Acoustic vs. Digital Pianos
Heard mention the other day that a local piano tuner was recommending to some of his clients to switch to digital. He said he was tired of keeping all those acoustics in tune.
Sounds to me like he's ready to retire!
My views have changed on this subject over the years as technology has evolved on both the acoustic and digital fronts. While I do believe there is NOTHING like playing a quality grand (the expressiveness and sound is unbelievable), the digitals come out ahead when comparing a quality digital piano and the cheaper spinets and consoles.
The acoustics have the advantage of longevity - even a cheaper spinet will last for decades (IF taken care of). I don't believe the digital keyboards will last much longer than a decade, of that long (Depends on how much they are played, of course). The acoustics in general allow a bit more touch control, and especially pedalling nuance (things like half-pedalling, etc are just not possible with most of the digitals.)
On the other hand, digitals never go out of tune. You can use headphones. They generally have additional sounds, useful for keeping practice interesting (ever heard Bach played with a harpsichord sound? A vibe?). The MIDI capabilities, when used with a computer, open up a world of possibilities. Some are portable.
So what do I recommend when buying a digital? I look at three primary things: Key size, Keyboard feel, and Sound. The keys have to be full sized, and the feel needs to be as close to a grand as possible. (I currently really like the feel of the Casio Privia series, for example - especially in it's price range.) I tell my parents to sit down and really listen to a piano's sound for an extended period of time - if their ears aren't tired of hearing the sound, then it will probably work.
I wish all my students could use a quality grand piano in their practicing - but that's not going to happen in this lifetime. The digitals are a great alternative.
That's my opinion. What do YOU think?
So what do I prefer?
I'd REALLY like a Bosendorfer Imprerial Grand - but that ain't gonna happen in my lifetime, because not only would I have to put down well voer $100,000 for the instruments, I'd also have to buy a MUCH bigger house to put it in!
I love playing a good piano - there really isn't anything like it. HOWEVER< i also use digitals, and have for years. I've learned to adapt my touch to different intruments, and can make music on just about anything.
I currently have a Roland RD-700sx (88 note fully weighted hammer action keyboard which feels pretty good).
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