Graham Howard

“My final choice was on aesthetic grounds”

I downloaded your book on how to buy a digital piano which I found very helpful, and thank you for all the information, for a subject which is daunting for a beginner.

I went to the store to get the Yamaha YDP 161 but ended up buying the (Arius) YDP S51, white. I must admit my final choice was on aesthetic grounds, but this piano did have a lot of what you indicated were necessary for a good quality digital piano without many frills.

So as a beginner I am happily unpacking it and trying to assemble.

Review by Dionisios Vasiliadis, Greece (11/01/2013)

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“Great sensitivity and response… 7 out of 10”

I got the Yamaha S51 on 09/01/2013 and am progressing with my lessons.
I can’t fault the feel of the piano in terms of sensitivity and response and its compact design is not only very practical, it looks fantastic.

Although the overall sound of the piano itself is good (7 out of 10), it sounds much better through the headphones and when hooked up to my Yamaha receiver. I guess this is due to its internal speakers, which at 20W, although are more than adequate in terms of filling the room with sound without disturbing neighbours, they do reduce its ability to render the full weight of the concert grand that it is capable of doing, when hooked up to my receiver.

Just one negative note:
When hooked up to the receiver (CD socket) via either of the 2 ¼ inch headphone sockets (there is no line out), there is some humming from my surround speakers in the room.

Review by Abel

 

>> For Yamaha YDP-S51 information, specifications and prices, click here

I bought my Yamaha CLP240 from a piano shop in central London. It was delivered flat-packed so I had to assemble it. It was quite easy though, the instructions were clear and it was just a matter of screwing it together. I needed a bit of help to lift the keyboard part onto the stand as it was quite heavy!

I am very happy with the amount of voices and instrument sounds the CLP240 has. I get to play church organ, harpsichord, electric piano and grand piano just by pressing a button.

The keyboard’s feel is a little different to my teacher’s upright piano. The touch and movement of the keys is suitable to practice on up until a certain point. The main problem is the transition from my Yamaha digital piano to my teacher’s acoustic piano. I find it quite difficult to get used to the heavier touch that my teacher’s piano has.

The Yamaha CLP240’s sound though, is absolutely brilliant! I tested other digitals out and even the best Roland didn’t come near to the CLP240.

I think the Yamaha CLP240 is a complete package for a beginner or more experienced player to learn on. I do feel that I will upgrading to a real piano once I reach about grade 6.

Appearance         8/10
Sound Quality      9/10
Value for Money  8/10
Total Score        8/10

Yamaha CLP240 Review by John Thorne, Derby, UK.

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

“Loudness is too small comparing the acoustic piano in the school. When using headphones, the sound of the keys is loud”

I bought Yamaha Clavinova CLP320. I was hesitating between YDP161 and CLP320. At last, as I didn’t have a chance to listen to a YDP161, I’ve chosen CLP320. I bought it in a music shop in Hungary.

The piano is dark rosewood color, and it looks nice

Its sound is at least sufficient for me as is. If I connect it to an outer amplifier and speakers, that sounds much better. So I feel (despite of your opinion that 2x12W is enough at home) 2×20 W is not the best. But maybe it is just because of the two simple speakers, that face downwards. My daughter (who has been learning to play piano for 3 years), has similar problem, that the loudness is too small comparing the acoustic piano in the school. She says, it is harder to play different loudness voices on this piano than on acoustic. As they are much louder, it is more easy to here the difference.

My wife says, its sound is too machine kind, but I don’t agree with this. I’m afraid, she has a preconception, and that is why she says what she says. I just feel, that those two “small” speakers don’t show, what this piano knows.

My daughter was complained of the key weight as well. She says it is too easy to push down. But it revealed, that the pianino in the school (she’s playing on during her lessons) is more hard to push down than other pianos in the music school. I managed to try one pianino in the music school, and (as an amateur) felt it was app.. same as our CLP320 from this point of view. My daughter said, yes, there was not a big difference between that one and our digital one. (And of course, you know, if you are playing on two different pianos regularly, after a while, you can play well on both even if they are so different. This is similar driving two different cars. After a time it will be your own how to handle one and the other. And then just need a few minutes to feel current one.)

For us, to be able to use headphones, is a very-very good option. We are leaving in a flat with two neighbors next to us, so this is very good in the mornings and evenings.

But here comes another (I wouldn’t say: problem) but observation, that when using headphones, the sound of the keys sounds loud. I know it is not so loud, as they give just thud noise, but you know, so far as we had an old acoustic piano, that was quite loud in voice, so we couldn’t hear this kind of noise. So it is strange only for ones who only hear the keys without sounds. BUT, if we use it with less loudness (with its own speakers) keyboard sound can be annoying for the player as well. This is more problematic. You can use it with less loudness not to trouble others, but in that case key noise will trouble you.

Very good option, is the built in different musical instruments sound, especially that they can be used with each other (two kind in the same time).

What is still not so good, is the complexity of the adjustments. As there are no special buttons, we have to use the keyboard keys. It is quite hard to remember which key is what for. But to do it easier, there is a quick guide for this adjustments. This helps a little.

Other not so perfect thing is the loosing adjustments when switch instrument off. There is no memory to remember the different adjustments. For example, if you like one kind piano, with some reverb adjustments, you cannot save it. You have to adjust it from the beginning after a “reboot”. This is not so professional. I’m just thinking on, may be there is the option to save adjustments, just it avoid my mind, I will check it again. For me, it is hard to believe that this option is missing from this. (One of my hobby is taking photos, and cameras know this kind of options basically.)

  

Review by Krisztian, Hungary

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “It is only by luck that I have such a good piano”

I am really pleased with my new clp320. It is only by luck that I have
such a good piano. I started to read music and had an interest in
playing the piano on retirement. I have no ear for music, but amazed
at what I can play. I learnt on a very small keyboard which was my
daughters, but realized I needed the feel of a piano.

The luck was I purchased a clp970 which was only £399. Five years on
I wantedsomething a bit smaller, still a piano rather than a keyboard and
surprised to find the clp 970 had held its price. I am now set up for “life”.

I love playing, I no longer have lessons but have a good friend who helps
me with the timing, which seems one of the hardestthings to master.

It is never too late to learn, something I never thought I would never be
able to do. I can’t recommend it enough. I have always enjoyed listening
to all kinds of music, but now have a much better understanding.

Your digital piano buyer’s book was very useful in making my choice and
the clp320 seemed the obvious choice as I already had a Yamaha.

Review by June, Shoreham-by-Sea, UK

3) “I cannot praise the quality of the piano sound highly enough and the action is so much better than anything I have experienced”

I bought a Yamaha CLP 320 from the local store (Cranes) – they matched the online discount, delivered for free and are local
if anything goes wrong during the warranty period.

I have never owned a digital piano before and have not played regularly for a long time. I cannot praise the quality of the
piano sound highly enough and the action is so much better than anything I have experienced. I bought it to develop my improvisation
skills but I am so taken with the music supplied that I am playing that as well.

I was originally looking at the P155 portable but the CLP320 looked better value for the limited number of times I expect to perform.
none of the other voices are personally of much interest -although the church organ is impressive it is unlikely I will play that type of music.

The ukpianos.co.uk website was instrumental in my choice.

Review by Andy Green

4) “I would defy anyone but an expert to tell the difference between this and an expensive old-style piano”

This piano has been a revelation to some one who has only played cheap mechanical action pianos from yesteryear. The smooth action makes such thing as
tremelo much easier to play whilst the tone is of such quality I would defy anyone but an expert to tell the difference between this and an expensive
old-style piano. The other voices are very realistic but I have little use for them. I would have preferred a Hammond-style organ to a church organ but
as I bought it primarily to use as a piano I have no cause for complaint. The accompanying music and demo of same has rekindled my interest in playing
classical music.- I originally only bought it to play boogie and other styles of rhythm and blues.

The local shop matched the internet with a 25% discount and delivered for free. The plus for me is that if I need to invoke the 2-year warranty then
the shop is local.

All in all a bargain at this price. The advice from Graham Howard was very useful in narrowing down my choice and I went for his top pick – which was
just as well as the local shop only sold Yamaha and Casio!

Review by Andrew Green, Worcester, England

5) “It sounds fantastic”

It sounds fantastic, and fits quite well in the apartment (my wife and her mother are very happy with this feature in particular). My daughter is all the time playing. I hope this will boost her taste for music

Reviewed by Graham Stone

6) “I’m Unable to tear my wife away from it!”

I received our Yamaha CLP320 today – ordered it online from Orange Music in Pretoria, South Africa,
which was the best price I could get and as an added bonus got free delivery
(and a free stool in the box!).  Now, I live in an extremely rural part of
South Africa, where very few people deliver, so it was awesome to be able to
get free delivery and that they actually made it here. Great service from
them too!

Have just taken the piano out the box and it is magnificent, with lovely
sound.  Unable to tear my wife away from it!

Review by Karl Le Roux, Pretoria, South Africa

7) “She was really surprised about the CLP320 performances: sound and touch were impacting to her”

My two kids are starting to learn piano.
The oldier (9) is more skilled. He is the one playong the piano and is very happy wit hit. He says he does not find too high difference
with the acoustic piano he plays at the academy. But how trustable his opinion is? A more trustable opnion is the one from a friend of
us who is a very skilled pianist. She tested Casio and Clavinova and, though Casio is good she said, Clavinova is better.

She was really surprised about the CLP320 performances: sound and touch were impacting to her. She owns a vertical PETROF, but she
recognised Clavinova would have been a good alternative…and cheaper. So she ranked Clavinova in 4,5 from 5.

I bought the CLP-320 in a shop, not by internet. I was checking web pages: some from Spain and the one you have the link to. Prices
were quite similar, in the range of 1075 to 1100 Euros transport, VAT, wood banket and head phones included. Suddenly on the web I
found a small piano shop in Madrid, named “Rincon Musical”. I recommend you to visit their web site (http://www.rinconmusical.es/),
even to visit the shop in case you reach Madrid someday. It is a lovely place. Not too big, but charming. You can find many pianos,
acoustic and digital, mainly from Yamaha and Steinway. The treatment was excellent, as the price: 1.015 € all included (transport, VAT,
wood banket, headphones). The same set is now being offered by them at 985€!!!!

They are oficial dealers for Yamaha and Casio, therefore, no initial preference for any trade, though they recomended me Yamaha.
Why this price in a shop? because crisis and competence I guess. They transported the piano to home in just two days after the
agreement, and installed it! We had a problem with the plug for the pedlas, tht was not well installed, and they contacted Yamaha
technical service that appeared soon and solved the problem. They also commented us about a plan for the shop rebying the Clavinova
in case the client wantd to upgrade to a U-series Yamaha they sell.

I really felt very confortable and they were very kind (we 3 adults and 4 kids were atr the shop for nearly two hours testing the
Casio and Clavinovas…). They look very professional (they are in the business for more than a century!). I totally recommend this
shop (I do not know how they can manage international shipments).

Review by Juan-Alberto, Madrid, Spain (10/07/2010)

8) “I’ve been playing it for 3 months now. Love it. Have started spending a lot of time practicing now”

The main reason I chose the Yamaha CLP 320 was because it was the best
deal in my budget. I bought it from Yamaha Square, New Delhi.

I have been learning how to play the piano for 3 months now – 9 hours in
toto. I love it and intend to make it a lifetime hobby. So my instructor
advised me to invest in a Piano. I didnt know anything about Pianos. So
the first step was to go visit 6 of the best piano stores in my city to
get a sense of the difference between acoustic and digital pianos, the
brands and prices.

My budget was GBP 1050 on the higher side. So acoustic piano was ruled
out. All shop advisors suggested I go for Yamaha over Kawai, Casio and
Roland. I definitely wanted a piano looking piano and not a portable
modern looking one. So the Clavinova series suited me fine. Then I came
across Graham’s article and that was the final deal maker for me. So I
decided on the CLP 320 – very popular choice in India.

