Does Price Matter? (Cheap vs. Expensive Digital Pianos)

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Does price matter? I’m asked all the time which keyboard or piano is better for a beginner.

And if you’ve ever looked for a new piano, you’ll know that there are a LOT of options.

And things can quickly get … expensive.

Does it have to be that way?

We’re going to put some to the test!

When it comes to finding the right digital piano or keyboard for you, everybody’s different.

And if you’re a beginner it can be hard to know what is worth the money, and what’s just a waste of money.

So I’ve recruited Kaitlyn to test 6 different digital pianos and rate them out of 5 on how expensive she thinks they are! She has no idea which ones are the cheaper ones and which ones cost more than a used car.

The goal is to determine whether the price matters! Especially for a beginner who might be looking for their own keyboard or piano. I’ll write out some of her reactions to each piano she tried, and then we’ll put the results at the bottom.

Piano #1 – Roland Go:KEYS

Kaitlyn’s notes:

• It’s small (only 61 keys)
• Has a nice springy feel, which makes it easy to play

Kaitlyn’s rating: 2 (1 is cheap, 5 is expensive)

Piano #2 – Roland FP-90

Kaitlyn’s notes:

• Beautiful to look at. Aesthetically pleasing
• A lot smoother to play than the Go:KEYS. Nice touch
• Lots of cool buttons and features

Kaitlyn’s rating: 4

Piano #3 – Yamaha MX-61

Kaitlyn’s notes:

• Small but has a LOT of features (it’s a synthesizer)
• Keys aren’t as heavy – so it’s easy to play loud but harder to play soft
• Nice feeling overall

Kaitlyn’s rating: 2.5 – 3

Piano #4 – Casio XW-G1

Kaitlyn’s notes:

• Feel is nice – soft keys again (it’s also a synthesizer)
• Don’t like the sound – doesn’t sound very “full”
• Easy to play

Kaitlyn’s rating: 2

Piano #5 – Casio Privia PXS3000

Kaitlyn’s notes:

• Feels like an acoustic piano
• Much heavier keys
• Keys look like real wood – which is nice

Kaitlyn’s rating: 3.5

Piano #6 – Roland RD-2000

Kaitlyn’s notes:

• Feels like a higher-end piano
• Beautiful touch and feel
• LOTS of features (which means $$$)

Kaitlyn’s rating: She didn’t actually give one, but did guess this was the most expensive.

The Results!

Out of all the pianos she tested, Kaitlyn chose the Roland FP-90 as her favorite and the one she would buy.

But was that the most expensive?

Here are all the pianos listed in order from cheapest to most expensive. Did you guess them correctly?

• Roland Go:KEYS – $329
• Casio XW-G1 – $699
• Yamaha MX-61 – $769
• Casio Privia PXS3000 – $849
• Roland FP-90 – $1949
• Roland RD-2000 – $2599

Tips for buying a piano:

At the end of the day, buying a piano comes down to personal choice as well as budget. But I do have a few tips that I always give students looking for a piano.

If you can, try and get 88 keys. It’s a completely different experience and the weighted keys are much better for helping you develop your finger strength and muscle memory. If you can’t afford an 88 key piano, then don’t go any lower than 61 keys!

And make sure it is touch-sensitive. That means when you play it softly, the sound is soft. It’s almost impossible to develop your touch and feel without a touch-sensitive piano.

And finally, make sure you’re only paying for the features you NEED and will actually USE. A lot of the pianos we tested here have so many features that the average beginner might never need. If you’re not going to use it — don’t pay for it!

Do you have any other pianos that you would like us to test? Or any tips for someone looking for their own piano? Comment to let me know.

And as always, have fun!

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