Home piano under 1000€ (Classical/Jazzy)

lillo9546

Hi everyone!
I'm new to piano and looking for a starter piano for under €1,000. (I'm buying used.)

Many have recommended the Roland FP 10, but I'm the type to spend an extra €200 and get the 30X, which is also used. So, I'd rather spend a little more and get better quality right away, and if something goes wrong, I can always resell it.

Now, I'm looking forward to your suggestions and advice on a piano recommendation.

My needs and preferences: I play a fixed piano at home; my style and genre is similar to Joe Hisaishi, Einaudi, Yoshida Kiyoshi, Yoko Shimomura, and others... so to speak.

But I also like jazz.

ps: I'm from Italy, and I buy from Italy

hebele

lillo9546 I agree with @iternabe in all points. I had an FP-10 for about a year and it was great. I used it as a midi controller for VSTs. Only minor annoyance for me was the lack of proper continuous pedal. I used an external device as a workaround for that. If I was starting again, I would go with FP-30x just for the pedal. Although FP-10 can be found cheaper and it is slightly more portable.

I believe both can be sold easily. If you buy second hand, you should be able to sell it in similar price.

The action should feel and behave exactly same in both models. Unlike other brands, Roland puts pha-4 action into much more expensive pianos.

ShiroKuro

lillo9546 my style and genre is similar to Joe Hisaishi, Einaudi, Yoshida Kiyoshi, Yoko Shimomura,

Welcome to Piano Tell, and to the world of piano playing! 🙂

I can’t help you with your digital piano questions, but I wanted to say it looks like we have similar musical interests! 🙂

navindra

lillo9546 Welcome to PianoTell! ⭐️

Have you ruled out getting an upright piano? My general sense is that acoustic pianos tend to be more affordable in Europe, but I'm not sure if you'd get a good used one for under €1000.

Btw, I'm moving this to the Digital Pianos section but also leaving this here temporarily so that you can still find it. 🙂

iternabe

FP-10 has the exact same action (PHA-4) as FP-30X. However, FP-10 lacks two features that makes FP-30X a far better choice:

Continuous sustain pedal: FP-10 only support 3 distinct pedal states (off, half, and full). FP-30X supports continues pedal input (full range from 0-127)
Built-in audio interface: this allows a single USB cable to both send MIDI to external device (PC, Tablet, phone) and receive audio back. If you intend to use any Virtual Instruments, this feature is really nice to have.

My first DP is a Roland FP-30X. I still think it is probably the best value DP under $1,000. When I upgraded, it was for a specific reason. And that's what makes recommending a "better" one not so easy, because everyone's need is different. If you can buy used and sell easily, FP-30X is a great starting choice. A year or two later, you may realize there are specific things that you really need, you will be able to make much better decision on an upgrade.

Just FYI some examples topics that influence people's choice on DPs:

Sound quality: Roland probably has the most disliked piano sound engine. Kawai's SK-EX sound is among the best. That said, all of the internal sound engine in DP (even expensive ones) pales in comparison to external Virtual Instruments that runs on a computer (or mobile device, i.e. Pianoteq). Also, the internal speakers in slab DP are limited in audio quality. Get a quality headphone or studio monitor, and you will hear huge improvement. Running extra computers and speakers may not be viable for some people, but for others, it can be a must-have (and something that lasts even when the DP is upgraded).
Action: Weight (light vs. heavy touch), repetition speed, and "feel" closer to acoustic actions are the usual things people talk about. Roland action has the slightly heavier touch. Kawai RH action has the fastest repetition speed. Solid wood key stick actions (e.g. some Kawai actions) feels much more like acoustic action than folded plastic actions. And there's pivot length, which affects effort to play keys near the fallboard, can be a factor for certain people whose technique make them plays more "inward" on the keyboard.

Last but not least, don't overlook the budget needed on accessories. A good headphone (e.g. Sennheiser HD560S) would run about $150. You will need a sturdy stand (e.g. a Z-stand), and a good bench (adjustable height, preferably). A good sustain pedal (e.g. Roland's DP-10). And the most valuable of all: fund for regular lessons with a teacher.

raagamuffin

iternabe
I have a different take on the Roland. While I haven't used the FP10, I did buy an RD88EX (2025). So I'll give my thoughts based on this. Also, I own a Roland XP30 from the 90s, which I bought not to play piano but for its sampled sounds, back when I thought I could be a DJ 😉 (ah, to be 20 again 🙂 ) .
I'm comparing it to a Casio Celviano, our first sub $1K piano, and I think it is probably an underrated brand. (Yeah, I know, Casio 🙂 ).
The Roland RD piano engine is (almost) criminally inadequate. I believe the current FP engine also uses the same modeling. It sounds like a tin can in the higher registers and in the lower registers it sounds a bit muddy (I ran it through my trusty Alesis old school monitors) .
The Roland action is great though, it's slightly sticky but it came closest to mimicking a real piano for my novice hands.

