Pianos - what to get... ???
15 January 2004, 10:57 PM
#1
Wife & Son are learning piano.
The old one we have is now definately not suitable - going out of tune, bits failing mechanically etc.
Can anyone give advice on what to get to replace the thing (old upright) ? The old ones have character, but we may be moving and the thought of buying a newer one now & having to move it again shortly is depressing.
I had thought of the newer digital type - ugly looking things but apparently quite to realistic to play and listen to now. Don't really want to spend much more than about £500 at most. Can anyone give me some options and ideas?
Cheers
Mick
The old one we have is now definately not suitable - going out of tune, bits failing mechanically etc.
Can anyone give advice on what to get to replace the thing (old upright) ? The old ones have character, but we may be moving and the thought of buying a newer one now & having to move it again shortly is depressing.
I had thought of the newer digital type - ugly looking things but apparently quite to realistic to play and listen to now. Don't really want to spend much more than about £500 at most. Can anyone give me some options and ideas?
Cheers
Mick
15 January 2004, 11:20 PM
#3
Thanks John - but probably not what we are after.
I don't know anything about playing pianos, but I think it is important that we get something that feels and sounds right as a piano.
'People'
are coming up to grade 1 exam and feeling a bit stressed
Cheers
Mick
I don't know anything about playing pianos, but I think it is important that we get something that feels and sounds right as a piano.
'People'
are coming up to grade 1 exam and feeling a bit stressed Cheers
Mick
16 January 2004, 12:17 AM
#5
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I would stick to buying a real piano.
We have a piano and a fulll size electronic type paino keyboard.
I'd chose the real paino anytime.
The sound is great from both, and you can mess aorund more on an electronic one, but there is just something about the sound and feel of a real piano.
I would have thought you would be able to find one second hand for that much. Why dont you go to your local music /paino shop and see what they have advertised. They will propablly know of some of thier customers who are getting new paino's with decent old ones to sell.
You never know they might have something on offer ex-display??
If you know of any good house clearance places they might have one. Saddly some old dears paino may be ideal for your home, but better for it to be played than stuck in some warehouse.
Good luck
cath
(mrs. scoobypreza! having a nose!)
16 January 2004, 01:07 AM
#6
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Stick to a real piano. If you can play a piano you can play any keyboard.
For about £500 buy one from a dealer as there are too many moving parts inside to learn about. You should be able to get a full iron frame that is overstrung and under damped with a guarantere for that sort of money.
For about £500 buy one from a dealer as there are too many moving parts inside to learn about. You should be able to get a full iron frame that is overstrung and under damped with a guarantere for that sort of money.
16 January 2004, 02:36 AM
#7
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theres me thinkin that £500 for an upright (even secondhand) was like pi$$ing in the ocean i.e. not enough to make a difference. always wanted to learn the piano but always thought cost of purchase would be prohibitive.
Ah well you live and learn i suppose......£500....**** me i could be tempted
cheers
big sinky
[Edited by bigsinky - 1/16/2004 2:37:04 AM]
Ah well you live and learn i suppose......£500....**** me i could be tempted
cheers
big sinky
[Edited by bigsinky - 1/16/2004 2:37:04 AM]
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16 January 2004, 09:01 AM
#8
The one we have now was a gift from friends 'upgrading' We paid £100 to have it tuned and repaired. Then once people started having lessons it was tuned again another £40 
- It's cheaper to run the Scoob 
LOL
Anyway - still no good!
I was thinking of maybe a couple of hundred for an s/h upright or ~ £500 for a s/h digital - am I completely out of touch here ?
Cheers
Mick
We paid £100 to have it tuned and repaired. Then once people started having lessons it was tuned again another £40 - It's cheaper to run the Scoob LOLAnyway - still no good!
I was thinking of maybe a couple of hundred for an s/h upright or ~ £500 for a s/h digital - am I completely out of touch here ?
Cheers
Mick
16 January 2004, 09:26 AM
#9
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Mick....i have just gone through this as my 7 yr old and i start our piano lessons tommorow!
i wanted an acoustic but there is no way two begineers could practice without driving others mad so i looked at digital. i ended up with a Yam Clavinova CLP170 (top Yam digital) and did so after endless hours of comparing them to acoustic.
