This article is aimed at those of you who know a thing or two about digital pianos already and have already carried out a little bit of research. You are almost certainly aware that digital pianos have improved vastly over the years.
You have also probably come to the conclusion that a digital piano will cost considerably less than an acoustic piano.
You're also probably aware that some offer more features than you would get with an upright, such as more sounds than the traditional grand piano sound, maybe recording facilities, and the ability to hook up to a computer and to music sequencing software.
All these conclusions would be and are correct, however you are now presented with questions as to which brand to choose and which model. The main brands to choose from in the UK are Yamaha, Roland, Casio, Kawai, Kurzwell and Korg. I would include Classenti as well but you won't find any shop where you can try them out as they sell direct to the public rather than through retailers. So unless you already know of them or have played one its going to be difficult to create a unbiased judgement for you to base your opinions on.
If I were investing my own hard earned money on a digital piano for myself, or as a present I would want to see it, touch it and hear it and I wouldn't spend my money until I had invested some time trying out as many of the different brands I have mentioned. Don't be pushed into buying a digital piano by a pushy salesman, and accept their word as being the final word.
So which is the best brand of digital piano to buy?
There is no right or wrong answer here. If you were to choose the brand that is most popular, Yamaha would come top. Yamaha have dominated the digital market for quite a few years now. It doesn't necessarily make them the best choice though, even though their digital pianos are very good indeed.
If you were to choose the brand with the best build quality and arguably the most realistic piano sound, Roland would be the top choice. Roland use Steinway grand piano samples to create their piano sounds, which is the preferred choice amongst many professional pianists and musicians.
Kurzwell and Kawai sit somewhere in the middle in terms of sound quality, price, reliability and quality of build. Casio are an interesting one as they are certainly at the entry level when it comes to all of the aforementioned factors I would look at when buying a digital piano. Based on the price you would pay, Casio are never going to pretend to be anywhere near to the same standard as Yamaha or Roland pianos. However, some us are restricted by budget and Casio are definitely worth a look at.
A few pointers worth mentioning if you are looking at the Casio digital pianos. These would strictly be for beginners only. For intermediate and advanced players, the sound and build quality just won't be enough.
