Buying a piano-advice needed!!

emsywoo123

Granny has offered to buy my DD a piano - Good.

I have no idea where to get one from - Bad.

Budget is about £500. This is a big purchase that she has out me in charge of! Can anyone give me some pointers or help?

I am in Kent if it makes a difference. Thanks.

Mojisola

Does it have to be a piano? My son has a Roland keyboard. It is touch sensitive so that you get the same feel as when playing a piano. There's also lots of other instrument sounds. You can record your own backing tracks and play a melody over it. You can put headphones on so the rest of the house doesn't have to listen to you practising. It takes up a lot less room than a piano and can be taken round to relatives to give performances.

emsywoo123

Mojisola wrote: »

Does it have to be a piano? My son has a Roland keyboard. It is touch sensitive so that you get the same feel as when playing a piano. There's also lots of other instrument sounds. You can record your own backing tracks and play a melody over it. You can put headphones on so the rest of the house doesn't have to listen to you practising. It takes up a lot less room than a piano and can be taken round to relatives to give performances.

Well no it doesn't. I mean my mother probably wants it to be, but I did put it to her that I live in a normal semi, and funnily enough I didn't have a big empty space waiting to be filled by a piano.

I did put it better than that, I'm not an ungrateful c0w!

What sort of money are they?

Angelicdevil

My parents got me a beautiful upright piano for my 6th birthday. It was second hand and cost around £600 - but that was back in the 80's.....

If you get second hand and need to get it renovated then that will be a few hundred more (again 80's prices I'm afraid!). So, something to factor in.

Take a look at ebay, quite a few on there

As a pianist I'd much prefer a "proper" piano over and electric version....

emsywoo123

Angelicdevil wrote: »

My parents got me a beautiful upright piano for my 6th birthday. It was second hand and cost around £600 - but that was back in the 80's.....

If you get second hand and need to get it renovated then that will be a few hundred more (again 80's prices I'm afraid!). So, something to factor in.

Take a look at ebay, quite a few on there

As a pianist I'd much prefer a "proper" piano over and electric version....

My worry with ebay is that I might end up with a right duff thing that cannot be tuned

Mojisola

emsywoo123 wrote: »

What sort of money are they?

Angelicdevil wrote: »

As a pianist I'd much prefer a "proper" piano over and electric version....

I've heard this from serious pianists before but, for a child who is just starting out, an electric one is worth considering.

There's a big price range - depending on what extras you want and the quality of sound. Visit a music shop and have a play around with a few.

emsywoo123

what about this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-AUDIO-ProKeys-88-88-Key-Graded-Hammer-Action-Premium-Stage-Piano-/261046793703?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item3cc799f5e7#ht_523wt_1185

(see? I genuinely have no idea. Piddling in the wind as it were.)

inkie

Yfor the budget you have, you will be struggling to get a decent traditional upright piano. A fewe years back I replaced my old upright with something far for practical - a digital piano. Easy to site, transport, does not need tuning, and I can have the headphones on whilst practicing so as not to disturb the whole of the house. I got mine from gear4music in York. Was delivered to my house in 2 boxes, and was up and being played within 10 mins. I lchose their own brand which came in within the budget that you have, and gives very similar functionality to the more expensive Yamaha clavinova.

Angelicdevil

emsywoo123 wrote: »

My worry with ebay is that I might end up with a right duff thing that cannot be tuned

Pretty much any state of piano can be restored, depends how much you want to pay.

For tuning, think mine was done once a year, it cost c£90.

Definitely go and take a look and hear them before buying.

Check out your local paper too.

I'm afraid I can't give you any unbiased advice on the electric piano

Person_one

I have a lovely upright that lives at my parents house and I will reclaim one day when I have room for it, but for day to day I have a Yamaha stage piano and its perfectly fine, it would be more than enough for a child to learn on (I learned on toy keyboards from Argos at first!)

The upright cost thousands, the stage piano cost about £400 and I could take it home in the car. They really are much much more practical.

How long has your daughter been playing? Its worth bearing in mind that not all children who start piano lessons are still playing 5, 10 or even 2 years down the line, no matter how much they love it at first. I think a proper, expensive piano is something you buy after its clear that she truly loves it and has put a good few years commitment in. I got mine when I passed both my grade 5 practical and theory exams.

Chakani

I'd sooner have a decent electric piano in the house than a rubbish 'proper' one. In the price range you're considering, I think you may well get better value for the money, plus the advantages of not having to pay out £90 a year for tuning or making house room for a full sized piano. And the fact that you can use them with headphones is a real blessing on occasion.