Adive please on purchase of digitel piano

[the blue angel]

i have seen the yamaha clp 320 and the roland 101 but cant decide what to get.I have around 1000
to spend i am not very advanced yet i only got to grade 2 when i was 16 i am now 48 and have decided
i would enjoy learning again.I am not bothered abount fancy features on a piano.just a good action and feel to the piano thanks

[markymark]

At a quick glance through their features, the CLP320 is a more superior instrument. Having said that, the Roland has slightly more powerful speakers. I prefer the sound and action of Yamahas in general and find the Roland piano tone in their entry/medium range instruments slightly muddy and dark. On the other hand, the Yamaha piano tone is more rich and sparkling and is consistently so through the product ranges. Obviously the better models have modifications to improve the expressiveness and authenticity of the tone.

For about £110, I would recommend you compare a CLP320 hammer action with the GH3 hammer action on the CLP330. If touch is a major concern for you, you should definitely compare them in a shop setting. The CLP320 is the entry level of the the CLP range. It is good but their are some better features - like the keyboard action to mention one - that appear in the CLP330 and CLP340 which may be worth considering.

The CLP320 features and very similar to the slightly cheaper YDP160 which may also be worth looking into. This is a very brief overview but it's late and I see you waiting around for my response. Read this and think about it and post back if you need more info.

[the blue angel]

Thanks for info i tried a 330 today and was inpressed with the feel of the piano.Just a matter of intrest i have seen a second hand YAMAHA CLAVINOVA CLP-840 on ebay is this a better one.It is at 285 pounds at the moment am i better buying new thanks for your help Steve.

[markymark]

The CLP-840 is an older model with a different sampling and keyboard action. In its day, it was very good but compared with the CLP3XX range loses some of it lustre.

[the blue angel]

thanks for that i have seen a Yamaha Digital Piano Clavinova CVP-207 on ebay for 1000 pounds is that a good deal he said it was 4000 new sorry to bother you again with questions cheers steve

[markymark]

I would well believe that it cost around £4000. The CVP-207 was towards the top end of the CVP range in its time. Bear in mind that Clavinova has now released it CVP-50X range so the features will be slightly outdated by modern comparison.

I checked online and found that is has a GH hammer action whereas as the CLP-330 has a GH3 hammer action which means that the CVP will not feel as realistic as the CLP. The CVP has more polyphony than the CLP-330 but that is because of the CVP's other features.

Remember that the CVP is Clavinova's versatile range so there are other things in there such as drum kits, accompaniments, songs and simple recording features. There is a flopy drive installed - nowadays not an overly useful/common feature (depending how you look at it) but this may suit you also.

Pricing around £1000 seems okay allowing for depreciation of digital instruments over time. Side by side, the CVP has more polyphony, more voices and more other features such as sounds and accompaniments. Unless I am wrong, there does not appear to be the 3 levels of dynamic sampling which may make the CLP-330 a better sound instrument; coupled with the CLP-330's GH3 hammer action keyboard, you may find the other action slightly sluggish.

The GH action still exists in the stage pianos today. My CP300 stage piano has a GH hammer action and it is fine for what I need. It has a positive feel and the action is realistic. I would just be slightly concerned if the GH hammer action had evolved since the time of the CVP-207. If you really like the GH3 action then think carefully before you take a leap! Can you get a chance to try out the keyboard?

[the blue angel]

some one near me is selling a TECHNICS ELECTRONIC PIANO SX-PR500 he wants 350 is this a good price
does this piano have weighted keys. Also ANother person i no is selling a yamaha p70 FOR 350 ALSO which would be the better buy
thanks steve

[joseph]

My advice to you is to buy new. If you have 1000 to spend, go for the Roland or Yamaha CLP. Sold with a guarantee, your money is a bit safer than if you buy something second hand and you don't know its history.

The technics were good in their day, but todays Clavinovas are far superior. Incidentally the CP300 is coming down in price as it has been superseded. I'd try and find one of them if you can. I have one and it is incredible. The actual tone is more realistic than most of the Clavinova 300 series (apart from the 380), even though it only has 3 stage sampling. This is where someone tells me that its the same sound processed differently . . . .but my perception is that it sounds better than the CLP370.

I now have the LP3 stand for it too, which makes a huge difference to its feel. Much more solid and real.

[markymark]

Incidentally the CP300 is coming down in price as it has been superseded. .

You would be hard-pushed to find a new CP-300 for less than £1500. When I got mine, they were just released and I paid £1300! In the last few months they seemed to have increased in value but I wondered if that had anything to do with Yamaha rise in profile in the world of acoustic pianos.

Either way, the CP-300 is a stage piano range and is not in competition with the Clavinova range. The Clavinovas (in the top range) were always offering better sound samples and keyboard action than what the CP-300 has provided. The problem with the heavier and more realistic keyboard action is that it adds to the overall weight of the instrument.

So I wouldn't say that Clavinovas have technically "superseded" the CP-300 (although I am anticipating an updated model on the horizon!) they are just offering more than before within their range. The CP-300 offers a competitive touch and sound quality when compared with any other stage piano in its range - IMO of course!

[the blue angel]

i was looking at the Classenti CDP1 it seems a really nice piano for the price.and also the casio px 730
i am very limited in space abd they seem not to bulky any adice please or any one used any of these models thanks steve

[markymark]

I have not tried either but I had a go with some of the Casio X20 models (the predecessors of the one you mentioned) and the keyboard action seemed firm and heavy enough for the price range. The piano sounds are okay but not as realistic as the likes of Roland or Yamaha (my personal preference).

I have heard others mention a heavy and realistic keyboard action for the price offered by Classenti. I have found others threads where people who have tried or who currently own one have commented on their Classenti instruments. See if this adds anything to your interest:

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-forums/vi ... nti#p29307

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-forums/vi ... nti#p21161