I’ve been playing it for 3 months now. Love it. Have started spending a
lot of time practicing now. Earlier with the keyboard it was a real effort
as the keys were too small. Now the touch and feel is just like an
acoustic. And it looks beautiful. But there’s definitely a difference in
sound. You know it’s a bit tinny. The sound lingers longer than in an
acoustic. It’s not bad.. not at all. It’s just that it isn’t like an
acoustic exactly. I find that a little annoying. But can deal with it as
it is nothing compared to the overall joy of owning this Model.

Review by Aarti, New Delhi, India (12/07/2010)

9) “Overall, the piano is very well built. One can see quality in every detail”

MY REQUIREMENTS:
I’m a keyboard player for a few years and just started taking piano lessons
seriously. So, as far as piano studying goes I’m a beginner. I’ve decided to buy
a good digital piano but had quite a limited budget (musical instruments are way
overpriced in Brazil). My main requirements were basically: touch feeling as
close as possible to the real thing and a good piano sound. In this matter,
reading Graham Howard’s “7 Things You MUST know before you buy a digital piano”
really helped me to see what requirements were really important for me.
Additionally, the piano would have to fit nicely in my living room (ok, this was
more like my wife’s requirement). That means that, either I’d go to a digital
piano or a stage piano with the whole (also overpriced) stand and pedal kits.
I’ve tried the lower end Yamaha stage pianos (not satisfied by the GHS key
action) and a few Casio Privias (poor overall build quality to my evaluation).
Fortunately, I’ve found a very good deal on a brand new CLP-320 when I was
considering buying a pre-owned Yamaha P-140.

PACKAGING AND ASSEMBLY:
I’ve ordered the piano on the Internet and I was a bit concerned about the
transportation and how I would set up the whole thing. Not to my surprise
though, this piano is very well packed and it is very easy to assembly from the
box. I could do it in half an hour with a little help from my wife. After we
finished, the piano looked really nice and, most important, it felt solid rock.

PROS.
It is definitely nice the sound that come out from this piano. It fits well to
my taste, being in the right balance between bright and mellow. The 3 layer
sample is not cutting edge technology, but provides a good expression response
while playing, specially for a beginner. The sound is quite good through the
speakers which was sort of a surprise to me since I though at first that the
speakers wouldn’t do a good job due to the limited power. Nevertheless, the
sound is absolutely fantastic through the earphones. That means that one could
yet improve external sound quality through an amplifier if necessary (though
connection would be somewhat tricky – see cons.). I quickly heard a bit of the
other 9 sounds that comes with it and found them just ok. I’ll probably never
use them anyway. The key touch and feeling is very, very good. The weight is
perfect and I found it comparable with the two acoustic upright pianos I’m used
to play. Overall, the piano is very well built. One can see quality in every
detail. For example, the wood key cover has a thin rubber finish in the lower
end to avoid dust entering the keyboard. Also, the keys are firm, perfectly
aligned, and quiet in noise. It looks like the whole thing is going to last
forever. I hope so, because warranty in Brazil for this product is just 1 year
long. The three pedals set are really nice too, although I would expect a slight
greater pedal course. I’m glad it came with the matching bench, which I really
did not expected. All in all, this instrument has by far exceeded my
expectations considering my needs and the other options I had in hand for the
same price.

CONS.
Eliminating the control buttons and the display is a good solution for the
instrument look slim and that is good to fit small rooms. However, let’s face
it: controlling all the parameters through the piano keys are not exactly the
most straightforward thing to do. And specially on this instrument, the keys
wouldn’t make any “click” sound to confirm what you’re doing. Overall, this
means that you have to spend the first weeks with the owner’s manual in hand and
the (quite good actually) quick operation guide card readily available. You end
up getting used to it, but having a few buttons and a small 7 segment display
wouldn’t hurt. Additionally, this piano is basically what you get. Although it
has standard MIDI in/out ports, it definitely lacks on connectivity. It does not
have USB, Line In/Out, Memory Card interface, etc. So, if you intend to do a lot
of computer usage with it, synthesizing or mixing it with other equipment, this
piano is not right for you. It has two earphone jacks, standard MIDI In/Out, the
power plug and that’s it. Ergonomics: I’ve found the bench+instrument set a bit
low in height, so I have to adjust myself while playing with some pillows in
order to avoid back pains because the bench that comes with the CLP-320 is not
adjustable. It is worth mentioning, however, that my height is above average and
I have similar issues with acoustic pianos too.

OVERALL
If I had the extra money I would definitely buy the CLP-330. It seems to be a
better cost x benefit purchase, mostly due to the GH3 keyboard, improved user
interface and better connectivity. However, considering the basic needs of a
beginner, the CLP-320 is just a perfect choice. It mimics well the actual
instrument, has an excellent sound and it is a high quality instrument. The GH3
keyboard is not a miss for a beginner, you can get used to the user interface
and you won’t need the connectivity for the basic thing – turn it on and play.
Considering the deal I got, I couldn’t be happier with my CLP-320.

Review by Willer A. S. Cruz, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP – Brazil (15/07/2010)

10) “… the important point is that it was beautiful enough to surprise my wife”

It was unbelievable that a digital piano can be such similar to an acoustic one.
Although it’s not the most perfect but the most important thing is that it makes
a realistic feeling for not only me but for whoever sat and played a little!

Touch and sound are both absolutely different from electronic keyboards. Actually
I hadn’t enough money to buy an acoustic piano and at the same time I didn’t want
to wait until the best time of learning for my little daughter goes. It is the
best choice for a novice like my daughter or even me to practice in a real situation.

This type of piano with Standard Graded Hammer allows to fingers to be shaped correctly.
It’s portable. I’m tenant and it’s an advantage.

And the important point is that it was beautiful enough to surprise my wife.

  

Review by Ahmad Roozbehani

11) “The final choice fell on the Yamaha CLP 320 after almost choosing a Roland RP-201”

Dear Graham

The information you provided through your report and website was a great
help to us in the process of buying a digital piano. We read everything,
made notes and started the rounds of several good instrument shops in and
around Oslo, Norway. Having learnt a lot about digital pianos and having a
basic information about what to look out for, made the conversations with
the salesman more interesting and made us feel more competent in making our
final choice.

We took our time about choosing and were also in touch with you via e-mail
through the process. After seeing different models and types of pianos, keyboards
and stage pianos we decided that we wanted one that would also look good in
our sitting room.

And the final choice fell on the Yamaha CLP 320 after almost choosing a Roland RP-201.
Your testing, which showed that the Yamaha came up slightly better in most cases,
was what made us go for the Yamaha, and we have not regretted the choice so far!
So, thank you for the information, and giving us the confidence to make our own
choices in the face of many different and exciting offers!

Review by Kathleen Thoresen (27/09/2010)

12) “I am enjoying the choice of voice, the tone etc – in fact I love everything about it”

We have recently moved from a detached house in Scotland to a flat in Northern Ireland. I have owned an upright piano for many years and wanted to ‘go digital’ a) because of the smaller new home and b) because I wanted to be able to play without annoying the new neighbours.

Graham’s detailed explanations helped me decide that the CLP320 was probably ideal for my needs.
I followed his suggestions re visiting a music shop and actually found one right here in Bangor about 5 minutes drive from our new home. It’s called Dawsons and I must say the service etc has been excellent. Price paid was £883. Piano delivered at precisely arranged time 3 days after ordered. Delivered, assembled and packaging removed for £10 charge!! Chris at Dawsons is your man!
CLP320 would seem at this early stage the correct decision for me. I now have a piano plus plenty of ‘bells and whistles’ without going overboard
I can play away quietly or wear the headphones (included free of charge) if I want to get carried away!!
I am enjoying the choice of voice, the tone etc – in fact I love everything about it – including the stool which is very comfortable.
I do hope that this review will help someone who is looking to replace an existing upright piano – I think I have made an excellent choice, but that decision was made extremely easy by reading all of Graham’s advice – it gave me the confidence to go ahead.

Review by Alison Hill, Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland (12/11/10)

13) “The joy we get from it is far more than the money we spent!”

After careful consideration I purchased a Yamaha CLP320 which I am very pleased
with. I am very pleased indeed that I have bought the piano. Since then my daughter
gets up earlier in the morning and practises on her piano. I can say the joy we
get from it is far more than the money we spent!

Review by Ying Piper (25/11/2010)

14) “The sound of the piano is absolutely amazing”

I am extremely pleased with my purchase. The piano itself is finished to a high standard, the packaging and delivery was very impressive. The instructions are clear and concise. I did have to have help in constructing it as it is too heavy for one person.

The sound of the piano is absolutely amazing and I would not hesitate in recommending it to anyone who is considering buying a digital paino.

Review by Ann Hall, Dorset, England (22/12/2010)

15) “I’m so sad that they have given this nice piano such a poor sound system”

I’m an engineer specialized on acoustics and electroacoustics and I have purchased this piano a few weeks ago. I have been playing a Sauter acoustic upright piano which was loud and bright, now that I got my Clavinova I got a little frustrated.

The build quality and key weighting is very good for me, the sounds and samples are quite impressive too but I’m so sad that they have given this nice piano such a poor sound system. For very small costs, they could have implemented a two-way four speaker system and give the piano a bright and lively sound. The way it is with those ordinary speakers, it sounds pretty dull in my opinion. There’s no option to adjust the sound timbre as well. Very nice piano, great joy to play but sadly, they have cut down on the sound system. It could have been much better.

Review by Kerem, Istanbul, Turkey (16/02/2011)

16) “It has a lovely sound and feel to it”

We are very happy with the piano, it has a lovely sound and feel to it. It was a choice between this and the Kawai CN23 and although I preferred the Kawai, it ultimately came down to price. However, we are happy to recommend this piano and it is perfect for my daughter who is just starting out.

Review by Kavita Gupta, Stockport, UK (16/02/2011)

17) “The Clavinova is contributing strongly to my tuition”

The key weighting of my Yamaha  Clavinova CLP320M feels good and, not surprisingly, is much closer to that of my tutor’s Steinway grand piano, than was the key weighting of my mid-1980s Yamaha PSR-60.

The arrival of the Clavinova has reduced the “gap” between my home practice instrument and the Steinway on which I have to demonstrate my home practice progress to my tutor. Accordingly, the Clavinova is contributing strongly to my tuition.

Review by Richard Poynton (22/02/2011)

18) “It’s a great piano!”

I’m extremely happy with my piano. It was much more than I expected, as far as sound, quality, everything! It’s a great piano! Definitely worth the price and everything.

Review by Jacoline Schot (09/03/2011)

19) “I am extremely satisfied with the purchase”

G’day Graham, from sunny Perth Western Australia.

I’ve finally got it! Here’s how….

After reading through your free and very useful guides, I settled on the
Yamaha YDP 161 as it was bang on target with the budget.

So off I went to the music shop ready to purchase it when I noticed the
Yamaha CLP 320 on special AND for less than the cost of the YDP 161. So, I
bought a Clavinova based on your top 10 ratings.

Brought it home – man that thing weighs! – took me a couple of hours to set
up (I do read manuals very carefully before doing anything) and voila!

This is my daughter’s second year of piano lessons and she was very
surprised and very happy the next morning. She is definately more motivated
to drop her Nintendo and PSP and go practice what she has learnt from music
school. Last year, we had a Casio Keyboard and I’m glad I got rid of it – no
comparison, the 320 is super.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the purchase. It has good looks
(Rosewood finish), it’s sturdy, has a great feel and has brilliant sounds. I
am almost tempted to get lessons myself.

So thanks for your help Graham. You made me do it!

Review by Sanch, Perth, Western Australia (06/03/2011)

20) “It is an excellent choice for a beginner”

After reading Graham Howard’s wondeful “Digital Piano Buyer’s Guide”, I went to the local music store and I bought myself a Yamaha CLP-320 with confidence. I am very happy with my decision. I think, it is an excellent choice for a beginner.

Review by Cem Berik, Ankara, Turkey (09/04/2011)

21) “It’s very easy for me to play”

I really like the piano my dad bought me. It’s very easy for me to play and it sounds very good.

Review by Sanch Stars, Western Australia (13/07/2011)

22) “I cannot get used to the disastrous music rest”

Wonderful piano but after playing on it for nearly a year now I’m afraid I cannot get used to
the disastrous music rest – there are no prongs to hold your books open or up so music
constantly and consistently falls while playing.

