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If you’re a gigging musician and you’re on the lookout for a portable piano, you’ve probably found yourself asking the question: “What is the most realistic stage piano?”.
If that’s you, then you’ve certainly come to the right blog post to find out more.
Just for the sake of clarity, when I use the term ‘realistic’ I am referring to how close in feel/sound the digital stage pianos are in comparison to your traditional acoustic piano.
An acoustic grand or upright piano has real strings that resonate when a hammer hits them after you play the key.
This, of course, doesn’t happen on digital instruments because there are no strings! Just pads that respond with a previously recorded, computer-generated sound sample.
This being said, the quality of digital instruments can vary hugely and it’s important to know the differences.
Our most popular & affordable stage piano is the Yamaha P125 and it certainly offers a very realistic playing experience.
The P125 uses Yamaha’s renowned GHS key mechanism, which gives the player the sensation they are in fact playing on a real grand piano.
The keys are weighted (unlike the thin, plastic keyed keyboard you probably played in school as a child) and so your all-important ‘muscle memory’ begins to kick in every time you play, which is essential to keeping your technique as best as it can be.
7m
Watch Chris review the Yamaha P-125 stage piano
The sound is also super important when it comes to purchasing a stage piano, especially as it’s not just you that’ll be hearing it, but an audience too (and hopefully a large one at that!).
The Yamaha P-125 uses the Pure CF sound engine which has been featured on many of Yamaha’s keyboards and instruments. It’s a very high-quality piano sound and for a keyboard that doesn’t break the bank account, it’s a fantastic sound.
Something I would always push for, as a player, is ‘wooden keys’. If you play on a real piano, you’ll know that the keys themselves are made out of wood.
Most digital instruments (especially in the lower end of ranges) usually have plastic keys.
This is fine if the keys are artificially weighted, and if the budget doesn’t allow for you to stretch any higher, you can certainly get by with practicing on a plastic keyed keyboard.
But a teacher will eventually expect you to invest in something that extra step up to ensure your growth as a player isn’t hindered by what you’re practicing on.
40m
Watch Isaac playing the Yamaha P-515 stage piano in the ePianos booth.
So, ultimately when you’re on the lookout for your next stage piano, my two key things to consider when it comes to getting yourself something ‘realistic’ are TOUCH and SOUND.
Ask yourself, how does this sound compare to a real piano? Are these keys as heavy as a grand piano?
Sometimes beginner players find realistic keys a little daunting because of the weight, but that discomfort is exactly what will make you a much better player.
As always, if you have any questions simply drop us an email on sales@epianos.co.uk or give us a call on 01295 266 788.
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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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