Help me pick a good electric piano.
CousinLarry
4,618 Posts
My fianc?? and I want to get an electric piano. She used to play and wants to start back up, and I want to learn. We move to often to get a real piano so we figure an electric piano is the way to go. We don???t really want to go too much over $2,000, but we want 88 keys and we want them weighted. We have checked out the triton a bit and she really likes it. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Comments
whoops, it doenst have 88 keys .
If you want a synthesizer/ digi piano, i would reccomend heading down to sam ash and trying out all the ones you see in your price range. If your not making beats you dont need great bass, drum, mono synth, or string sounds. Focus on the piano sounds. Try them all out. Choose your favorite.
If you want an Electric Piano, go for a wurlitzer or a fender rhodes. The wurly is smaller and lighter, and has built in speakers. It also has better "action" then the rhodes. It is, unfortunately, near impossible to tune. You will need a pro and it will be a hassle.
The rhodes is available in 88 key varietys, and the "suitcase" version has a built in amp that sounds really fuckin good. Cons? Its heavier then my fuckin car, the action is mushy, and it will cost you more then the wurly. The sound is CLASSIC though.
None of these should cost you more then 2000.
Anyone know what kind of keyboard that is? Even if it sound slike ass i would buy it as an avant gard coffee table. F R E S H.
i have a fantom and a motif you can mess around with to check out the sounds. neither are full blown 88 key jumpoffs but you can at least get an idea for the sound bank. i personally think the pianos in the fantom sound a little better than the motif, but i like the overall sound banks from the motif a little better. also, under 2000 for a full blown 88 key hammer weighted jewel is gonna be putting you in the used department, or the triton LE. i think the triton is a little played out myself, but you can make that decision for yourself.
if you move a lot, i would not suggest getting a vintage wurly or rhodes. they will bring you nightmares when it comes to keeping them in tune and replacing tines. while they sound awesome and look great, they may be too much of a headache to worry about. that has been my experience at least, as well as others i know. some may tell you different.
but, if you do decide to get one, i believe you can get either for under a grand.
YESSSHHH!!!
SG
i have an weighted 88 key kurzweil that's barely used, willing to sell.
also have the case, speakers, pedal, and a stand. i bought the entire package about 2-3 years ago for about 1500 and would be willing to sell if youre nearby.
heres what the left end of it looks like:
In terms of playerbility:
None of these are actually 88 key models... I know of no electric pianos that are.
Yamaha Stage Mini Grand Electric (is that what the cool 80s Yamaha is? Andrew Broder from FOG uses one)... This would be my top choice for you.
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Rhodes Eighty Eight Mk1 with the output mod.
Wurlitzer A200
RMI Electric Piano.
Hohner Pianet T (leather tipped tynes = zombies bombass sound?)
Clavinet.
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Get ready to learn some repairs. Nothing works like the originals.
Current Favy Key: Farfisa VIP400 on loan.
skimming topics = smoking sherm.
my bad.
hah.
Then I'm cutting loose the red-headed stepchild. I'll take my Rhodes, thank you very much. Wurlys sound like shit when you run effects through them.
exactly what you need:
Silvertone, what are you running your rhodes through?
*Ring Modulator is really dope, but its hard for me to get it to be as subtle as id like. I can do Sci Fi EFX with it all day, but i wanna use it Herbie Hancock like to get some dope tones for soloing. I need to explore it more.
Actually, I sold it a while back... and deeply regret it. I would love another but have too much cash tied up in other shit. Will trade remix for Rhodes. Hah.
My chain was this:
RAT>MoogerfoogerLowPass>MoogerfoogerRingmod>MaestroPhaser>MuTron>EHMemoryMan>FenderTwin.
That chain is real badass, pretty much sounded like a ton of spaceships dropping modulated bombs all over the place (you can pretty much hear that on any song off my last record : [Sixtoo, Chewing On Glass, Ninja Tune... feel free to DL]). I "scaled back" my chain to a simple 2x A-100 Doepfer Frame Modular Filtering System (with 4 Analog Ins, 4 ADSRS, Midi to CV, Analog Sequncer, 5 filters including LP,HP,2VHiLowP and Morph) as well as a Big Muff, Moogerfooger Ring Mods and Analog Delays... (basically a live mixing synthmodulator filterbox for my MPC).
Gear Nerds.
It's a Phillips Philicorda, sold under the Penncrest brand in the US.
I knew this LP cover would end up in this thread.
I recently bought an orignial Hohner Pianet T at a flea market (hi Cosmophonic!) for cheap. When I told my piano playing friend about it, he flipped out. It's his second favorite electric piano (although it's not really electric - it's an acoustic piano actually). He said that it sounds much better than a Rhodes, but not better than his Roland. He's right. I love the sound of the Pianet T. But it's unique. Make sure to check it, before buying one.
So my recommendations are:
1) Roland (no idea what model though - i you wanna know, PM me. I can ask my friend)
2) Hohner Pianet T (cheap - usually around 300 Euros)
3) Wurlitzer
4) Fender Rhodes (too expensive though)