Review by Jay McIntosh, Scotland

 

>> For Yamaha CLP320 information, specifications and prices, click here

Second hand Yamaha CLP330 available here

 

“Playing felt nice, exact features I wanted, the sound I liked most”

I bought a Yamaha CLP330. My choice was a combination of several
reasons (playing felt nice, exact the features I wanted, the sound I liked
most) but I felt confident to buy since I had a lot of background about the
topic.

We have it installed for 3 weeks now, and it plays like a charm. Our oldest
son is 8 years old and I’m learning him to play, and luckily he also got the
piano virus… Our other 2 kids enjoy our piano-adventures so I hope they
also grow some interest in the next years.

My mission was to buy a piano, but also introduce (playing) music in our
family, and thusfar I’m a happy man!

Nevertheless you’ll need some -neutral- background and technical info, and
that’s where you came in.

Review by Jerry Hamal

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “I love the warm sound of the grand piano and am very comfortable with the touch”

I have been very pleased so far with my new purchase. I love the warm sound
of the grand piano and am very comfortable with the touch. I like the fact
that the music supplied is also pre-recorded so you can play along with one
or other hand and practice by altering the speed.

The only thing I miss- a small point but a matter of inconvenience- is something
to keep the pages open properly on the music rest. I chose this model because I am
hoping to record song accompaniments for friends and will be able to give them their
background music to practice- but I haven’t yet tried this feature.

I bought the Clavinova from Chappell of Bond Street, from their internet site. Delivery
was very good and assembling between two people was not too difficult.

I was grateful to Graham Howard for all the useful information in his piano book. It meant I
was able to obtain all the features I really required but without going over the top for my needs.

Review by Elaine Peters ,Yeovil, Somerset, UK

 

3) “It offers a lot more than a ‘real’ piano at a comparable price. The touch is more consistent, there are of course no problems with tuning, and the sound is perfectly acceptable”

I began by thinking that I would buy a second-hand piano for about£1000-£1500 but, having
tried a variety in various shops and having read reviews (in particular Graham Howard’s comments),
I decided on a Yamaha CLP 330. I am a moderately good (ex-Grade 8) amateur pianist and do not
make use of many of the sound effects available but think that, just as a piano, it offers a lot more
than a ‘real’ piano at a comparable price. The touch is more consistent, there are of course no problems
with tuning, and the sound is perfectly acceptable.

In addition you have the benefit of being able to spare your family by playing through earphones, and
you have a ‘una corda’ pedal whose effect is much closer to that of a grand. Are there weaknesses?
One might complain about the tone quality of staccato notes in the bass or about the absence of the
physical feeling that there is always a bit more volume one could squeeze out of it if one used more
force, but with a ‘real’ piano too one would have to go quite a long way up the price scale before being
entirely satisfied.

In short, I am very pleased indeed with the CLP 330: it isn’t a good quality grand, but it is certainly comparable
with a good upright and has some useful features that the upright or even the grand wouldn’t have.

Review by David Hill, Taunton Somerset, UK

 

4) “The touch is very good, the heavy weight of the keys really makes the CLPs feel more like an acoustic than the YDPs. The whole construction also seems much weightier and robust”

My CLP330 was delivered Friday evening and the guy from the shop built and tested it.

My 10 year old daughter who has recently started having lessons has taken the opportunity and been practicing a lot.

My wife who was a little concerned about getting it has already commented that she feels that the instrument is ideal.

I have always wanted to play the piano, but never had an instrument and I hope that my daughter taking it up will be the catalyst I need.

With regard to the piano itself, the touch is very good, when comparing the instruments in the shop I could instantly see why you recommend the CLP over the YDP, the heavy weight of the keys really makes the CLPs feel more like an acoustic than the YDPs. The whole construction also seems much weightier and robust.

I had considered the Yamaha CLP340, for me the main difference is the sound output and whilst I would like the extra oomph, the 330 is much better value for money. In the room it is in (which is approx. 29′ x 15′) the output is easily sufficient.

The voice of the piano is very good, however if anyone is looking for an instrument that does more than the piano I would recommend that they hear the other voices to see whether they meet their needs. I wanted a digital piano and for me the other voices are secondary and I would still have bought it if it only had the piano voice.

I was considering the Classenti, however, I am reluctant to spend so much without having seen, heard or touched the instrument. I appreciate the intention of Classenti is to manage the costs of sales, but I feel that I needed a more tactile experience in deciding which instrument to go for.

We bought the instrument from Jack White, a Norwich/Ipswich retailer. I work in Ipswich and so initially sought some guidance there, having done that I happened on your website/guidance and found this to be excellent, you really gave me the confidence and knowledge to examine the instruments in more detail than I would have expected.

As I live in Norwich I went to the local Jack White store to compare the instruments more fully. I liked the feel of the CLP and decided on the 330 (the GH3 keyboard and ease of controls swung the decision to the 330 rather than the keener priced 320). For anyone buying a CLP320 over the web without seeing the instrument, please note that the functions are controlled in part through the piano keys, I would recommend visiting the Yamaha website and downloading the manual before buying to ensure you are comfortable with the controls before investing.

Jack White said that they would not simply provide a flat pack instrument, they would deliver, build and test the instrument on site. Despite this, they were very competitive and the piano cost me£10 more than the best price from the web (allowing for a B1 stool of matching colour and delivery). The whole buying experience was great, I would strongly recommend Jack White to anyone in the area.

The piano is fantastic, I have been practicing for over half an hour each day (after my daughters have gone to bed as I do not get a look in during the day) and am already getting the hang of it (with the assistance of the Rocket Piano course as supported by Graham).

Review by Mark Cushing, Norwich, UK

5) “I like the realistic piano tone and the touch”

I bought a Yamaha CLP330 from Millers music centre Cambridge and cannot speak too highly
of their service. They gave me a very fair part exchange deal for my 36 year old Bentley
Apollo Piano.

The CLP330 was delivered as promised and assembled satisfactorily and the old piano
taken away by the same team. The whole operation was efficient and courteous.

I am enjoying getting used to the instrument and its range and capabilities. I am a
pianist of very modest abilities and look forward to developing my skills. I like the
realistic piano tone and the touch. I find the headphone function valuable to permit
practice when other activities are going on in the room. I find the organ voices very
useful as I am involved in church organ playing at our local church. This enables me to
practice the non-sustained technique of fingering similar to the manuals of our church
organ permitting practice at home rather than at church.

I like the versatility of the instrument and listening to the 50 included solos with a
view to developing right and left hand accompaniment of the easier pieces and eventually
self play. The more complicated ones I just enjoy listening to while following the score.

I feel I have made the best possible choice within my budget and thank you for the
assistance your book provided. I should perhaps add that the purchase was made to
celebrate my 75th birthday.

Review by Mike Tassell, Cambridge, UK

6) “The only thing that is a bit disturbing is the sound the keys create when you play fast and loud”

The reason why I chose the Yamaha CLP330 is because I used to have an upright piano from Yamaha and I like the sound of it.
I would have gone for the CLP 340, but it was not in my budget.

As I haven’t played for a while and just start to practise again I am very satisfied with the CLP-330. It sounds very nice and I love to be able to play at any time during the day with the headphones.

The only thing that is a bit disturbing is the sound the keys create when you play fast and loud (when they keys jump back up) but I got used to it. And when you record you cannot hear anything. Is this normal to hear while you are playing? And how is it on the more expensive models?

My recommendation for buying a piano in Australia:

1. Make the research, read your piano book. That really helped me in choosing this piano. I did not know about all the features the digital pianos have and for what I should watch out.

2. It is worth to wait for the half year and sale in JUNE or the year and sale DECEMBER!!!
I got mine for a great deal!
I visited several shops. It is important to talk to the sales person.
In one shop they had sales on, RRP AUS $ 3,199 on sale $ 500 cheaper.
But I did not have that much money and I could only get it financed on the retail price.

I bought mine in Ellaways, Brisbane:

They had a 2 day sale and a great choice of pianos. The CLP-330 was there only $ 2,499. I did tell the sales person that I like it a lot, and want to get it if I can have it financed on the reduced price. Normally they don’t do that but he was really friendly and I can pay now interest free for a year.

Thank you, I hope this review helps.

Review by Reni, Brisbane, Australia

 

7) “The Yamaha sound was nicer than the Kawai”

I was doubting between yamaha and kawai, and finally for the same price I bought yamaha clavinova 330, ( the kawai model was CN23). When I tried the kawai I noticed a huge difference, the sound in the midle were nice but the low tones and the high ones were very bad, very ‘brilliant’. In the acoustic pianos I prefer the kawai, but in electric pianos I think yamaha is much better.

Then I’m living in India, so the choice of electric pianos is a little low, there is one shop of Kawai and one of Yamaha, then there are more shops selling casio and other different kind of keyboards.

Review by Elisa Romo, India

8) “The keyboard is truly brilliant”

We chose a Yamaha CLP330 because of what Graham Howard said in his piano
buying guide and because we played several models and this was best in the
£1,000 range.

We paid a bit more to buy the Polished Ebony version – it not only looked
better but also seemed to have a better soundboard (perhaps different
timber made the difference?)

We liked the next one down the range (CLP320?) but it had poor electronic
controls. The 330 function buttons were better (eg for the voices)

The keyboard is truly brilliant. We used to own a Broadwood grand when I was
a child and this Yamaha took me right back to how that felt, but without the
sticky keys ;-))

Review by Ed, Liverpool, UK

9) “The build quality and finish of the instrument are first class”

Hi Graham,

We bought a Yamaha Clavinova CLP330PE digital piano in polished ebony. We chose it based upon reviews (yours included – thankyou) and the recommendation of a local music teacher.

We bought it from Gear4Music who were competitively priced, displayed excellent customer service and delivered quickly/efficiently to France.

First impressions are excellent, whilst it is a little early for us to comment in depth on the quality of the instrument sound it does sound very lifelike when played with the piano voice, the keys have an excellent weight and feel and the build quality and finish of the instrument are first class. The assembly and operations instructions it came with are excellent and whilst it takes two pairs of hands to assemble the actual assembly could be performed by anyone who owns a screwdriver. The polished ebony finish obviously adds nothing to the sound but it does look very attractive and discreet which is important to us as the piano is situated in a large room rather than tucked away in a music room. It is very easy to master the basic operations of the piano (our 6 year old has grasped it without reading the manual), although a good read of the manual is essential to understand the more complex functions available – many of which I suspect we will never get around to using.

The enclosed software was easy to install and get up and running on a PC, although it is a little over-complex for our young boys who are learning piano – perhaps Yamaha would widen their appeal by also producing some child friendly software for younger players. The Yamaha web site is well developed and has a good range of support materials for players – although again perhaps caters for the more sophisticated player better than the amateur. The Yamaha stool which came as part of the package matches the piano perfectly as you would expect, it is well made with hardwood legs and a comfortable seat. The only negative point is that it is not height-adjustable so unlikely to satisfy all players.

Now we have had the piano for a little while we are very happy with our choice of instrument and vendor, and glad we did not spend more on a more sophisticated Yamaha model or other piano as it is hard to imagine we would improve the sound noticeably or make use of any wider features. I’d recommend this instrument unreservedly.

Review by Richard Poole, France

10) “The range in touch sensitivity is so great that you can play it from ultra-soft to really, really loud”

My 8-year old daughter started music lessons, and chose piano as instrument. I had already decided it could be a digital one, since I heard that touch & sound really matched the real thing nowadays – and the piano teacher concurred.

I initially had the Casio Clavinova PX-330 in mind, but the teacher said to “go with a Roland”. That advice I could have thought of myself (“buy a Rolls, it’ll be better than Daewo”- kind of advice), but I had no idea if paying 4 times as much was what I needed to do, what features were absolutely necessary / important / just nice to have.

That’s when I stumbled onto the book of Graham Howard, and it answered all the questions – even indirect ones, such as “will this thing keep its value if my daughter gives up?”. When the sales guy tried to sell me a Roland with “ivory touch” keys, I knew enough not to go for it, and settle for a €300 less Yamaha CLP-330. Which was still way more than I initially had in mind; but by that time I was convinced that only at that price you get something that is pretty much the real thing (so practicing on it does not lead to poor habits).

