88 note, I found that a broken note will often simply need some superglue or equivalent in the broken place, and it will be as good as new. If the repair is more complex, then it should be able to order a replacement key through Yamaha, links as previously suggested by others, and then you can do the home repair. No need for a fruitless journey big payout etc etc, job done, etc etc

 

However, if really you want to just pass the P80 on to your brother regardless, and get a shiny new bit of kit yourself, then people here are offering you good advice in terms of models etc.

 

Being arsey with people offering well-meant suggestions will only result in others being less inclined to contribute and help you out with advice. Got it?

[MartinHines]

It's a 2+ hour round trip to the nearest store, and no one guarantees they can fix anything without looking at it. Got any magical technoboxes for that one?

 

While a repair shop won't provide a "guarantee" without seeing it, if it is a broken key it CAN be repaired based on your description about what happened.

 

Make your brother drive it to the repair shop.

 

Altenatively you can call up Yamaha support and probably order/buy some replacement keys, then open it up and repair it yourself.

[Fisnotigut]

 

Being arsey with people offering well-meant suggestions will only result in others being less inclined to contribute and help you out with advice. Got it?

 

 

After reading this thread, I don't think I could have said it better myself.

[pinkfloydcramer61]

OP- listen to MartinHines. Martin is your friend. My P120 (same heavy keybed as P80) had broken keys and using the process Martin describes, I had the entire keybed replaced with lighter, improved and much more durable P140-type keys. 2 yrs later and not a single broken key.

 

DIY fixes are great but I can't imagine why anybody would opt for that when you can get it done right for free (minus your gas/shipping issue).

[rhat]

Not sure if you can define a best. So many things go into it. great action is a personal thing.. so are features and bells and whistles. You have other factors to, weight, ease of use and number of keys.

 

My board of choice was a roland RD300sx. I could have had anyone in the store. This board was best for me. I even like it better than the new RD300gx due to the action. You also have bang for the buck factor and the players budget. We are fortunate to have alot of great keyboards today. back when I started playing keys in rock bands ,, you had little in the way of choice. Today we got it made with all kinds of decent musical gear to fit most budgets actions. Go to a place where they have a great selection and spend some time playing things... have fun enjoy

[mrcpro]

 

Most upright pianos seem to have a light feel that I really like. My parents have a 30-ish year old Baldwin baby grand and the action on that is definitely heavier than any piano I would spend my own money on. The P80 was the best of the keyboards I was personally able to test at the time (around 10 years ago) but the action is also much heavier than what I consider ideal, and it felt a bit slow too.

 

 

I think you'll probably be happier with a Roland. Roland DPs as a group have a lighter action than those from Yamaha and Casio. The only drawback to the Casio Privia line to me is the fact that their actions are on the heavy side - which is fine for some guys but not my thing either.

 

The new Yamaha CP-5 mentioned above supposedly has an action lighter then previous Yamahas. But they aren't out yet.

 

The Roland RD-700GX has the best action I've ever played on a digital piano - if action is your number one priority.

[rhat]

 

I think you'll probably be happier with a Roland. Roland DPs as a group have a lighter action than those from Yamaha and Casio. The only drawback to the Casio Privia line to me is the fact that their actions are on the heavy side - which is fine for some guys but not my thing either. The new Yamaha CP-5 mentioned above supposedly has an action lighter then previous Yamahas. But they aren't out yet. The Roland RD-700GX has the best action I've ever played on a digital piano - if action is your number one priority.

 

 

 

the RD700 series is a fine board. I passed it over due to physical weight and the fact that I didnt need all the bazillion patches ,, I only needed the ones I tend to use. I also liked the lighter action of the RD300sx. Although the 300gx is pretty much the same board ,, it does have heavier action. I loved the bone head simple patch selection of the RD300sx. My main gig is a house key guy in a jam night. I like the fact that I can take a sit in keyboard guy that wants to play with the band ,,, and in just seconds I can show him how to get the basic sounds out of my board and jump in and play. The thing is perfect for that .

[mcmurray]

 

I had the P80 for ~10 years and could have easily had it for another 10+ if it weren't for him breaking a key.

 

 

Why don't you try and get a replacement part from Yamaha and swap it out?

 

You can do the repair yourself quite easily. Once you've cracked it open it's obvious how to fix it.

[BonsoWonderDog]

Telephone? Internet? What crazy alien technology will you dream up next, television? It's a 2+ hour round trip to the nearest store, and no one guarantees they can fix anything without looking at it. Got any magical technoboxes for that one?

 

Dude......just a piece of advice.......don't argue with Martin Hines. Right or wrong, you'll lose because of his sheer tenacity.

[Thorhead]

V piano