I am VERY happy with it. the feel is no different to an accoustic...in fact its heavier tham some i tried. the sound is stunning- it uses a huge grand piano sample that is stunning- it also has a mic than records external sound and plays it out the rear speakers to bounce it of the wall behind the unit- this is so it hears itself and then bounces that sound out like a natural soundboard....sounds incredible and depending on how you set it it can sound like your playing in a living room or a huge hall. if you sing while your playing the sound of your voice also gets picked up and it sounds like your in a empty hall! (quite freaky as you can clap your hands and it echos JUST like it would in a huge room!)
anyway- my grade 8 cousin played it and said it was perfect...and the instructor is more than happy to teach up to grade 8 on it (although exams are sat on an accoustic)
on top of all that it has head phone jacks (2), a usb interface and a few gizzmos (its NOT a keyboard so hasnt got loads of functions) so you can set the lower half of the keyboaard to play strings while your right hand plays a german grand!
my one was £1700 but they start a bit lower (like you i started at £500 but this sold itself to me) worth considering.
T
edit to add- mine retails at well over £2k in most stores but i found a VERY cheap supplier who delivered next day- so let me know if you want their info
[Edited by Tiggs - 1/16/2004 9:28:11 AM]
i wanted an acoustic but there is no way two begineers could practice without driving others mad so i looked at digital. i ended up with a Yam Clavinova CLP170 (top Yam digital) and did so after endless hours of comparing them to acoustic.
I am VERY happy with it. the feel is no different to an accoustic...in fact its heavier tham some i tried. the sound is stunning- it uses a huge grand piano sample that is stunning- it also has a mic than records external sound and plays it out the rear speakers to bounce it of the wall behind the unit- this is so it hears itself and then bounces that sound out like a natural soundboard....sounds incredible and depending on how you set it it can sound like your playing in a living room or a huge hall. if you sing while your playing the sound of your voice also gets picked up and it sounds like your in a empty hall! (quite freaky as you can clap your hands and it echos JUST like it would in a huge room!)
anyway- my grade 8 cousin played it and said it was perfect...and the instructor is more than happy to teach up to grade 8 on it (although exams are sat on an accoustic)
on top of all that it has head phone jacks (2), a usb interface and a few gizzmos (its NOT a keyboard so hasnt got loads of functions) so you can set the lower half of the keyboaard to play strings while your right hand plays a german grand!
my one was £1700 but they start a bit lower (like you i started at £500 but this sold itself to me) worth considering.
T
edit to add- mine retails at well over £2k in most stores but i found a VERY cheap supplier who delivered next day- so let me know if you want their info
[Edited by Tiggs - 1/16/2004 9:28:11 AM]
16 January 2004, 10:30 AM
#10
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With Rik-1 on this one. If you can play a (real) piano you can play any keyboard instrument. I find that when I've spent too long playing keyboards the transition back to a 'proper' piano is a bit strange as not even the best keyboards can simulate the weight and the action of a piano. Sure, they can sound really good but in terms of learning 'feel', especially at a beginner's level, I wouldn't consider anything else. All IMHO of course!
18 January 2004, 07:26 PM
#12
Wife plays and we have a baby grand (which cost about the same as my scooby 
). It's a beautiful piano and a nice piece of furniture, but the one thing is that when she plays it you cannot escape almost anywhere in the house. Fine when she has learnt a piece, but when she is learning something and it's being repeated and repeated it can drive you a bit mad. The new electric pianos, as mentioned above are very good, are finen up to grade 8, and can be played with headphones on.
). It's a beautiful piano and a nice piece of furniture, but the one thing is that when she plays it you cannot escape almost anywhere in the house. Fine when she has learnt a piece, but when she is learning something and it's being repeated and repeated it can drive you a bit mad. The new electric pianos, as mentioned above are very good, are finen up to grade 8, and can be played with headphones on.
18 January 2004, 07:51 PM
#13
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had my first lesson yesterday and got to say the digital has proven to be ideal....me and my kid have done hours of practice since and not upset anyone! i can even practice at 10pm when i would normaly be sat doing nothing.
the teacher- who is a composer and has worked on LOTR and loads of TV stuff (so knows his stuff) says the piano is great and is now thinking of getting one to alow him to work from home easier.
T
the teacher- who is a composer and has worked on LOTR and loads of TV stuff (so knows his stuff) says the piano is great and is now thinking of getting one to alow him to work from home easier.
T
19 January 2004, 11:38 AM
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mick- thats exactly what made me go for it....there are NONE around used...no idea why. so although it wont sustain its value or increase (as an accoustic may) it wont plumet like a brick.
as it turns out im so impressed with it i see no reason to sell it anyway.
T
as it turns out im so impressed with it i see no reason to sell it anyway.
T
19 January 2004, 11:38 AM
#16
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I've done some piano/keyboard teaching, and personally, I'd recommend a digital anyday.
Sure the acoustic/upright or grand are beautiful instruments, adn the digital sound will never fully replace them, but for practice (and sanity/consideration for the rest of the family), I'd go digital - plug some headphones in!!!
With a digital, you can also (if it's got MIDI) connect it to the PC/Mac and record what you've done, so you can play back your 'performance' and assess it. You can also look at where you're going wrong!
The other advantage is that with a sequencer package (Cubase VST, or Logic) you can practice playing in time to a metronome or click - an essential element to playing/performing.
Just make sure that if you go digital, ensure that it has 88 fully weighted ful size keys Anything else is a poor man's choice.
A cheaper option could be to go for a master keyboard, such as a Roland A80 or 90 or even a Yamaha KX88 and a Piano sound module (although the A90 has built in Piano sounds) ..... sites below....
http://www.roland.co.uk/prodcatdetail.asp?id=A-90EX
http://personal.inet.fi/private/mata...land_a-80.html
HTH
Dan
Sure the acoustic/upright or grand
are beautiful instruments, adn the digital sound will never fully replace them, but for practice (and sanity/consideration for the rest of the family), I'd go digital - plug some headphones in!!! With a digital, you can also (if it's got MIDI) connect it to the PC/Mac and record what you've done, so you can play back your 'performance' and assess it. You can also look at where you're going wrong!
The other advantage is that with a sequencer package (Cubase VST, or Logic) you can practice playing in time to a metronome or click - an essential element to playing/performing.
Just make sure that if you go digital, ensure that it has 88 fully weighted ful size keys Anything else is a poor man's choice.
A cheaper option could be to go for a master keyboard, such as a Roland A80 or 90 or even a Yamaha KX88 and a Piano sound module (although the A90 has built in Piano sounds) ..... sites below....
http://www.roland.co.uk/prodcatdetail.asp?id=A-90EX
http://personal.inet.fi/private/mata...land_a-80.html
HTH
Dan
19 January 2004, 11:45 AM
#17
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i got one if these - it's fine for learning on, although it needs a stand and you have to plug it into your hifi if you want to hear it outside of the headphones. my teacher has a "proper" piano and i don't find that any more difficult to play than my keyboard (excpet for that fact that his hasn't got stickers with the notes stuck onto the keys and mine has!)
blimey - was only £800 when i bought it
blimey - was only £800 when i bought it
19 January 2004, 01:24 PM
#18
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Good point with the headphones for practice!
I didnt think of that! I use the keyboard with headphones when anyone else is about so I can make mistakes and only I can hear them! lol
I'm expecting my first child at the moment and they say babies can hear before birth dont know if it's true but I've been using the headphones on my belly!! Kicks like mad ... proablly telling me to turn it off!!!!
Mrs.Scoobypreza
19 January 2004, 01:48 PM
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been playing since i was about 5 and i have played all sorts from concert grands including Bosendorfers and Steinways and my brother was a jazz pianist who was offered recording contracts and my father was musical director for Derby light opera company.
All i can say is that we all have Yamaha clavinovas they are superb for the money and you can bash away to youre hearts content with headphones on and not disturb anyone.
If you have the room and dont mind hearing incessant scales arpeggios and practice pieces sending you mad then definitley go for a decent upright as you dont quite get the same feel as a piano.
All i can say is that we all have Yamaha clavinovas they are superb for the money and you can bash away to youre hearts content with headphones on and not disturb anyone.
If you have the room and dont mind hearing incessant scales arpeggios and practice pieces sending you mad then definitley go for a decent upright as you dont quite get the same feel as a piano.
19 January 2004, 01:56 PM
#21
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Stick to a real piano. If you can play a piano you can play any keyboard
dont agree with this as some cheaper key boards try and reduce the width of keys to make the keyboards mor compact and when you reach for maj7 chards or 9ths you miss the key altogther.