For instance, the range in touch sensitivity is so great that you can play it from ultra-soft to really, really loud in un-noticeable small increments; the harder you hit the keys, the harder it just sounds – very realistic.

I don’t know much about piano’s, I’m far from being an expert; but when my daughter now is practicing while I’m in the room next door, for all intents and purposes I could swear there is a regular upright piano next door.

Apart from the “real” piano aspect, it also has some gadgets which are helpful now (metronome with indication of first beat of every measure; practice through the headphones), will come in handy later (3 track recorder, each with separate left/right hand parts, midi in/out, USB port), or are just plain fun for an 8 year old when she gets bored for a second (beside different size piano’s, various voices up to human – neat).

Things to improve? As a beginner, haven’t found anything yet – except maybe storing the “last beats-per-second setting” when powering off would be nice – the default 120 bpm being a bit (way too!) fast for us yet

For anyone not needing to squeeze the budget too far, I would surely recommend it – you can even look at it as an investment.

Thanks for a great source of honest information, Graham.

Review by Bob Cuyt, Brussells, Belgium

11) “The feel of the keys is very much different from my old upright”

I have had this product for about 3 days now so not really put it through its paces. Firstly I am not a musician as such. I just dabble. The truth is an upright piano left my house and I needed something to fill the space! Don’t get me wrong I can get sounds out but don’t know what notes I am playing yet!

My reasons for buying this model were based on a few things but mainly budget. The old adage of you gets what you pays for was strongly in my mind. I also read Graham Howards free book “7 things you need to know before buying a digital piano”. This book seemed to show the CLP-330 as an above average performer based on the various list.

I did actually visit a shop and had a go myself before buying. Then did an internet search. The going rate being£1,232 every where but Rockingrooster.com were throwing in free delivery, a free stool, free headphones 30 free internet piano lessons. They also said if I ordered before 2pm I could get it next day. Mind you if the next day is a Saturday that costs£20! I did see if the shop I had gone to would price match. they said they would but would only knock off£10 for the headphones and lessons. They also wanted£30 for delivery and set up. I went with the internet option which meant self assembly! How difficult could that be?

The box and iot’s content were 100kgs. it was huge and although i did assemble it myself I would recommend getting another person or FLT! Assembled I think it looks great. Not so sure about where all the sockets are (underneath) being very accessible but at least you can’t see them.

Once it was up and running I forgot about the manual and the piano book that you get. In fact I didn’t realise that there are 50 songs stored in the CLP330 when I bought it and that the piano book showed you how to play them. (You do need top read musical notation – So that counts me out of the game.

I am attracted to buttons, switches, flashing lights and sliders. This product is quite discrete insofar as you don’t really notice them.

I am not sure what the 3 pedals are for! As I said I am no musician (I mean pianist) The manual does tell me btw. I also found it difficult to hear any notable differences to the piano sounds when you select some of the effects but that might be me not reading the manual again. I love the choir sound.

I am looking forward to recording some stuff on the CLP itself. I like to make stuff up as ideas so if I can record it quickly so much the better. I am an advocate of the Mac and Logic Studio and it’s multitrack ability so look forward to usb-ing it up and maybe getting better piano sounds via midi. Nice to see a driver download on the Yamaha site!

The feel of the keys is very much different from the old upright that was there before this purchase. I am sure I will get use to this though. I am obviously very happy I don’t have to tune it and that it is considerable lighter to move. Wheels might have been a useful addition.

Ok based on my 3 days or so I am very impressed and would give this product 8/10 so far. Not sure how much space the 50 songs and the demo song takes up. Could they have incorporated some other features instead? The danger I think is possibly giving you too much feature-wise and things you may never use but that’s personal choice.

I would also like to say the grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk email advice line was very useful and influential for me. Right just need the time to marry the left hand fingering to the right hand fingering or Eric Saties Gnossienne No.1 – YouTube here I come!

Review by Daniel, Birmingham, UK

12) “It’s really a wonderful digital piano to start”

The CLP-330 have a wonderful GH3 keyboard, this is the main reason I bought this model. I don’t care about
the sound… let me explain why. The CLP-330 piano sound in my opinion si good enough to study and have fun…
but I work with samplers and synths till 1990 and I know when I’m hearing something weird with a sample.

The CLP-330 piano 1 pre-set has a great sample in the first 2 seconds, great attack and body but after that 2
seconds the sound becomes really thin and static due to the short loop of the sustain. In the piano 2 pre-set
things get worst because you can clearly hear the loop of the sustain. So I use the CLP sound to study but
I play a 6 Gb piano library from NI kontakt when I need the “full” piano sound.

Anyway it’s really a wonderful digital piano to start… I don’t need anything else.

Review by Mauro Favaron, Italy

13) “I am very happy to own it”

I have had the Yamaha CLP330 piano now for a couple of month and am very happy to own it.

Like: The piano tone, the feeling of the keys, an excellent music book with 50 well known pieces which are recorded and played back on my instrument and a very good look.

Dislike: The tiny little switch under the keyboard for speakers on/off, a not very well working holder for notes.

Missing: Outlet to earphones on both left and right side, some sort of (lockable?) plastic cover for all the buttons (to avoid small fingers to constantly changing the settings).

Review by Bo Frossling, Sverige

14) “I am finding that the last three keys have no sound”

I bought this piano last year, with a three-year guarantee, and am now finding that the last three keys have no sound except for the sound of wood hitting on wood.

The Yamaha engineers seem reluctant to come and look at it, saying that the piano is so highly tuned that the last three notes are sometimes inaudible! They say
that this is normal and if they come out and find there is nothing wrong with the piano, they will charge me£90 p.h. +.

Has anyone else come across this problem?

Review by Hazel Rumbelow, Morden, UK

15) There is nothing we disliked

In my opinion, touch sensitivity and sound is very well in CLP 330.
But if we want to record and mix the song with some other instruments we have to but CVP series.
There is nothing which we disliked at CLP 330.

Review by Murat Pinar

 

Comparison between Yamaha CLP330 and Yamaha CLP340 (main differences)

With the CLP340 you get:

(1) Synthetic ivory keys – it feels just like tickling
the ivories on an old-fashioned Bechstein grand.

(2) Double the power (2 x 40 watts versus 2 x 20 watts
on the CLP330). This adds a richer tone, especially
in the bass.

(3) Higher quality speaker system.

(4) More extensive sound sampling. On a real piano a
note sounds different depending on how hard you strike
the key. It’s all to do with harmonics.

To replicate this on a digital piano a note needs to
be sampled several times so it produces the right
amount, or specific type of harmonics related to the
speed the key was pressed — it’s complicated stuff!

Anyway, Yamaha went a little bit further with the
CLP340 in developing these sound samples.  The
result, which is probably all you’re interested in :-),
is a more authentic sound.

Comparison by Graham Howard

 

>> For Yamaha CLP330 information, specifications and prices, click here

“The weighted keys respond like a decent piano. Although I would say that the artificial ivory tops feel a little plasticky on the white keys”

I have had this piano for about 4 months now. Overall I am very happy and would recommend it to someone looking in this price range.

It is technically quite an impressive instrument. I love the Grand Piano sounds and the fact that you can make them warmer or brighter, and change the reverb. The amplification system gives an full and surrounding sound. The weighted keys respond like a decent piano.
Although I would say that the artificial ivory tops feel a little plasticky on the white keys, while the ebony keys feel good. Maybe they will feel better with age.

Some of the other voices are interesting and respond according to key pressure – the xylophone sound is brilliant. I would have preferred more variety on electric keyboard sounds than have a bunch of guitar/bass/human-voice sounds that are really just gimmicks. The store I bought it at (Pianorama in Mauguio/Montpellier) was fantastic for advice and a really professional delivery and installation. They were also competitive on price.

Overall a great buy. Though one thing that could be improved is the ability to jump quickly between sections in the prerecorded pieces – much easier when you are learning as you wouldn’t have to listen to the whole piece before getting to the section you want to learn. Maybe there is a way to do it but I haven’t been able to locate it in the manual. Aside from all that – hats off to Graham Howard for his pdf documents on how to buy a digital piano – as I’ve said before these documents made the purchasing process a breeze.

Review by Nicholas Quaine, Montpellier, France

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “My piano teacher was totally excited about my Clavinova CLP340. She gave her thumbs up and probably even toes She could not praise the Clavinova enough really”

I settled on a Yamaha Clavinova 340 mainly because of the advice given
in your digital piano guide. I was going to go with the CLP370 , but the
premium on the wood keys did not seem to worth it to me. Your guide
seemed to suggest that too.

My situation is I have a 1996 (plus or minus a year) Clavinova that was
given to me. Free is always good

Anyway, I have an 8 year old and a 9 year that have been taking piano
lessons for 4 years now.

The piano teacher has expressed that my oldest is coming to a point where he
needs a “real” piano. A piano for example that can hold a note for 9 beats.

We told our teacher that we were going to get another Clavinova and she near
had a heart attack. She offered to go to the piano store and try one for
herself. Upon her return she was totally excited about my Clavinova CLP340.
She gave her thumbs up and probably even toes. She could not praise the
Clavinova enough really.

I would love to get an acoustic piano, my home and family circumstances just
can’t warrant that at this time. So the Clavinova for me was a good fit.
If the 340 can last as long as my current Clavinova, I should be good till
the kids get in high school at which point I may be in a better position to
upgrade.

Review by Gavin Ouckama, Florida, USA

 

3) “I am really happy with the sound, feel, and all other aspects”

I found Graham Howard’s digital piano guide very informative and useful, and
the forums at UKpianos also very helpful.

I was also influenced by the various sales staff I encountered at the three
different piano shops I visited, and deliberately didn’t purchase a Roland,
because of the heavy pushing one large store was doing with Rolands over
both Yamaha and Kawai. (which put me off buying Roland, and buying
anything from their store).

In the end I went with a yamaha 340 CLP, and splurged on the polished ebony
model, which is of course completely unnecessary, but it does look BEAUTIFUL
in my room, rather than just looking like a rather boring digital piano. I
spent more than I had originally intended, but think I will be happy with
this piano for a very long time.

I am loving playing it, and am really happy with the sound, feel, and all
other aspects.

Review by Sophie, Australia

 

4) “Unless I had read your guide and discovered that this made absolutely no difference in the key weight I might have been inclined to spend the almost $800CDN extra for them”

I received your digital piano buyer’s guide and armed with the information provided and my friend the piano teacher (who can give the digital the work out I can’t since I’m still just learning to play) we went and tested a variety of digitals using the 6 things to look for information and purchased a Yamaha CLP 340. It had a richer sound than the CLP 320 and the only difference between it and the CLP 370 was that the CLP had wooden keys.

Unless I had read your guide and discovered that this made absolutely no difference in the key weight I might have been inclined to spend the almost $800CDN extra for them. As it was, the CLP 340 was on sale for $2999CDN – which although not the primary reason for the purchase (the CLP 320 was $1,999CDN) certainly was a good incentive as well as the 5 year warranty the store provided.

Thank you for the wonderful information provided. It gave us much needed information – my friend and piano teacher knows her way around acoustic pianos but didn’t know what to look for in digitals – your guide was invaluable.

Review by Sherry Fulton, Canada

5) “It’s not often I develop emotion to physical things, however I can say the Clavinova CLP340 has won both mine and my families heart over”

Hi Graham, just wanted to say a big Thank You for all your advise on the
piano. I ended up getting the Yamaha Clavinova CLP 340 and what a beautiful
instrument it is. The Rosewood colour compliments my brown leather sofas and
it really looks lovely in my living room.

Since I’ve bought it the children and I do not reach for the tv. After a stressful
day at work and fighting through rush hour traffic I am able to unwind by playing
it. Even my wife has started practising, so it has been an all round
wonderful investment.

