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Well, there goes January!
As a parent of three adults, I am only too aware that the days between now and when you bid them ‘ta-ta’ as they head to ventures new at university, will pass in a flash.
As soon as the exams start, they are over and then the summer is spent in a flurry of gathering pillowcases and teaspoons to ensure they have what they need for their halls of residence.
Perhaps less time is spent thinking about how they might continue their playing at university. You can’t uproot the piano from the living room but they are really desperate for something to ensure they can continue their passion.
In this blog, I’m going to set out five things I think might be really important when you are looking to send your offspring away with a set of keys (other than the ones for their flat!)
Portable keyboards such as the Yamaha P515, Yamaha P125a, Yamaha P45, Korg B2 are all ideal choices.
They all have 88 weighted keys, so you will get a close-to-genuine piano effect.
The added advantage of the Yamaha P515 is the wooden keys making it even closer in comparison.
They have fewer voices, functions, or backings, although you might be able to do more with an iPad, but they do come with ways and means of recording and, even more importantly for student digs, plugging in headphones!
If you are looking for more of an arranger, then there is an even wider choice. Some of my favourites are the Yamaha SX900, Korg PA700 and the Yamaha CP88. These give more opportunity to create your own music with backings and voices.
However, you may also need to factor in speakers, however as the CP88, for instance, does not come with built-in speakers.
You will need something you can fit into the back of your car, along with your laundry !
Each of these instruments weigh differently and have different dimensions with the Yamaha P515 being the heaviest at 22kg and the Korg PA700 is the lightest at 9.9kg.
You may also want to factor in a cover. If you are going to transport it, our cases will protect them from scratches whilst on the move, whereas a dust cover might be a cheaper option to keep it free from spills whilst they’re not playing it at uni.
You are likely going to need a stand.
There are collapsible stands that can be folded down to be stored in a wardrobe, or behind a bed and we do have a variety of new and second-hand stands that fit this bill too.
If you are going for a smaller instrument, you might not need a stand as it could go on a desk.
26m
Watch Chris demonstrating the superb Yamaha CP88 stage piano.
88 key instruments are going to be longer than 76 or 61 naturally, but you may also want to think about the depth of the instrument or even the height if you have to slide it between the bed and the wall for example to store it.
I’ve put all the dimensions in this chart below to help you see at a glance.
| Model | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Depth (mm) | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha P45 | 1326 | 154 | 295 | 11.5 |
| Yamaha P125A | 1326 | 166 | 295 | 11.8 |
| Yamaha P515 | 1336 | 145 | 376 | 22.0 |
| Korg B2 | 1312 | 117 | 336 | 11.4 |
| Yamaha SX900 | 1017 | 139 | 431 | 11.5 |
| Korg PA600 | 1030 | 132 | 378.3 | 9.9 |
| Yamaha CP88 | 1298 | 141 | 364 | 18.6 |
This is a question I am often asked, but you can buy specific insurance for instruments and ones that allow you to transport your instrument around.
You may be able to insure instruments for students on your household policy, or there are actually student house contents insurance policies such as Endsleigh that ‘may’ do instruments. The alternative are specialist companies such as Musicguard or Insure4Music.
I cannot endorse any of these, and just suggest you shop around, but do state that it will be in student accommodation and will be moved around.
I hope you’ve found this useful and we are on hand to help answer any questions you may have.
Good luck with those exams and UCAS entries!
Remember, we often have used portable pianos and keyboards that come into stock, so do check back or sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on what our latest deals are.
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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.
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