I played for a band for a while on a VERY cheap borrowed keyboard and it took me a couple of weeks to realise why i was missing the keys all the time. or was that because i was crap
19 January 2004, 03:53 PM
#22
Mrs Scoobypreza,
My wife played/practised for two to three hours a day to her bump while she was pregnant and the baby went nuts, doing a full kung fu routine - now at just over 7 months our little girl's favourite thing is to sit on her mum's lap and to improvise over Mrs FB's classical meanderings which drives me insane as if you never heard Chopin's Slaughtered Nocturnes you really haven't lived. It's also amazing that while I'm not allowed to touch the piano (it's a 6'5" Grotrian-Steinweg - Steinweg being the original Steinway family business before one brother broke away, moved to the US, and founded Steinway with a subtle change of family name)as I can barely play a CD, Miss jammy/potatoey/snotty hands (delete as appropriate) is allowed to bash away to her heart's content
Keep up the good work
FB
My wife played/practised for two to three hours a day to her bump while she was pregnant and the baby went nuts, doing a full kung fu routine - now at just over 7 months our little girl's favourite thing is to sit on her mum's lap and to improvise over Mrs FB's classical meanderings
which drives me insane as if you never heard Chopin's Slaughtered Nocturnes you really haven't lived. It's also amazing that while I'm not allowed to touch the piano (it's a 6'5" Grotrian-Steinweg - Steinweg being the original Steinway family business before one brother broke away, moved to the US, and founded Steinway with a subtle change of family name)as I can barely play a CD, Miss jammy/potatoey/snotty hands (delete as appropriate) is allowed to bash away to her heart's contentKeep up the good work
FB
19 January 2004, 04:24 PM
#23
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lol
sounds great
So its worth me getting the headphones sticky with my anti-strech mark cream!! eewww sorry too much detail probably!
You read so many things when your pregnant and dont know what to follow but thanks for your thoughts I'll keep at it even if my mum thinks I'm turning into a hippy!!! lol
Growing a new little scooby fan has been hard work so far but I'm looking forward to our new adventures.
Thanks
Cath
Mrs.Scoobypreza
19 January 2004, 06:40 PM
#25
Not if it's the sticky one, John.
Cath, It just gets better from here on in and aside from a bit of swearing, crying and screaming at the birth (that was me by the way as Kate sailed through it) it's been an exhilarating, terrifying , joyous ride ever since.
The surge of energy will come soon and the "blooming" bit. Enjoy it.
We can't wait to do it again, well, once we've rediscovered sleep that is....
Edited to show Miss Jammy/potatoey/snotty hands - actually Miss Snowman in the Nursery Christmas play
[Edited by Fat Boy - 1/19/2004 6:50:08 PM]
[Edited by Fat Boy - 1/19/2004 9:46:43 PM]
Cath, It just gets better from here on in and aside from a bit of swearing, crying and screaming at the birth (that was me by the way as Kate sailed through it) it's been an exhilarating, terrifying , joyous ride ever since.
The surge of energy will come soon and the "blooming" bit. Enjoy it.
We can't wait to do it again, well, once we've rediscovered sleep that is....
Edited to show Miss Jammy/potatoey/snotty hands - actually Miss Snowman in the Nursery Christmas play
[Edited by Fat Boy - 1/19/2004 6:50:08 PM]
[Edited by Fat Boy - 1/19/2004 9:46:43 PM]
20 January 2004, 08:29 AM
#26
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lol @ johnfelstead
I think we have established what kind of trouble that can get you in lol
beware low flying storks!
Fat Boy,
She's adorable
Thanks for your encouragement! I am really looking forward to the day I get to meet our own little Jammy/potatoey/snotty hands baby!
Mr.Scoobypreza looking for plastic sheeting to cover all parts of scooby as I type lol baby can do what it likes to the paino its the car he cares about lol..... and no you can't add Swissol to the list of baby things we need!!
You may have seen in some other posts that the pregnancy hasn't been going very well and I have been unable to work or drive for the whole 6months so far.
I've developed a condition called Hyperemsis. I dunno if anyone else has heard of it on Scoobynet will be interesting if anyone has. (do you think it would be worth putting up a post?)
I've been in and out of hospital the whole time
It causes severe morning sickness and can last the whole 9months.
Its been the best diet I've ever been on I’ve lost 3stone!
Seeing the picture of your little one has really cheered me up. That gorgeous smile would be enough to melt your heart.
She's gonna cost you a fortune, can see it now.....
"Daaaaaad.....can I have ....[ big smiles ] ....I've seen a ....."
How will you resist! Bet running a scooby will seem like pennies in comparison!