Now to my review. After having spent a few weeks deciding on which model to
buy I ended up placing an order with Thomas. Unfortunately they did give me
a lead time of 7-10 working days, and as I had already sold me M-Audio
weighed controller I really desied something faster. I therefore came across
Reidys, who delivered the goods I think 48 hours after I placed the order.

Whats more the nice delivery man helped me carry the 103kg box into my
living room. I did look at a piano at my local store, however even after
negotiating they came up £50 more expensive, so I settled for the online
deal and decided to spend the extra money I saved on some Seinheisser 280
Pro headphones. The only one thing to note on the retailers though is that
Thomann offer a 3 year warrantee, whereas I do believe you only get one
year in the UK.

However by now I was desperate to get my new instrument I decided on
sticking to a local British supplier, and took the risk nothing going wrong
after a year.

The piano itself required basic assembly whereby you join the legs, the
footpedal and the back. The finish of the piano is amazing and the buld
quality is truely exceptional, it really is an attractive piece of engineering.

Within about 30 minutes the piano was assembled and ready to go. What’s
more it came with a stool which also looks amazing. These normally cost £89
however Yamaha seem to throw them in as standard with the 340 range.

The only quirk I would say is tha tthe foot pedals are gold whereas the
trimmings in my house are all silver, however these are well hidden as the
pedals are tucked away out of full view.

I know there is a price difference in the CLP330 and the CLP340, however I
really do like the fact that I can put the sound up if I wish to command attention
of people when playing. I also do like the keys. They are not so slippy as they
tend to absorb moisture from the fingers.

I played single notes and was surprised to see that my ears could hear each
note up to 30 seconds after striking one which I understand is a good sign.
There are a range of additional instruments which I can select however I
don’t believe I will be using those much. The record functionality is
useful, the 50 preset tunes can be enjoyed, and I am yet to try the new
online feature Yamaha have introduced to download further songs.

In summary it’s not often I develop emotion to physical things, however I
can say the Clavinova CLP340 has won both mine and my families heart over.

Review by Amrit Sandhu (22/07/2010)

 

6) “The touch of the Yamaha CLP340 is very close to a grand piano”

I couldn’t wait until October to get my digital piano – I had it delivered yesterday. I purchased a Yamaha CLP340.

I really enjoy the sound – there’s only a slight difference in sound between the CLP340 and an acoustic piano and a huge difference between the CLP340 and P70 stage piano I previously had. The sound is realistic, warm, and resonant. The touch is very close to a grand piano, the key weight is very close to that of a grand piano as well.

There are a few voices I doubt I’ll ever use, choir, guitar, strings – but that’s because my main focus is piano – at the moment I doubt I’ll use any voice except grand piano.

As for the appearance, it looks absolutely wonderful in my home (of course, I’m comparing it to the stage piano I had previously, however, if you wanted a digital piano that looked very close in appearance to an acoustic upright, this one will definitely satisfy that requirement).

I had one small difficulty, the headphones I used with my stage piano did not work with the CLP340. I purchased a new set of headphones although had I been able to find a 6.3mm gold adaptor for my other headphones, that would have worked just as well. So if you’re planning to use headphones with the CLP340, you’ll need to keep that in mind.

I purchased the CLP340 from Giovanni Yamaha Music in Edmonton, Alberta. The piano was on sale, as the store is moving locations. I think, based on the several pianos I played in the store, I would have purchased the 340 even if it hadn’t been on sale. They were very helpful (although the salesman really did want to sell me a grand piano) and overall my experience was very positive and the salesman and Mr. Giovanni made the purchase very easy. It is a family owned business and that feeling of family extends to their customers as well. They have their own moving company who delivers and sets up the pianos – the delivery men were efficient, friendly and they commented on how much they enjoyed setting up pianos for people who were excited with the purchase. Frankly, I don’t think I would have enjoyed putting the piano together on my own, so having it delivered and assembled for me was a big plus.

All in all, the experience was a very positive one. If you have anyone looking for information on purchasing a digital piano in Edmonton, I’d suggest they check out Giovanni’s Music.

I thank you for your wonderful and informative Digital Piano Buyer’s guide. It did give me the information I needed to make an informed decision – particularly your point about the difference between wooden and synthetic ivory keys – wooden keys were the only difference between the CLP340 and the CLP 370 – and about an $800(CDN) difference in price.

Review by Sherry Fulton (01/09/2010)

7) “The clp 340 is very good for the differents sensibility”

The sound of a piano is made by the differents sensibility you can play and the clp 340 is very good for that.whe can adjust reverb and I think is very important.I am a musician but not a pianist and I have a teacher since a few moment 15 days,I play one hour every day.for me this piano is
very good but perhaps in a few years if I become very good I bought an other one.

Review by Bernard Martinand, France

8) “The synthetic ivory keys feel good and the overall feel of the keyboard is nice though at medium volume and lower the physical thunking of the keys was quite noticeable”

The CLP 340 was delivered to us about 2 weeks ago, it was pretty easy to assemble, and was well built with a very nice rosewood finish on what seemed to be mostly mdf.

The sound of the piano is pretty good, not amazing, as it is clearly obvious listening to it that it is digital, the additional voices ‘classical guitar’ etc are quite poor, as are ‘strings’.

The two principle piano voices are a mixed bag and I am still a little uncertain about them, while they are adequate at times they sound overtly artificial, the sound seeming to be overly augmented by synthetic enhancement, maybe a little overblown in a bad way. It just does not have that live clarity one gets from a real acoustic.

The synthetic ivory keys feel good and the overall feel of the keyboard is nice though at medium volume and lower the physical thunking of the keys was quite noticeable.

We bought this piano so that family members could learn to play and practice without disturbing others, it serves this purpose well, and seems a good instrument to learn on.

Does it have a captivating sound? no it doesn’t, far from it. It sounds adequate. I will consider putting it through my computer to access a more authentic piano sound.

If I were in the position I was in two weeks ago and still had the 1800 euro I would probably prefer to have bought the beautiful old Nippon Ghaki Yamaha U1 I saw in a local store, it sounded magical, oh well, such is life, maybe someday.

Review by William Ruane, Cork, Ireland (27/09/2010)

9) “I absolutely love playing it”

I have had the Yamaha CLP-340 for about 4 weeks now and I absolutely love playing it. Although I haven’t played an acoustic for several years, I think the CLP-340 has a realistic sound and the keys feel very similar to an acoustic (from what I remember!).

Before I bought the piano I was pretty certain I would never use all the extra features that come with the piano but after playing around with some of them I think they will be really handy extras. For example, the record function is really good for hearing yourself play and picking up on the areas you could improve. I also really like that the piano comes with 50 popular preset songs and the sheet music for it, and that you can play these pieces to simply listen to them, or you can change the tempo, and even turn off the left/right hand which makes it easier for you to learn/practice these pieces!

Am very satisfied with my purchase and will likely be playing it for a long time to come.

Review by Andrea Syloh (29/09/2010)

10) “The piano arrived within a couple of days and looks fantastic”

We’re very pleased with our CLP340, we had planned to purchase the CLP330 but the rosewood colour
we wanted at Chappell of Bond Street was out of stock, so I opted to upgrade to the CLP340.
To be honest I’d been umming and ahhing between the two, so the lack of stock swung it for me.

The piano arrived within a couple of days and looks fantastic. I bought it as an early Christmas
present for my wife, so can’t comment on how it plays, but she assures me that it’s wonderful.
It certainly sounds great and looks fantastic. We had an ancient upright before that couldn’t
be tuned quite right, so, pretty though it was, we decide to replace it with this model.

Thanks to Graham for the guide on buying a digital piano, it really broke everything down into
a simple step-by-step decision. We’d still be thumbing through the web looking at confusing
lists if it weren’t for your guide, thanks Graham!

Review by Adam Brown, Oxford (16/10/10)

11) “I would say it offers 80-90% of the feel and sound of a real instrument”

Setting up
I bought it from Gear4music. The box that it came in was quite big and well packaged. Assembling the piano was straightforward although you definitely need the help of another person! I went for the Ebony Black which looks fantastic (although it’s already showing the dust). I recommend a cover for it.

Sound
In short, it is the best I have heard on an digital instrument (although I bet it would be even better on the CLP380!) The Grand piano sound is authentic and can be adjusted for brightness (I prefer a mellow sound) and reverb which is useful as the acoustic in the room is very dry. The key resonance is a nice feature which does a great job of adding ‘colour’ to the sound. The amplifier has plenty of power (2 x 40 watts) with a lovely clear sound. My only concern is a slight boominess on the lower notes but this is only an issue when the volume is quite loud (Could probably solve this by moving the instrument away from the wall but don’t have space).

Touch
The touch is very good and weighted like a real piano. The keys are quiet in operation and I prefer the slightly dull off white finish to the shiny plasticy look of keys that I’ve seen on other instruments.

Features
Good choice and quality of sounds, transpose, demo function although my primary reason was to use it as a piano. I haven’t used the internet feature or MIDI features at time of writing.

Quality
First impressions are that it is well made and the overall look and finish is excellent.

Overall
Piano purists would probably still prefer an acoustic instrument, but digital pianos have really improved in recent years! I would say it offers 80-90% of the feel and sound of a real instrument but with lots of other advantages – size, cost, tuning, ability to control the volume or use headphones being just a few of them! I’m very pleased with my purchase and am really enjoying playing it!

Review by Tristan Humphreys (01/11/2010)

 

12) “Overall the look is solid quality”

Sound: Is quite realistic through its on-board speakers.
The range from warm to bright is very good responding to psessure
also effective.

Feel:Touch/Key weight I found impressive and to be able to set this
at three levels is very useful when children have a go.

Voices:Initially I was interested in Key sounds however the rest would
prove useful in mixes (have not done yet).The quality of samples are
excellent.Combinations and split mode are easy to set.
I found the transpose function a bit awkward,Would be nice to have
the adjust up/down select buttons closer to transpose button making
it a one hand(left) action.

Look: Straightforward modern design and nice finish.I chose rosewood, and
the colour looks fine in our setup. Overall the look is solid quality.
I did like the position of the plug panel hidden under the keyboard
out of sight.

All in all I am very pleased with the CPL340 so far ,and yet to
explore every aspect.

Review by Charles Phillips (15/11/2010)

13) “My recommendation to others buyers are not to be tempted to only focus on price”

Living in Gothenburg,Sweden we bought a CLP 340 and paid 1800 pounds for
it, in Sweden that’s a really good price its listed at 2330 so the
discount was at my liking.

At last, the piano has arrived. We have been playing quite allot the last
few days and my daughter and wife are thrilled.

The sound is brilliant and so even the feel of it. My daughter plays a
grand piano at school but she is quite satisfied whit the response from
the 340.

It has a rich sound and give a realistic sound image. Our criteria was
that the most important feature was that the piano gave a realistic sound
and that is the feel of the keyboard was close to a acoustic piano.
The Yamaha CLP 340 has been a pleasant experience.

My recommendation to others buyers are not to be tempted to only focus on
price, its well worth the extra money you spend on a piano in higher price
range.

Reviewed by Tor Haugen, Gothenburg, Sweden (25/11/2010)

14) “I narrowed my choice to Yamaha”

I am an experienced wind player, but a beginner on piano. Graham’s piano book certainly helped cut through the ‘geek speak’ and I set out to try three/four models at the big music store in Manchester – they didn’t have a pianist on the staff!! I none the less narrowed my choice to Yamaha and was pretty much set on the 320. After visiting my local store, Promanade music in Morecambe – a real family shop, not just a website, I was really impressed with their service and price and plumped for the Yamaha CLP340 in the end.

Review by Sandra Walsh, Kendal, UK (22/12/2010)

15) “We wanted to ‘future proof’ the purchase, swayed by the better Keyboard and Graham Howard’s high praise of the CLP340”

I’ve restricted my investigation to Yamaha for no better reason than fond memories of my Yamaha bikes and because too much choice would make things difficult, and came to the conclusion that a CLP320 would fit the bill. They seem to be £883 on the internet including delivery, headphones and bench, unless someone gives a better deal I’d go with Normans at Burton on Trent as it’s not that far should we ever need to go there.

