Questions On Keyboard Prices

So, as some of you know I'm a Guitarist/Bassist, however I need some help with buying a Keyboard. As you know it's the holiday season and I'm looking for a Keyboard for my brother (17 y.o. likes Classical Piano), but I have no idea how to pricerange Keyboards, I know what music websites to look at but have no experince with Keyed Instruments or shopping for Keyed Instruments.

Little Help?

Oh man, the entry level digital piano and general purpose workstation keyboard market is a freakin' zoo... but we'll solve this.

Does your brother currently own a keyboard or piano?

How do you see him using this instrument? Bedroom practice? Recital? Playing gigs with his friends?

Would this be to support piano lessons he's taking, or to give him something to mess around and arrange nearly-complete songs with?

Update: price wise, ground floor for new/mint starts around here

It's basicly a hobby, he has no interist in a musical career or bands, he might move it around the house, he dosn't take music classes and we do have an old piano and a Hammond electric organ around the house.

Edit: Also looking for somthing I can find on the Sweetwater website if possible.

Is the Roland GO:Keys or GO:Piano more than you were hoping to spend?

The only price class below this is the Yamaha PSR series or similar offerings from Casio... which are by no means bad, but tend to be a little more dated/cheesy than what the GO:Keys series can offer... but might be a better fit in some cases... depends on your brothers taste in keyboard sounds and how he feels about menu-diving.

Alternatively, there are entry level digital pianos around $400 from Casio and others that focus more on nicer key feel and more realistic piano emulation, at the expense of only being able to make piano sounds... or piano and a few other basics... if he already has access to a real piano, this may be redundant.

Do you think he'd be more into traditional instrument sounds (sample-based and acoustic emulation) or would he be more into adding an electronic/synth sound to his available noodling options?

others please jump in...don't let me suck the air out of the room

if you want realistic piano action Kawai make the closest thig going.... its pricey though. Other factors besides playability may outweigh that. If you really want your brother to have a good piano experience though i recommend the digital piano I bought my son. Kawai ES110.... their entry level hammer action model. it plays beautifully nd sounds pretty damned good for basics like piano (concert grands, baby grands, uprights) and wurli student electric, rhodes etc. It beats the hell out of my yamaha. I believe it was around $700 on sale FROM SWEETWATER. Not sure what your budget is.

Okay, I don't think I'll be doing this for Christmas (especially not now) I might do this for his birthday though, so I might bring this back up in Springtime.

There’s a much cheaper, but quality MIDI keyboard you can get on Amazon. Look up midiPlus.

There’s a much cheaper, but quality MIDI keyboard you can get on Amazon. Look up midiPlus.

Pardon my ignorance, but does MidiPlus make anything that actually makes sounds? Clifford needs something that is a self-contained instrument, AFAIK.

Clifford, if you just wanted something that your brother could plug into his MacBook and trigger sounds from Garageband, my apologies. I assumed you were looking for an instrument that could make sounds on its own, not just a USB controller.

Pardon my ignorance, but does MidiPlus make anything that actually makes sounds? Clifford needs something that is a self-contained instrument, AFAIK.

Clifford, if you just wanted something that your brother could plug into his MacBook and trigger sounds from Garageband, my apologies. I assumed you were looking for an instrument that could make sounds on its own, not just a USB controller.

yeah, I thought it needed to be self contained and feel like a traditional piano

Pardon my ignorance, but does MidiPlus make anything that actually makes sounds?

I do not know, but maybe.

Clifford, if you just wanted something that your brother could plug into his MacBook and trigger sounds from Garageband, my apologies. I assumed you were looking for an instrument that could make sounds on its own, not just a USB controller.

Wait no, I was looking for somthing that could produce it's own sound.

Clifford, if you just wanted something that your brother could plug into his MacBook and trigger sounds from Garageband, my apologies. I assumed you were looking for an instrument that could make sounds on its own, not just a USB controller.

Wait no, I was looking for somthing that could produce it's own sound.

just making sure.

Okay, I don't think I'll be doing this for Christmas (especially not now) I might do this for his birthday though, so I might bring this back up in Springtime.

and I'll still say Kawai ES110. I have not been this impressed with a sub-$1000 digital piano.... ever

Okay, I don't think I'll be doing this for Christmas (especially not now) I might do this for his birthday though, so I might bring this back up in Springtime.

and I'll still say Kawai ES110. I have not been this impressed with a sub-$1000 digital piano.... ever

What about build-in speakers? You and I are trained to dismiss anything that can make noises without an amp as non-pro, but if you don't already own a keyboard amp, and don't want to be limited to headphones exclusively, it can be nice... The only reason I own a Reface CP is because of the size and the built-in speakers... it's my couch piano.

What about build-in speakers? You and I are trained to dismiss anything that can make noises without an amp as non-pro, but if you don't already own a keyboard amp, and don't want to be limited to headphones exclusively, it can be nice...

I mentioned the kawai I bought my kid because it has this cool bose-like speaker array and wave chamber in the back that really projects and diffuses the sound like an actual piano. At max amp volume the on board system is about the loudness of an upright piano across the velocity spectrum... well, that ad the action. Best hammer action out there. Beats the feel of expensive offerings from roland, korg and even clavia's nord piano! Easily as good as dexibell.

What about build-in speakers? You and I are trained to dismiss anything that can make noises without an amp as non-pro, but if you don't already own a keyboard amp, and don't want to be limited to headphones exclusively, it can be nice...

I mentioned the kawai I bought my kid because it has this cool bose-like speaker array and wave chamber in the back that really projects and diffuses the sound like an actual piano. At max amp volume the on board system is about the loudness of an upright piano across the velocity spectrum... well, that ad the action. Best hammer action out there. Beats the feel of expensive offerings from roland, korg and even clavia's nord piano! Easily as good as dexibell.

perfect.