Sorry for high jacking your piano thread Mick!!
cheers guys
Cath
Mrs.Scoobypreza
I think we have established what kind of trouble that can get you in lol
beware low flying storks!
Fat Boy,
She's adorable
Thanks for your encouragement! I am really looking forward to the day I get to meet our own little Jammy/potatoey/snotty hands baby!
Mr.Scoobypreza looking for plastic sheeting to cover all parts of scooby as I type lol baby can do what it likes to the paino its the car he cares about lol..... and no you can't add Swissol to the list of baby things we need!!
You may have seen in some other posts that the pregnancy hasn't been going very well and I have been unable to work or drive for the whole 6months so far.
I've developed a condition called Hyperemsis. I dunno if anyone else has heard of it on Scoobynet will be interesting if anyone has. (do you think it would be worth putting up a post?)
I've been in and out of hospital the whole time
It causes severe morning sickness and can last the whole 9months.
Its been the best diet I've ever been on I’ve lost 3stone!
Seeing the picture of your little one has really cheered me up. That gorgeous smile would be enough to melt your heart.
She's gonna cost you a fortune, can see it now.....
"Daaaaaad.....can I have ....[
big smiles ] ....I've seen a ....."How will you resist! Bet running a scooby will seem like pennies in comparison!
Sorry for high jacking your piano thread Mick!!
cheers guys
Cath
Mrs.Scoobypreza
20 January 2004, 11:57 AM
#27
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Hi Cath, (Fat Boy here using an alternate email addy as I can't use my normal one from here)
She is a belter, isn't she?
Funnily enough I have heard of Hyperemesis (gravidarium)- although Mrs FatBoy only had moderate morning sickness for the first few months - it often gets better towards the latter end of term (21-24 weeks on)and they don't really know what causes it, but stress, hormonal changes, diet (ie vegetarians are more prone to it),etc, etc have been implicated.
Not the thread for it here probably, but someone on here has probably had an involvement.
You have probably seen this already but it may help:
http://www.hyperemesis.org/index.php
Best of luck, and not long to go now.
FB
She is a belter, isn't she?
Funnily enough I have heard of Hyperemesis (gravidarium)- although Mrs FatBoy only had moderate morning sickness for the first few months - it often gets better towards the latter end of term (21-24 weeks on)and they don't really know what causes it, but stress, hormonal changes, diet (ie vegetarians are more prone to it),etc, etc have been implicated.
Not the thread for it here probably, but someone on here has probably had an involvement.
You have probably seen this already but it may help:
http://www.hyperemesis.org/index.php
Best of luck, and not long to go now.
FB
20 January 2004, 12:50 PM
#28
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Thank you FB
I'm amazed that you've heard of it. Anyone I've spoken to about it thinks I'm nuts! To be honest I'd never heard of it till the doctors said I had it.
Thats interesting what you said about vegetarians being more prone to it. I've been veggie for 15 years. I wonder ???????
Thanks for the site. I've been looking around at a few and knowing I'm not alone has been comforting.
Thanks again for your encouragment
15 weeks to go!!!
cath
[Edited by scoobypreza - 1/20/2004 12:52:49 PM]
I'm amazed that you've heard of it. Anyone I've spoken to about it thinks I'm nuts! To be honest I'd never heard of it till the doctors said I had it.
Thats interesting what you said about vegetarians being more prone to it. I've been veggie for 15 years. I wonder ???????
Thanks for the site. I've been looking around at a few and knowing I'm not alone has been comforting.
Thanks again for your encouragment
15 weeks to go!!!
cath
[Edited by scoobypreza - 1/20/2004 12:52:49 PM]
21 January 2004, 11:37 AM
#29
OI ! Fat Boy and Mrs ScoobyPreza - take it to a private chat room please
Only kidding I'm glad you 2 had the chance to talk Lovely little lass BTW. Commiserations Cath - Mrs Mick had a lot of sickness with all our 3 lads. Hope it all works out OK for you.
Thanks everyone for your (piano themed) input - I'm sure you'll be costing me money that I should be spending on the Scoob
Mick
Only kidding I'm glad you 2 had the chance to talk
Lovely little lass BTW. Commiserations Cath - Mrs Mick had a lot of sickness with all our 3 lads. Hope it all works out OK for you.Thanks everyone for your (piano themed) input - I'm sure you'll be costing me money that I should be spending on the Scoob
Mick