So I’m very happy to see that the CLP320 is your number 1 choice between £500 & £1000. I’d be tempted to go for the better keyboard of the next CLP model but it’s a hefty jump, we have already gone up so much on the budget that Mrs Santa is getting twitchy, maybe I get her & the musical cousin to pay Normans a visit and try the two out while the children are at school….

A update is that Mr & Mrs Santa visited Norman’s on Saturday 11th. They had a CLP320, 330 and 340 all in Rosewood on display plus various other acoustic pianos in polished ebony. The salesman gave us a brief chat, he advised us to avoid the 320 on the basis of the interconnectivity and left us to it. We wanted to ‘future proof’ the purchase, swayed by the better Keyboard and your statement that the CLP340 makes you want to play and play, we went for the 340. In the past or daughter has stuck to things, she does not flit about so we’re pretty confident our purchase will not gather dust. Though should this not be the case ebay could be very useful; we watched an ebay sale of a newish 320 run up to £808, that was with a day or two to go so the final price could have been higher – what are these people doing when you can get a brand new one for £883 inc delivery & extras???

Anyway my wife loved the polished ebony uprights on display, and was interested in one….but what of the tuning, no ability to record to memory stick, no silent practice, the weight… so we compromised on a CLP340PE. There were none in stock, we left contact details with the weekend receptionist, asking that they check Yamaha’s stock & delivery and get back to us on Monday.

On Monday it wasn’t them phoning us, but us phoning them instead, they were lukewarm, seemed uninterested and uncertain if we’d get one for Christmas. So my wife got on the phone to Sheehan’s of Leicester, I’d spoken to them before and they seemed uninterested in matching an internet price on a P155 when I started looking at digital pianos. Anyway my wife found someone keen to do a deal, so we were promised a CLP340PE inc bench and 5 year guarantee for £1693 by Christmas. It came into Leicester on Friday, since Leicester is almost on my way home and because Fridays weather was good and we finished work early (Xmas dinner) I picked it up. By offering to pay by debit card instead of credit card I got them to reduce some headphones from £38 to £25 as part of the deal.

So we ended up spending twice what I thought we might and a CLP340PE from Sheehan’s it was.

It is now in the garage waiting for the day.

Review by Mick Chaplin, Burton on Trent (23/12/2010)

 

16) “I DEFINITELY made the right decision. I hope this website helps you to do so too”

This is a great digital piano. At over £1000 it is probably suited more towards an experienced pianist who is clear that it is not just a passing phase!
The digital piano itself is fantastic. The sound is so clear and sounds exactly like a grand piano!

It has many functions. You’re able to ‘split’ the piano, therefore being able to play 2 different sounds, one on the left hand side of middle c and one on the right hand side, my favourite is strings on the left and grand piano on the right.

I also enjoy being able to layer two voices over each other, this often gives the piece much more depth.
The transpose feature is very handy if you play in a band.

The feel of the keys is lovely too, theyve been designed to feel like youre playing on ivory keys.
On the plus side as well, it looks amazing, especially in black i feel.
I spent months debating which to buy.
I DEFINITELY made the right decision. I hope this website helps you to do so too

Reviewed by Katie Mattack, Ormskirk, UK (17/01/2011)

17) “The keys are almost as good as those of some acoustic pianos”

I like my CLP340 a lot. I don’t really play piano except for simple
chords to accompany singing. As I am not really a pianist I do not need
an acoustic piano. I wanted to have a piano for fun and to fill up a
space in my living room. The CLP340 comes with a book, “50 Greats for
the Piano” along with built-in music.

I am enjoying that feature a lot. A sound coming out from the stereo
speaker system is (to me) close to some acoustic pianos. Keys are
almost as good as those of some acoustic pianos. Finally, it looks
not bad in my living room.

Review by Park Sung-Won (17/02/2011)

18) “The sound is good, although you do need to have it up to close to max to get the whole of the piano to vibrate”

I used to play the piano back more years than I care to remember. Like most kids it is
possible to get to a reasonable standard quite quickly and then things become harder,
rate of progression slows and other things get in the way so you end up giving up. A
pretty familiar story.

So I started to look for a new piano when I got the bug again. Given that we have a young
kid, and that the time I get to practice will be when he is asleep, I was always going to
have to go for something with headphones. I used the advice in Graham notes and I ended
up going to a store that sells both normal pianos and digital to see what they are like.
At least that way I can compare.

I started off by trying to play on a £75,000 12 foot grand to see what that sounds like
and then worked my way back from there to see at what point you really start to notice
the difference. I noticed the difference from the 330 to the 340 model so that is why I
chose the 340. Mostly I am after a piano sound and feel so a lot of the options on other
more expensive machines I do not need or want. That said though I do not think that I
would have really been able to tell the difference unless they were side by side.

The sound is good, although you do need to have it up to close to max to get the whole of
the piano to vibrate, and I find the firmer action on the more expensive piano is more
realistic and actually makes me a better player as it is pushing my fingers up. This
makes it much easier to play tricky pieces. It actually does make you a better player if
you get onto a better keyboard.

I sometimes use a cheaper keyboard and I really notice the difference in the sound, due
to the fact that the whole of the 340 will resonate if you play this louder giving a much
fuller sound, and the quality of the action. Basically I think that the heavier the piano
you are going to get a better sound as the whole of the piano is part of the instrument.
This is much less important though if you do play with headphones on

My kid loves the piano with the demo tunes and just having one in the house is getting
his interest. He is under no pressure to try it out but he is curious about it and
actually likes making the sound.

Thanks for the advice Graham. It certainly took a lot of the uncertainty out of the
process of buying a piano as I was able to think about the things that were important to
me.

Review by Brett Rallings, Sweden (26/02/2011)

19) “My foot tends to slide off the right pedal”

I am happy with my CLP340.

The only problem that I have since encountered is that my foot tends to slide
off the right pedal but, until I find a more suitable solution, a strip of duck
tape on the pedal is sufficing. Also, I would certainly have preferred only 2
pedals and cannot envisage when I, personally, will ever use the middle pedal !
I gather, however, that all new pianos have three pedals.

Reviewed by Ken Barnes, Canterbury, UK (14/03/2011)

20) “It feels like a real piano, sounds lovely – a rich grand piano sound”

I wanted a piano that I wouldn’t get dissatisfied with as I progress and that would be as like a good acoustic piano to play and listen to as possible. I had read up about different digital pianos, and had a lot of very helpful advice from Graham Howard, and pretty much settled on the 340 in advance as the best option in my budget but I wanted to try a few pianos in the store. I tried a Roland and discounted it straight away – it was nice enough but middle C and Csharp sounded really odd – though there may have been a problem with the individual piano. I then compared the 340 with the 330 and the 370 (ie a model below and above it in the range) . I felt that the difference between the 340 and 370 wasn’t great enough to justify the extra cost, but that the difference in sound between the 330 and 340 was much more significant.

I’m really happy with my 340. It feels like a real piano, sounds lovely – a rich grand piano sound – and is a pleasure to play. I agree with one reviewer about the thunking of keys at lower volumes but I don’t find this detracts from the enjoyment of playing it. My only caveat and I don’t quite know how to describe this is that I don’t seem to be able to get the same swell by applying and releasing the sustain pedal as on an acoustic piano – it’s a more uniform sound, and feels like it’s more “on or off”.

Reviewed by Catherine Chisholm, Edinburgh, UK (11/03/2011)

21) “The piano – has quite firm keys which suits me”

When my old Clavinova SLP 85A (if I recall correctly) packed up I was looking
for a replacement good quality piano, preferably without the voices which I very
rarely use. I really liked the SLP 85A, however, to get the replacement piano
quality I wanted I felt I had to go to the CLP 340 level and the voices just
came with it. They are quite good fun but I could well do without them.

The piano has a very good sound but it is not as good as my old SLP 85A and, of
course, there is nothing like a real non-digital piano. My reason for going
digital again was solely because of the facility to use headphones and cut out
the piano sound.

The piano – has quite firm keys which suits me but may not be to every-body’s
liking. I am not a professional player but play just for my own personal
enjoyment and the CLP 340 meets my requirements very well.

I DO NOT LIKE the three pedals. I cannot conceive of when I am likely to ever
use the third pedal but all digital pianos now seem to have them. ALSO, my foot
tends to slide off the right hand pedal which is very disconcerting when
playing. I do not know whether it is because to accommodate the third pedal they
have been put closer together or whether the pedals just seem smaller or more
slippery. Anyway, I have stuck duck tape over the right hand pedal which has
helped, but not totally solved, the problem. I am still looking for a better
solution. I do not know whether it would be feasible to just remove the middle
pedal.

Appearance – looks okay but, in my case, was acquired to use and not necessarily
for its looks. It would certainly look better without the duck tape !

The music stand is much too short. It is about 7″ deep whereas most sheet music
is around 12″ deep. The result is that the music flops over whilst playing. I have
remedied this by placing a thin sheet of plywood on the stand to support the music

Overall I am pleased with the CLP 340 and think that it does represent good
value for money.

Reviewed by Ken Barnes (18/03/2011)

22) “The CLP340 ticked almost every box”

Dear Graham

We bought a digital piano in February of 2011, thanks to your very excellent & comprehensive guide & comparison of models. It made a very difficult decision much easier to make, & with lots more confidence.
We bought the Yamaha CLP 340, on a very good special ($2097 Australian dollars for the dark brown matt finish model) as the new models were just about to come out. We like it very much. I had started teaching my (then) 6-year-old son several months before on a keyboard that was touch-sensitive but without weighted keys, so wanted to get something with a beautiful, authentic sound, good touch & good quality. My techo husband was also very keen to have a piano with the electronic & data-transfer capabilities. This piano ticked almost every box, and we are all still (16 months later) very happy with it.

Thanks again for you very great & generous help, and for the service you provide that would be of huge help to many people.

Reviewed by Jenny Williams & Family, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (February 2011)

P.S. We had a friend who was looking for the same sort of thing at the same time, and were able to recommend with confidence the same one to them. They were also happy with it, and got a polished ebony finish one for even cheaper – AU$2000!

23) “Keys are almost as good as those of some acoustic pianos”

Howard did a superb job in reviewing digital pianos

About two years ago I thought about purchasing either a Yamaha CLP 340 or Roland HP 303. I was not sure which one to choose. After reading an amazing book written by Graham Howard, “7 Things You Must Know Before Buying A Digital Piano,” I decided to get a Yamaha.

I like my CLP340 a lot. I usually play chords to accompany singing. As I am not really a pianist I do not need an acoustic piano which needs regular tuning and is too heavy to move around. I wanted to have a piano for fun and to fill up a space in my living room.

The CLP340 comes with a book, “50 Greats for the Piano” along with built-in music. I am enjoying that feature a lot. A sound coming out from the stereo speaker system is (to me) close to some acoustic pianos. Keys are almost as good as those of some acoustic pianos.

Finally, it looks good in my living room. I think Graham did a great job reviewing digital pianos including most recent ones.

After reading his newer book, “The Howard Score digital piano rating system,”
I am now interested in getting a YAMAHA NU1 hybrid piano.

Review by Park Sung-Wong (16/11/2012)

24) “I have been happy with it”

Before buying my piano 2 – 3 years ago, I looked at the information on the UK Pianos site, along with any other web information I could find. I didn’t want a portable keyboard — I was looking for a good digital piano for my home.
My options in this part of Canada were limited to a couple of small stores dealing mostly in Rolands and a dealer with a large selection of Yamahas.

I didn’t quite like the sound of the Rolands available, and much preferred the Yamahas. After reading information on different models (especially from your site), and of course trying them out, I chose a Clavinova CLP 340,
and I have been happy with it. Thank you for the guidance provided at your site.

Review by Norman Treloar, Canada

 

>> For Yamaha CLP340 information, specifications and prices, click here

“In my opinion, the CLP370 is without doubt the best sounding instrument of them all”

Ive had 3 piano`s in all…. Casio Celviano..a Roland (all new ) and now of course this very beautiful CLP370 Clavinova.

In my opinion, the CLP370 is without doubt the best sounding instrument of them all. It sounds and feels like an acoustic grand piano, or as near to it as is possible, and of course, nowhere near the price of a grand, and does not take up anything like the room.

