We are digital piano & keyboard specialists, based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Stay up to date with the latest news, reviews, tips, and offers by joining our FREE newsletter (unsubscribe at any time).
If you’ve ever bought a digital piano before, there’s a good chance you’ve made this mistake.
And if you’re currently shopping for one, there’s a good chance you’re about to.
The biggest mistake people make isn’t choosing the wrong brand.
It isn’t spending too much money.
And it isn’t buying online instead of visiting a showroom.
The biggest mistake is deciding what piano you want before you’ve worked out what you actually need.
“My Friend Recommended This One…”
We hear it all the time.
“My friend says I should get this model.”
“My neighbour has one and loves it.”
“My teacher recommended this keyboard.”
And look, that’s fine. Getting advice from people you trust isn’t a bad thing.
The problem is that the advice is often several steps removed from someone who actually understands today’s instruments.
Sometimes it feels like it’s come from a mate of a mate of a mate who once played a Technics keyboard in 1832 and remembers it being quite good.
The reality is that the person giving the advice probably isn’t you.
They don’t play the same music.
They don’t have the same experience level.
They don’t have the same goals.
And they probably don’t have the same budget either.
A Piano Isn’t Just A Piano
This is where things get interesting.
Many people assume that all digital pianos are broadly the same.
After all, they all have keys. They all make piano sounds.
Job done, right?
Not quite.
Someone looking for the most realistic piano experience possible may be best suited to a Yamaha Clavinova.
Someone wanting accompaniment styles and backing tracks may be much better served by an arranger keyboard such as a PSR-SX or Genos.
Someone who needs portability for gigs will have a completely different set of priorities again.
All three customers might walk into a showroom asking for a “digital piano”.
All three could walk away with entirely different recommendations.
That’s why choosing a model before understanding your own requirements can be such an expensive mistake.
Stop Looking At Model Numbers
One of the biggest traps is becoming obsessed with model numbers, specifications and internet opinions before you’ve actually identified what matters to you.
I’ve spoken to customers who have spent weeks comparing products online.
They know every specification.
They’ve watched every YouTube video.
They’ve read every forum discussion.
But they still haven’t answered the most important question:
“What do I actually want this instrument to do?”
When you answer that question first, everything else becomes much easier.
Speak To Someone Who Does This Every Day
This might sound obvious, but digital pianos and keyboards have become incredibly specialised.
The right instrument for one person can be completely wrong for another.
That’s why I always encourage people to speak to a specialist before making a decision.
Not because we’re trying to sell you the most expensive instrument.
Quite often it’s the opposite.
Our job is to understand how you’ll use it, what you’ll enjoy playing and which features you’ll genuinely benefit from.
Once we’ve established that, the right recommendation usually becomes surprisingly clear.
The Bottom Line
If there’s one thing I’d encourage you to do before buying a digital piano, it’s this:
Forget the model numbers.
Forget what your neighbour owns.
Forget what somebody’s cousin recommended after playing keyboards twenty years ago.
Start by working out what you actually need from the instrument.
Because once you’ve done that, finding the right piano becomes a whole lot easier.
Enter your email address below to receive our free weekly newsletter containing the latest piano, keyboard and organ demonstration videos, breaking news, special offers, invitations to our live video events, technical support articles and much more.
These items are sold on behalf of Yamaha, and are sent to us on a per-order basis, typically within 5-7 working days, unless an ETA is otherwise stated.
We'll contact you the moment your purchase arrives with us to organise delivery, based on your selected option.
Example products: Yamaha DGX670, Yamaha P-525, Yamaha YDP-S55, Yamaha Clavinova.
These items must be sent with a heavy-goods courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via Dachser.
Tracking will be provided by the haulier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
*If you have included the optional £180 "Yamaha Premium Service" home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will contact you regarding arrangements after purchase.
**The Yamaha CSP Series, Yamaha CVP905 & CVP909, Yamaha CLP875, 885 & 895GP, and Yamaha NU1Xa are all sold on behalf of Yamaha and arrive with us on a per-order basis. As soon as your piano has arrived, we will contact you to organise the appropriate dispatch method. ETA for stock is shown on the product page for those items.
***If you have included the optional £99 home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will send your details direct to the installation team, who will contact you within 48 hours to make arrangements.
Depending on which option is most appropriate, we will either contact you to discuss a bespoke ePianos delivery surcharge for goods we can’t package for a 3rd party courier, or otherwise dispatch goods via FedEx or APC.
If a courier is used, tracking will be provided by them directly, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Example products: Yamaha PSR-SX920, Yamaha P-225, Yamaha NP-15.
These items will be sent via courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via UPS or Parcelforce.
Tracking will be provided by the courier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Smaller items, such as books, discs, etc, will be dispatched via Royal Mail second class.
After purchase, you can download the file either from the order confirmation page or the "Downloads" tab in "My Account".
If you have selected the option to receive a pre-loaded USB stick, then this will be dispatched via Royal Mail.
We will contact you regarding any pre-ordered items, and let you know when they arrive so as to arrange delivery with you at a convenient time.
Used items can also be purchased using either of the following options (minimum loan amount of £250 after deposit):
Total amount payable: £893.32
Available finance options are displayed at checkout. Alternatively, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss the options, or email a finance application to you. Find out more by clicking here
Our seasonal opening hours are as follows:
We are closed on all bank holidays, therefore the processing of sales and deliveries will be delayed.
For orders of any stock displaying a 7-10 day lead time, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
This is a special order "agency" item, and comes to us directly from Yamaha on a per-order basis.
It typically takes 7-10 days for this item to arrive with us, whereupon we'll contact you to discuss the arrangement of delivery.
For any pre-orders, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you, and update you with an ETA.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
*Cashback amount varies product to product, as indicated.
Comments: