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Need highly portable keyboard with weighted keys
  • So my daughter , who is 12, is a talented pianist apparently. She has a good piano, but we'll be travelling this summer and she needs something electronic and portable for the road. Something. Piano coach says spend around $600, she said guitar center has some decent ones. She said Casio and Yamaha are good and that the keyboard should be "Weighted". So that's it, if anyone has one they want to sell, has a recommendation, or any bit of info, that'd be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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  • for the size and price, the casio privia line is hard to beat.

  • @brianl

    It depends if she needs synth, or midi keyboard is enough. iPad has quite good synth apps, so if she has it she can use just midi keyboard.

  • She's just a pianist. No need for synth, It should be something that approximates a real mechanical piano and have weighted keys. 88 keys and yet should be portable so we can travel with it.

  • Under synth I mean that it makes sounds :-) As using dummy keyboard is quite boring :-).

    Look at the weighted graded hammer action keyboards. They are closer to real thing than just weighted ones.

  • I got the Casio Privia PX-350 for my eight year old daughter. She loves it and me and my spouse really enjoy it too :-) Great keyboard feel and wonderful acoustic sound. We have it hooked up to an iPad with piano lessons and garage band. If you don't need the auto comp feature go for the PX-150.

  • Yamaha have P35 and P105 as their affordable weighted digital pianos. P35 should be well inside $600 range and you might find a deal on P105 for that price as well. AFAIK they have same key mechanism, but P105 has more polyphony, different sounds (technically better than P35), recording function and some other features.

    If possible, let your daughter test several models and brands in your price range, to find which has best key action and sound for her preferences.

    This article might be helpful: http://www.digitalpianoreviewguide.com/whats-the-best-digital-piano-for-beginners/

  • Casio if you want to save weight and money is very good options. They have smaller margins. Look around, and always also check weight of product.

  • Thanks for the help guys. I got this one second hand for $300. includes the pedal, platform-style keyboard stand and keyboard gig bag.http://www.zzounds.com/item--CASPX110 Agee with Vitaliy regarding weight. This one is less than #25. Some I saw were #40. That's too heavy to be lugging around especially since I am the motherfucker who will carry it.