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Keyboard recommendations?
Topic Started: Mar 13 2010, 11:43 AM (284 Views)
George K
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Finally
Looking for a cheap CHEAP keyboard for silent practice in the early morning or late at night so as not to disturb the Mrs. - particularly when it comes to PRACTICE and not playing.

Any suggestions? Doesn't even have to be 88 keys (if it was good enough for Beethoven and Mozart it's good enough for me).

Yamaha?

Roland?

Kawai?

Casio?

I'd like to keep it under $300.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
If you could bump it $200-$300, you can move into a much better category. Casio Privia, Yamaha YPG, etc...
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Big John
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Senior Carp
Under $300 and you have sprung keys and crappy weighting and tendonitis within 60 days. Bump it to $600 to $1,000 and buy something nice.





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Big John
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Senior Carp
beware of claims made in ads. you wouldn't believe what passes for "weighted" action.





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QuirtEvans
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
If you want cheapo, there's always a Yamaha on sale at Costco. They also have Casios for as little as $119.

http://www.costco.com/Common/Search.aspx?Dx=mode+matchallpartial&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&N=4014591&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Ntk=Text_Search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&D=keyboard&search=keyboard&Ntt=keyboard&topnav=&s=1

It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010.
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George K
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Finally
I know, I know. There's a lot of crap out there. But, I'm just looking for something that will let me learn where the fingers go - not musicality.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Nobody's Sock
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Fulla-Carp
George, this is no time to be a cheap skate. You'll end up wishing later that you had got what you wanted. And THIS is what you want, hands down, you can probably find it for 2 G's.

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=923&ParentId=87

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
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George K
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Finally
I have a nice(ish) digital piano up at the CheddarShack®. Don't need bells, whistles, a ton of samples, etc. Just something I can use for silent practice: exercises, scales, and the like. Something to learn the fingering to music on. Eventually the Kawai in Wisconsin will migrate to Chicago.

I have no doubt that Roland is really good (we've talked about it before), but it's out of my price range right now.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Copper
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Shortstop

Cordogan's Pianoland, 33W441 Rt. 38/P.O.Box 514, Geneva, IL 60134

http://www.chicagopianos.com/usedinventory_digitals.htm

Yamaha $299.99
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/NP30?utm_source=shopping&utm_medium=comparisonshopping

This might be the one Location: Lincoln Park
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/msg/1641614505.html

$175 CASH ONLY - THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/msg/1641089388.html




The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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Quagmire
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Senior Carp
Nobody's Sock
Mar 13 2010, 12:23 PM
George, this is no time to be a cheap skate. You'll end up wishing later that you had got what you wanted. And THIS is what you want, hands down, you can probably find it for 2 G's.

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=923&ParentId=87

I've got the 700SX I bought 5 years ago. It is nice.

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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
I'd get something cool and retro like an old Rhodes 73. Let your inner Doors run wild!
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
George, $300 for a keyboard is $300 blown. Within a few weeks you'll be unhappy with it. Look at a Casio Privia or a YPG Yamaha.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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George K
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Finally
Thanks for the tips, everyone. I did have a Casio Privia which was okay, though a bit "clackety". When I got the Kawai, I gave it to my daughter.

I'll see if I can convince the management Mrs. George to spring for an extra few hundred bucks.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
BTW, check out that used Kawai CL25 at Cordogan's. The CL25 is a surprisingly nice piano.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Larry
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
George, no one seems to be listening to your planned use. They keep trying to get you to guy what they'd buy for themselves. Normal reaction, but not quite serving your needs....

get the lightest, cheapest piece of crap you can find. Heck - watch the classified to see if someone is selling some little portable thing. Don't even worry if it plays or not. In fact, you don't *want* weighted keys, because most of them make so much mechanical noise you might as well be playing it out loud.

Of the Pokatwat Tribe

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John D'Oh
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MAMIL
George, never mind all this advice. These people clearly don't know you like I know you. What you need to do is buy a Bechstein Grand. If anybody complains about the noise, tell them to shove it up their arse.


(I'd just go into Target and buy any old $300 keyboard if I were you, I think you pretty much get what you pay for, irrespective of the brand. If you're feeling particularly working-class, get it from Walmart and save yourself $5.00.)
What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket?
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kenny
HOLY CARP!!!
Buy used.
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Big John
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Senior Carp
I'll sell you my roland AT90R

Posted Image

$3000. Some dumb cluck paid $30,000 for it in 2003.

76 keys on the lower, 56 on the upper, 256 note polyphone, headphone jacks, a piano sustain pedal AND an organ expression pedal, theatre, chamber, hammond, lowrey, cathedral and other organ sounds, MIDI, General MIDI and Roland GS sound libraries, floppy disk drive, padded bench, 25 additional notes on the wooden pedal board, cherry finish.

If you act now I'll throw in the bench-mounted dual oxygen tank holder and the scooter chair recharging plug for only $500 extra.






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Nobody's Sock
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Fulla-Carp
Quagmire
Mar 13 2010, 12:53 PM
Nobody's Sock
Mar 13 2010, 12:23 PM
George, this is no time to be a cheap skate. You'll end up wishing later that you had got what you wanted. And THIS is what you want, hands down, you can probably find it for 2 G's.

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=923&ParentId=87

I've got the 700SX I bought 5 years ago. It is nice.

it's a great rig ain't it? I've had my SX for almost 5 years as well. A friend recently bought the GX and has already turned it back in for warranty repair due to the drooling effect.

but really George, Larry is right, if that's what you need then weighted keys and 900+ sounds are not necessary.



"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
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George K
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Finally
"Drooling effect?"

Do I want to know what that is?
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
kenny
HOLY CARP!!!
Big John
Mar 13 2010, 01:59 PM
I'll sell you my roland AT90R

Posted Image

$3000. Some dumb cluck paid $30,000 for it in 2003.

76 keys on the lower, 56 on the upper, 256 note polyphone, headphone jacks, a piano sustain pedal AND an organ expression pedal, theatre, chamber, hammond, lowrey, cathedral and other organ sounds, MIDI, General MIDI and Roland GS sound libraries, floppy disk drive, padded bench, 25 additional notes on the wooden pedal board, cherry finish.

If you act now I'll throw in the bench-mounted dual oxygen tank holder and the scooter chair recharging plug for only $500 extra.

Can you throw in a set of Ginsu knives and a Bass-O-Matic?
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JoeB
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Senior Carp
You simply need to choose the right music. I have a copy of 4'33" by John Cage around here somewhere and it is perfect for for silent practice in the early morning or late at night.
"There are many ingredients in the stew of annoyance." - Bucky Katt
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