OP, I would suggest looking at Casio and Yamaha also. I liked some of the Yamaha sampled sounds, but I don't recall the action. When my daughter started out learning piano a few years ago, I felt the Casio Celviano had the best bang for the buck. That Casio action is not as nice as the Roland IMO.

(Epilogue: The Roland RD left such a bad taste in my mouth that I bought an acoustic piano and I'm infinitely happier.)

WieWaldi

lillo9546 So, from what you're telling me, I might go with the FP30X (there are also many FP30s).

If you want to use external monitor speakers, go for the X version. The older one doesn't provide line out. Another big plus for the X version is added bluetooth audio: You can run a drum computer on your smartphone and stream to your piano. Or a backing track.

hebele The action should feel and behave exactly same in both models.

Not entierly sure about that. Stu Harrison from Merriam Music mentioned the FP30 line feels better then the FP10, because the entire housing is more robust and the keys bottom out on a sturdier keybey. AFAIK, he even mentioned, the next upgrades (FP-E50 or FP-60X or even both) feel a bit better than the FP-30X. All those models featuring the same PHA-4 action. Too many videos online, too lazy to search for.

Another strong contender might be the Kawai ES120
Roland FP30X vs Kawai ES120

Concerning Roland vs Kawai, I trust Stu from Merriam Music, as the store sells both. If Yamaha comes into play, take everything with a grain of salt. I tried the ES120 and the FP-E50 side by side, because I was interested in all the whistles and bells of the FP-E50 (accompaniment / drum-computer). The action was a wash - different feeling, both similar good. Could live with both. But the Roland sound engine turned me off a bit.

Talking about good sound engines: Yamaha is also a top contender, IMO in the same ball park as Kawai. The Yamaha CFX is brighter than the Kaway SK-EX and my taste leans towards the brighter tone.

lillo9546

Thanks so much for the advice.
So, from what you're telling me, I might go with the FP30X (there are also many FP30s).

If I have to buy an external monitor speaker because the quality of the piano speakers isn't good enough, which one do you recommend?
As for the headphones, fine!

As for pedals and stands, Roland sells the stands and pedalboard for three, which make the Roland FP30X feel like a home piano. Aren't those any good? Should I buy more? @iternabe

iternabe

lillo9546 If I have to buy an external monitor speaker because the quality of the piano speakers isn't good enough, which one do you recommend?

This is another highly debatable topic. I can only share my approach, which based these beliefs:

The studio monitor should be neutral. It should not add any color to the sound, therefore it should have a flat frequency response curve.
Subjective review of speakers can be unreliable. A speaker that measured (scientificly and regiorously) well will most likely sound good in my own studio. So I place a lot of trust on reviews data on audiosciencereview.com.

I ended up getting a pair of second hand JBL 306p Mk2, and later added a JBL LSR 310S subwoofer. These are not good looking. JBL cut cost by using cheap cabinet materials. But they sound very good, and measured very neutrual in my room. The only downside is there is a faint yet audible hiss from the tweeters (even with no sound input, or muted). This is something common to all active (powered) speakers that uses class D amplifier internally - only the level of hiss may be less in some models. I do wish my JBL hiss less, but I can live with what they are now. BTW hiss can also be reduced by placing the studio monitors further away, if you studio has the space. Based on your room size, JBL 305p or 308p might be better to consider.

iternabe

lillo9546 As for pedals and stands, Roland sells the stands and pedalboard for three, which make the Roland FP30X feel like a home piano. Aren't those any good? Should I buy more?

My FP-30X came with a no-name X-stand in the bundle. It is no good because it wobbles so much. I bought a Roland RS-10Z (second hand), and used it for the FP-30X and later the MP11SE. It is a superb stand, being rock solid, height adjustable, easy to move, and foldable for storage and transportation. But it does have that industrial look that suits more for a studio than the family room.

Recently I moved the FP-30X to the living room. It really needs a furniture style stand to look good. I have been searching for Roland KSC-70 and KDP-70. They are sturdy and nice looking according to reviews. They are expensive, too - costing $300 for both, and rarely available in used market. They also only fit FP-30/30X. So if I sell the Roland later, I need to sell the stand together. Lastly they are fixed height. Therefore you really need an adjustable height bench.

iternabe

ShiroKuro I immediately thought about you, too. You can help @lillo9546 by sharing your preference in an intrument that better suit this style of music. Things like which end of the dynamic range needs more control, how much of the effect is reliant on the subtle use of pedal, what kind of piano sound (e.g. bright, mellow, clear, or resonant, etc.) works better.

ShiroKuro

iternabe by sharing your preference in an intrument that better suit this style of music.

Hmm, that's difficult because I'm not up to date on current digitals.

I will say that the quality of the pedal is very important. I mean, that probably goes for any music, but especially for Einaudi.

In terms of piano sound, again, there's an element of personal preference, but I would say "clear" and "resonant are more apt than bright or mellow.