Plug And Play - digital piano - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, April, 2001 by Josephine Rossi

HOME | Try easing into music lessons cheaply with a DIGITAL PIANO.

SO YOU SEE your child as a future Rachmaninoff but aren't sure his talent will live up to your expectations. And pianos aren't cheap.

A digital piano may be the answer. Sometimes cheaper and definitely quieter than an upright or baby grand (you can dial down the volume, and many models come headphone-ready), these pianos are kid-tested and teacher-approved--as long as they have the proper features.

That means a full-size model, with 88 pressure-sensitive keys that replicate the resistance of a regular piano and permit speedy, multiple-key play. A sustaining pedal is also a must, as are a stand and bench that allow correct height, posture and position. A digital piano with all these features could keep a child learning for a couple of years before having to move on to an acoustic piano, says Joan Reist, president of the Music Teachers National Association. While the sound quality can't match that of an acoustic piano, a digital has other advantages. It never needs to be tuned. And models can weigh as little as 100 to 200 pounds, making it easy to ship them or stash them away.

In a showroom, expect a discount price of about $1,500, depending on the dealer, for a digital with the necessary features, about half that of a decent console piano. Add disk drives and synthesizers, and the price could skyrocket. But most beginners won't use those rhythm and recording presets, says Patricia Flaherty, a private piano teacher in Rockville, Md.

Charley Ross, co-owner of ABC Piano Discounters (www.abcpiano.com), recommends the Kawai PN 70 (about $2,000 retail) as a good standard unit, and the Suzuki HP 250 ex (about $2,300 retail) as the best value for a feature-loaded model. Should you decide to replace a plug-in piano with a wood-and-wire one, you can trade it in for about what you paid if you use the same dealer, he says. But should you sell your electric model, the value could depreciate significantly--as much as 75%, according to Karen Lile, president of Piano Finders (www.pianofinders.com).