For me, it is ideal,it looks good,feels good, and most of all sounds really lovely. I bought it from: “Music is Life Christchurch Rd Bournemouth”. Probably could have got it a bit cheaper on line, but then I would have had the hassle of carting it upstairs to my flat and then assembling it, this was all done for me and of course the shop is just down the road in case of problems.

Yamaha`s back up is good too, with piano/internet connections streaming piano music through the piano, and their musicsoft program also piano lessons, its a really good all round deal. There are no negative points at this stage, I just dont have any. For the last couple of months (since I bought it) I play it every day. Well, what more can I say….Dave.

Review by Dave Dawson, Christchurch, Dorset, UK

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “I have had it only for a few days yet, but am very satisfied so far”

I have now bought a piano. Last week I went to Justmusic in Munich and
bought a Yamaha Clavinova CLP-370 Rosewood. Justmusic were very easy to deal
with, and as they had the piano on stock they could deliver already the next
day.

What made me decide for the 370 was that when I tested the dfferent pianos
in the store I really thought that the difference in feeling and musicality
as I moved from the CLP-320 to the 330, then to the 340 and finally to the
370 was worth the difference in price. I also tried a Kawai and a Roland but
they did not feel as “real” as the Yamahas. Reading your rankings of pianos
in different price categories led me to believe that you thought the 370 was
a good piano in its price category, which you also confirmed when I asked
specifically about that. In general, your website and book about digital
pianos were not only helpful from a practical point of view, but
also very inspiring for someone who has not owned a digital piano before!

I have had it only for a few days yet, but am very satisfied so far. I
mostly use headphones as I live in a rather small and not very soundproof
flat (a temporary flat used during the working week mostly – I bought the
370 as a substitute for an upright I have back home). I very much appreciate
the realistic feeling of the piano keys and the possibility to adjust the
sound and the touch. Now the trick is only to make the time for playing and
practicing as much as I want…

Review by Stefan, Munich, Germany

 

3) “I went with the 370 and am very happy with my choice”

My decision was between the 340 and the 370.   I tried to convince myself
the 370 was not worth the price difference, yet the touch of the 370 just
felt better to me.  The action of the keys on the 370 just seems better to
me.  With the 370 I felt I had better control over the dynamics.  In
addition, the sound on the 370 seems a little fuller to me.  Ultimately,
after two sessions comparing the two models, I went with the 370 and am very
happy with my choice.

I bought it at our local store, Kneifel (Geneva, Switzerland), which
delivered it fully assembled yesterday.

There is only one small detail that might not be correct, and this would be
the responsibility of the store to fix.  The middle pedal does not work.
According to the owner’s manual, it should sustain the first note hit.  In
fact, it does not sustain any note, ever, at all.  I might contact the store
about this, though it seems almost silly, as I have never used a middle
pedal before and don’t think I’ve ever seen a composition that calls for it.
If this is something easy to fix, with the piano fully assembled, I might
try doing it myself.

Thank you, Graham, for all your advice.  It was a big help in learning what
to look for in a digital piano and helping me choose.

Review by Peter Cattan, Geneva, Switzerland

 

4) “It looks like a piano, it sounds like a piano, it plays like a piano”

This summer I had to sell my old piano of 55 years for the usual reasons
that affect the old. For family reasons I was unable to go to hear any
digital pianos before purchase so I had to make do with internet samples and
Howard advice. In spite of caveats about escapement action and wooden keys,
I chose the Yamaha CLP370 which I bought it from Bonners of Eastbourne who
offer delivery and assembly. They proved a pleasant firm to deal with but in
the event only a solitary driver came and I can attest that the keyboard
unit really is heavy!

How does it rate as a piano? First, the tone. You can get a score of
varieties of acceptable piano tone, each subtly different, which you can
perhaps try to match to your repertoire — at any rate, you can have a
change occasionally. These piano tones are quite convincing but the overall
sound is rather small-scale — as when listening to a good quality radio. A
manufacturer can sample real piano tone with amazing skill but unless the
reproduction chain is of the same standard it is rather wasted.

This instrument does wonders with two modest loudspeakers under the
keyboard but it is not quite enough. A traditional mechanical piano is linked
acoustically to the room by a comparatively enormous area of soundboard and
indeed casework. On this instrument one gets really splendid results from
professional headphones, however, and I’m sure a really large external
loudspeaker with a good amplifier would work wonders.

Now the touch. The feel may not be totally convincing but it is certainly
sufficiently piano-like to do your technique no harm at all. It is perfectly
regular — if your runs sound uneven, it’s your fault! The let-down — and I
suspect this will apply to other digital pianos — is that there is nothing
to feel by way of change under the fingers, as there would be on a
mechanical piano, when you apply either the sustaining or the soft pedal.
Indeed the soft-pedal seems to have virtually no effect on the tone at all.
(It would have been an elegant refinement to have linked this to the touch
control to give an easier motion reminiscent of the advanced hammer position
on upright pianos.)

Now for the extras. Apart from piano tones there are two organs (the third
pedal earns its keep for pedal points), two harpsichords, and the usual list
of suspects by way of exotica – vibraphone etc . I have got more than I want
at the moment with computer and internet connections but they can not be
added later and I did not want to spoil the ship for a ha-p’th of tar.

The recording and metronome arrangements are quite splendid and the controls
in general don’t take up too much room, are not too distracting, and are
clear enough in use. All sorts of adjustments are possible by means of these
controls (see quite clearly printed manual) but other tweaking is impossible.
It means, of course, that when there are one or two notes that one doesn’t like
the sound of there is nothing that can be done. This is hard on someone who’s
always tuned and regulated his own piano but it does save a lot of work and
it means you can try different temperaments without a vast amount of hassle.

In fine, it looks like a piano, it sounds like a piano, it plays like a piano, and I
am enjoying it enormously.

Review by Jim West, UK

 

5) “Nothing prepared me for the quality of the sound – absolutely, staggeringly wonderful”

On mostly Graham Howard’s advice, I aimed high and went for a CLP340 from
Gear4music at a price of £1473. Two days later (two days before Christmas) I got
an email from them saying ‘Oops – we don’t actually have one in stock after all,
can you wait two weeks for the next batch to arrive?’ Not keen to do that, I
accepted their cunning alternative offer (with a big apology, which I accepted
gratefully) which was a CLP370 for £1573 including delivery, a stool and some
headphones. I might be wrong, but that seemed a great offer, especially since I
was away for Christmas anyway.

The piano arrived yesterday and although there were one or two technical hitches
(it wouldn’t fit up the stairs to my flat in its box, so the fedex people left
it at the bottom and drove away) I had it assembled within an hour or so.
Nothing prepared me for the quality of the sound – absolutely, staggeringly
wonderful. And that’s just playing it straight, as a piano. It’s capabilities
simply blow me away and it feels worth (more than) every penny.
So, a happy customer. And yes, your book was pretty useful for someone with no
knowledge whatsoever of digital pianos.

Review by Benjamin Binns

 

6) “The ease of use of the buttons on the panel in front of you swung it in favour of the Yamaha”

Hi Graham,
We bought a Yamaha CLP370, after much deliberation!
The top of the range Classenti came close, but the ease of use of the buttons on the panel in front of you swung it in favour of the Yamaha. That, plus the brand name and our satisfaction with a Yamaha keyboard we have had for 17 years helped the desicion. I have bought it from a local piano shop who gave me a reasonable discount, slightly more than I could have bought it from UK Pianos, but has the advantage of being local so we could try it out first. (We came close to buying a real piano!)

Thanks for your help – your book on digital pianos was useful.

Review by Alan Tarbuck

 

7) “Two notes have an unpleasant distortion effect”

All sorts of adjustments are possible by means of these controls (see quite clearly printed manual) but other tweaking is impossible.
It means, of course, that when there are one or two notes that one doesn’t like the sound of there is nothing that can be done. This is hard on someone who’s always tuned and regulated his own piano but it does save a lot of work and it means you can try different temperaments without a vast amount of hassle.

At that early stage I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was hearing but clearly there was something sounding wrong somewhere. There were one or two other things not right which were fairly easily settled over the telephone with the music shop, but their head piano man was rather dismissive about my concerns about the bad notes. Here is what seems to be the problem.

The note A in the treble (A = 440), and to some extent its two immediate neighbours, has an unpleasant distortion effect — a sort of nasal twang. The same thing occurs the octave above and the fifth above that. A scale passage played through these notes has them sticking out like sore thumbs. This is presumably some resonant effect in the amplifiers and/or the speakers: it applies to all permutations of piano tone but is not evident when playing through headphones. (If you play very quietly there is no problem but it all sounds terribly woolly and the characteristic tone of course is lost.)

I can quite imagine it happening with a cheap instrument but at this price it is desperately disappointing.

Review by Carl

 

8) “Has Yamaha’s quality gone down since they moved to Indonesia?”

At long last I’m able to give a report about my CLP 370. The delay has partly been because
I had a bad cold and wanted to make sure that there was nothing wrong with my ears and
particularly because I have been making a large number of experiments.

When it became apparent that the bad tone on certain notes I mentioned in my review was
too much to put up with, I got in touch in the first instance with the dealer.
They did not want to be involved with this problem and referred me to Yamaha.

I have been using the time between other matters to consult a couple of friends, one a
harpsichord builder and the other a piano technician with a business in Wales. Neither
has any particular expertise with digital pianos and could only guess at the cause of the
sounds that were bothering me.

I have described these effects in previous communications something like this:

The note A in the treble (‘tuning A’), and to some extent its two immediate neighbours,
have an unpleasant distortion effect — harsher than their fellows with a sort of nasal
twang. The same thing occurs to a much greater degree the octave above and the fifth
above that. (Dusty Miller said he found top E and F strident on a piano in the showroom.)
Any passage involving these notes has them sticking out like sore thumbs and chords are
subtly spoilt. This is presumably due to some resonant effect centred in 440Hz and its
first and second harmonics in the amplifiers and/or the speakers: it applies to all the
various permutations of piano tone on offer but is not so evident when playing through
headphones — other voices seem unaffected. (If you play very quietly there is no problem
but it all sounds terribly woolly and the characteristic sampled grand piano tone of
course is lost.)

My friends suggested that this might in fact be a feature of the sampling but of course I
don’t can not be sure of that.

One would hope that a good piano would have a nice creamy tone in the treble so that the
player could aspire to producing the famous ‘row-of-pearls’ tone. Unfortunately some of
the notes are a bit sour-creamy. You have to play with the volume set very quietly indeed
to avoid this effect and then the tone lacks all character..

When I first received the piano I wrote on a website but I was very pleased with its
playing qualities but that I did miss the ability to do something about individual notes
that were not quite right — my piano technician friend like me was itching to get his
toolbox open. It has taken me a while to sort out what is wrong I might mention that I’m
an experienced amateur tuner and long-time recording engineer, so I do know bad notes
when I meet them.

After a fortnight they asked if their technical expert could phone me. This he duly did
and endeavoured to make a diagnosis down the telephone. He pinged away at an instrument
his end and I pinged away at mine. It was his opinion, as far as I can gather, that all
was within their usual parameters and that nothing could be done.

I continued to make experiments first of all to see if some combination of reverberation
controls and various chorus effects could make things any better. This at first seem
promising but proved a dead end. I then spent many a day trying to blend the various
different types of piano tone together in different proportions (a procedure described in
the manual). Frankly no luck. Cure one problem, create another. Incidentally, I found
that repeated experiments without switching the whole piano off in between could cause
the most extraordinary unpleasant effects.

At the end of this unhappy period I was beginning to make serious enquiries about
alternative makes, being prepared to lose a substantial sum of money which I could ill
afford because of the distress this piano was causing me. I have at last, however, found
an arrangement that seems to work. I have taken leads from the output panel (sheer hell
to access for an old man) to a spare hi-fi amplifier mounted behind the music desk and
connected to a pair of old loudspeakers along the bottom rail above the pedals. The
amplifier has to be on full and the marker on the master volume control on the piano must
not be above the E in MASTER. I have had this arrangement for two or three days now and
think I can live with it – an enormous relief.

I don’t know if all this has anything to do with construction having been moved to
Indonesia, but it is terribly disappointing. The two people I mentioned in my letter to
Yamaha had previously had a good opinion of the Clavinova but I’m afraid it has been
tarnished.

I really do not think I ought to leave my enthusiastic review on your website without a
caveat about the tone. When I wrote it I had been a stranger to the piano for quite a
while and was so delighted with the feel of the instrument playing old friends that I was
inclined to gush.

With very best wishes,

Review by John, UK

“For anybody wishing to purchase a ‘Top Quality’ digital piano the CLP380 should certainly be on your list of pianos to audition”

Piano Make and Model: Yamaha CLP380PE (polished ebony)

I chose this particular make/model as I had tried several others and felt that the Yamaha was the best all rounder. OK, so some of the other makes were also very good but I felt that this one had the edge.

The sound is superb thanks to the improved amplification which features a ‘Tri-Amp System’ allowing separate amplification for the High, Mid and Low range along with the iAFC (Instrumental Active Field Control). The sound quality is the same right across the keyboard and the ‘TOUCH’, thanks to the synthetic ivory keyboard, gives the impression that you could be playing an acoustic piano as opposed to a digital one.

I also liked the idea of being able to connect the piano to the internet (IDC, internet direct conection) enabling use of the Yamaha internet services that are available though at the moment I haven’t used this facility.

There are sufficient ‘voices’ (Piano, Organ, Strings, Vibraphone, Choir etc etc) to allow for various types of playing style and they all sound superb. There is no rhythmn section but there are plenty of drum kit sounds available which can be recorded to the built in recorder to be played back whilst simultaneously playing the piano.

The only reservation I have is that there is no keyboard light to illuminate both the control panel and the keyboard itself. Of course this doesn’t pose a problem whilst playing during the day but when the Sun goes down it can be very difficult to see.

I bought the piano from Whitley Bay Home Organ Centre as their price was the most competetive by far. Although I only spoke to them over the ‘phone, they were very easy to deal with and were not ‘pushy’ in any way at all. The promised delivery time was adhered to and the piano arrived in perfect condition, was assembled and placed anywhere in my home I chose. The delivery men were also very good and nothing appeared to be too much trouble. There was one minor problem, my piano arrived minus the seat however this was swiftly rectified and the stool arrived the following morning via courier.

Well done Yamaha for making such a good solid instrument and well done Whitley Bay Home Organ Centre for your swift, non pushy and relaxed service.

For anybody wishing to purchase a ‘Top Quality’ digital piano the CLP380 should certainly be on your list of pianos to audition and for those with a slightly smaller budget, there is the CLP370 which is a very close second indeed.

Regards to all players,

Review by Philip Annand, Ashford, UK

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “I was in doubt between this piano or a hybrid piano from Yamaha”

I bought a  Yamaha clavinova 380 PE digital piano. I might say it is a great digital piano. It cost me €4000. This is the only
drawback of this piano, its price. But since I am not really an amateur, it was for me an investment for my leisure and I am
enjoying it. If I didn’t have all that money for a piano, I would have chosen the clavinova 370 PE which is almost half of the price.

I was in doubt between this piano or a hybrid piano from Yamaha. I live in a flat so I wouldn’t take advantage of the sound of an
piano if I bought a hybrid piano since I play at night most of the time . With a digital piano, I can control the volume if I don’t
want to use the headphones. So, with a digital piano, I can play at anytime without disturbing anyone of the building. On the other
hand, a hybrid piano is even more expensive.

Review by Paulo Moreira, Portugal

 

3) “Was attracted to the Yamaha because it was clearly a quality instrument, lovely build and finish, but the clincher was the natural feel of the keyboard”

A new piano player, fiddling about Grade One. Got the Yamaha CLP 380 piano from Dawsons in Liverpool and originally
got a Winchester whose only fault was a wobbly feel to the keys. Otherwise a nice tone and good value.

Was attracted to the Yamaha because it had an equally pleasant tone, was clearly a quality instrument, lovely
build and finish, but the clincher was the natural feel of the keyboard – it just felt right, in my short
experience anyway, and the whole instrument is an absolute pleasure.

I found Dawson’s a pleasant firm to do business with. I could have saved a couple of hundred pounds by buying
online, but as beginner I felt Roger’s advice on the Winchester was good. After only five weeks when I decided
on the Yamaha they gave me a full refund and delivered the Yamaha in two and a half weeks

Review by Greg Finn, Rainford, Merseyside, UK

 

4) “The CLP 380 was as near to a good stringed piano as I have heard”

This is my fourth digital piano in twenty years, none of the previous three had a particularly good piano sound or keyboard feel. Over that time I have come to appreciate the importance of these two criteria, particularly for a learner. I haven’t played for about three years so in an attempt re-learn all I have forgotten these were the main criteria for my current choice. All the other bells and whistles were secondary. After some weeks of an internet and paper search, my choice, for a home piano based on the above criteria, was narrowed down to a Yamaha Clavinova.

I was initially undecided between the CLP 370, and the CLP 380. They both have the same keyboard but the CLP 380 was nearly £2000 more expensive so I had to find out if the difference in price was worth it. I was fortunate to find a music shop with both models layed out at right angles to each other. By placing a stool between the two I could play a chord or note on one, and instantly play the same on the other for comparison.

The CLP 370 was good, but the CLP 380 was as near to a good stringed piano as I have heard. The sound was beyond anything I had previously heard in a digital piano. The higher paper specification certainly showed through in practice as well as the price. This comparison was using the CLPs’ own internal amplifier, the difference was not so easy to notice using headphones. The Instrument Active Field Control (iAFC) makes all the difference. I had my previous digital piano for twelve years and it was about as good as was available at the time, but in comparison to the CLP 380 it sounds awful.

The many keyboard voices on the 380 are a bonus but its the full piano sound and keyboard feel that to me, make this worth the money. It is heavy at 91Kg (15 stone) but if thought of as only the weight of two 7.5 stone females then it doesn’t seem so heavy. I bought this from Bonners of Eastbourne who delivered it within two weeks and set it up. It is brilliant to use and also looks good. There was one unexpected point in that, unlike the advice I received at a large well known music shop, (not Bonners), the CLP 380 should not be placed flush up against a wall. It needs to be at least 10 cms away from the wall to allow the internal speakers to work effectively.

Review by Robert Kitching, Epsom, Surrey, UK

 

5) “The sound is unbelievable – Also the ‘touch feeling’ is almost perfect”

I’ve got my digital piano! A Clavinova CLP380. It’s really nice. The sound is
unbelievable and it looks like a real acoustic piano. Also the ‘touch feeling’ is
almost perfect. I studied on an acoustic piano for many years in the past, so
I can recognize the difference between real and digital instruments, but this
Clavinova is really very closed to a ‘normal’ piano.

So, I’m very happy with my choise. I found it in a nice store not far from
my home (in Italy), and also the price was good. I went to the shop; they
have a lot of models you can try, I play almost all of them (they had Yamaha
and Roland models) and almost immediately my best feeling was with the
CLP380 (and I didn¹t know it was the most expensive…). So the choice was
easy, even if its price was a little bit higher than my ideal budget. So,
now I can play!

Review by Alberto, Italy

 

6) “The 2 main contenders were Yamaha and Roland but for me the Yamaha won easily”

Having not tried digital pianos for 5 years I was keen to see if technology had improved my previous conclusion that a digital piano is no substitute for an acoustic piano.

I used to play piano seriously and recently decided to try and get back some piano fingers. I needed a digital piano because of my need to play with headphones sometimes.

After trying several it seems that the 2 main contenders were Yamaha and Roland but for me the Yamaha won easily because I made an emotional connection with the music and forgot I was playing a digital piano. The feel of the keys on the fingers and the sensitivity of tone graduation is very fine but I was aware that this instrument made me sound a better pianist than I actually am!

For around £3000 including stool I think this piano is astonishingly good value and the best there is out there.
Don’t take my word for it go try one. I bought mine at Yamaha Homeworld in Ware – near M25 A10: playsomething.co.uk

Review by Roland Roberts, Enfield, North London, UK

 

>> For Yamaha CLP380 information, specifications and prices, click here

We bought a Yamaha Clavinova 920 through a local keyboard/organ trader.

As he trades huge keyboards/organs worth £10s of thousands he passes on a piano of this nature at a fantastic price (£400 inc 12 month guarantee)

The piano itself is in very good condition and has been upgraded with a GH3 keyboard. The sound is so close to being a real acoustic piano, to a person like me who has a good ear for pitch, it is as good as I’ve heard.

It is quite basic for extra’s, I believe it can be hooked up to a PC or Laptop, has Midi etc, couple of headphone sockets (great addition) but it is perfect for our needs as a piano, weighted keys that feel right, reacts to the players hands when it is gentle or strong as it should.

I have 3 girls, all musical in some way. My oldest at 14 plays the Fiddle and Electric Guitar and studies music at School, my middle daughter, 12, plays Sax and Studies Music at School, and my youngest at 9 plays recorder and already showing a talent. All 3 have started playing the piano and having one that they can sit down to when they want is how I encourage them.

I am extremely happy with my choice and would recommend such a piano to anyone thinking about it, I don’t see the need for an extra 200 buttons to do this and that as it only distracts from what they need to learn, playing it right!

Reviewed by Stu Allan

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

We have recently purchased a second hand piano – a 5 year old Yamaha CLP-930.  We went for 2nd hand as the budget is a bit tight but wanted a decent brand and Yamaha seemed the best (in particular the Clavinova).  We went to try it out and the keys were noisy – a quite noisy thud on the way down and a noisier one on the way back.  The sellers said this was fairly standard on digital pianos.

It didn’t initially seem so bad and we went ahead with the purchase anyway as in all other respects it is a lovely piano, but now this thudding noise is becoming off-putting as we are getting into playing it.  I must say that for a 5 year old Clavinova, I am disappointed!  Unless we can fix, we’ll probably try to sell on and recoup our outlay.

Review by James Caroll, Bath, UK

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

“The Yamaha CLP295, looks and feels like a grand piano but at just over 3’ deep at its deepest point, it fits comfortably into smaller spaces”

I’d originally aspired to buy an acoustic baby grand piano but started to look at digital pianos after I realised that space was going to be tight, especially given the fact that, as a general rule, the longer the acoustic piano, the better the sound. I was going to struggle to fit a 4′ piano into my living room.

So, I started to research digital grand pianos and after comparing the Rolands to the Yamahas, decided on the Yamaha. The Yamaha CLP295, looks and feels like a grand piano but at just over 3’ deep at its deepest point, it fits comfortably into smaller spaces.

The Yamaha CLP295 has a beautiful tone – there is simply no contest between this and the acoustic upright that I’ve been playing for the last 20 years. And, despite what some say, I really don’t think the playing experience is different from acoustic when you have a digital piano of this quality. (In fact, I’d have to question those who claim there is, whether they’ve actually tried one.)

I found the CLP295 had a slightly firmer touch than the Roland, (this, along with the ‘ivory’ finish on the Roland keys were the two pluses that Roland had). However, after a few days at home, I find that the CLP295 is perfect to play. I can play precisely (within my abilities!) and the keys respond perfectly to allow me to play expressively. Genuinely, the touch is so precise that it’s already improved my playing.

I much prefer the Yamaha’s tone to that of the Roland – more rounded somehow.

First and foremost, I bought the CLP295 as a piano and this is where it excels. I don’t think some of the other voices are as perfect – but that still doesn’t dissuade me from adding strings to a few showtunes for added drama. I’ve not yet explored all of the functionality and there’s a lot I probably won’t use much.

If I had to pick a fault, and it’s miniscule, it’s a slight clicking when you apply the damper pedal. (It’s caused the pedal moving sideways slightly and will probably cease once I get used to applying it more carefully).

What more can I say? The Yamaha CLP295, is beautiful to look at, wonderful to play and sounds fantastic. Worth every penny as it’s much cheaper than an acoustic piano with an equivalent sound. I’d recommend it to anyone.

Review by Rob Webb, Halwill, UK

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107