Piano Reviews

In the end after much consideration, I decided to go for the Winchester. I took other family members with me to hear it, and they both liked it.

It was my sons birthday at the weekend and the piano was delivered on saturday evening at 6.30 just before his party (of 48 friends and family) started. He had absolutely no idea and was really thrilled. All his friends were playing on it and loved it.

I was very happy with the choice I made.

Thank you for all your help and advice you gave me. At least I took your advise against the casio which is the one I was originally going to go for.

Review by Chris Rigby

 

“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

“Only fault was a wobbly feel to the keys”

Originally got a Winchester whose only fault was a wobbly feel to the keys. Otherwise a nice tone and good value.
As beginner I felt Roger’s advice on the Winchester was good. After only five weeks when I decided on a Yamaha
they gave me a full refund and delivered the Yamaha in two and a half weeks

Reviewed by Greg Finn, Rainford, Merseyside

 

“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 grand piano sounds great”

I am not musically minded but we are constrained by our budget and we auction for the Diginova Concerto vii for£610 including delivery, I am very pleased with the Piano so far no problems. The grand piano sounds great. I felt this is the best piano for this price in term of the glossy black finished and it seems similar to Yamaha clp 340 but of course Yahama is much better in every way.

Reviewed by Saroeun ING

 

“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

 

I bought a Nord piano (bought for 1950 EUR) about five months ago from Finland (I’m Finnish). Yeah, and sorry about my English – hope you’ll understand me A bit over my initial price range which was about 1200 +- 200 EUR. I just wanted a digital PIANO – not a synth etc. The by far most important feature in a digital piano for me is the sound quality of the acoustic pianos, period. I’ve always played guitar but piano is quite new for me. I’ve played piano 1,5 years.

The Nord’s action is just great FOR ME. Some Rolands and Yamahas might have a bit more authentic action IMHO but I do like the Nord Pianos action. I find it very easy and fun to play. Also the build quality and user interface is just great. It’s really easy to operate even while playing. Light weight (18 kg) is a big plus.

However the best part about the Nord Piano has to be it’s sound quality. The acoustic and electric pianos truly sound great. I didn’t even realize how important the sound quality is for me. When I was testing different digital pianos I noticed very early that I liked the Nord’s sound more. I kept playing it a lot more than the others. It’s just more fun when you have great sounding piano.

I’ve even played on a couple of gigs and I’ve been very happy with my Nord Piano. So it works great on live use.. BUT – I don’t usually play organ except when I’m playing with a band. I’ve had to attach my Nord Piano to my laptop to get the organ sounds. I’m glad I need organs very rarely. So for my use the organ sounds are basically the only thing I’ve been missing from the Nord Piano. Also it doesn’t have any layering, splits, synths etc. but I haven’t missed those features – but who knows… maybe I’ll need those in the feature. It could also have more memory. Now it’s only 512MB. 1GB would be great. This way I could have all the great sounding acoustic pianos there. Even though I mainly only use two (or three) piano samples it would be nice to have all the 13 acoustic piano samples there. Now I’ve fitted three grand pianos, one upright, six e-pianos, one e-grand, a clavinet and a harpsichord.

PROS: sound quality, build quality, light weight, replaceable sounds, user interface, pedalCONS: only pianos (e.g. no organ), more memory (512MB –> 1GB)

I’ve read some reviews as well – I agree with everything.

Review by Tapio, Finland

 

“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

 

Orla ‘Stage Ensemble’ digital piano which provides plenty of style/voice options and fits
well into a limited amount of space.

Whilst its sound and keyboard feel may not be quite as good as the best instruments,
this Orla piano certainly suits my limited competence and advancing years well enough.

Review by Gerald

 

“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

 

“Its sound is average”

This is a great piano for people who want to improve their technique by practicing
using the included metronome and headphones. Its sound is average, not the best nor the worst, but its hammer
action, present in more expensive pianos, gives a very realistic playing touch. I would say that its cost-benefit
ratio is the best in the lower range digital pianos market.

Review by Fernando Martinez, Bogota, Colombia

 

“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

“It sounded more realistic”

I would like to praise your book. I get piano lessons. This Christmas my parents gave me a digital piano.
I wanted to find out more about my digital piano. My parents bought it – I didn’t choosed it, so I knew
nothing about it. My digital piano is a Ringway TG8865.

You don’t write much about Ringway. I read your book and tested it on my digital piano. I like the sound
my digital piano have, I could wish for more than 3 touch sensitivity, and sometimes the keys makes to
much noise so I don’t listen to what I am playing (espicially when hard down and quick up), but otherwise
I like playing it, and it is okay for my level at the moment.

You really enlightened me and now I more clearly see the kind piano you play on have a huge impact on the
music you play – got a better feeling for it. To begin with I concentrated on learning and didn’t thought
much about what kind of piano I played on. Thanks for have written the book =:0)

Review by Rikke

“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

 

“My mother loves her new yamaha 430 digital piano”

All I want to say is:

1) My mother loves her new yamaha 430 digital piano.
2) Don’t always trust what others on the discussion board say.
3) thanks very much for the your most valuable advice and time.

Review by Chuck Churchill

 

“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 clarity of the notes are very sweet and clear “

I love my CLP 430 piano, the clarity of the notes are very sweet and clear and the notes
are nice to touch (a sort of pearl effect) I feel that my piano playing will improve 10
fold after a few months practice.

So far I cannot fault it and hope to spend many hours playing.
Thank you for all your advice.
I feel very lucky to have been able to purchase this model as I understand it they are
difficult to obtain due to the earthquake in Japan.

Review by Jean Foster, Failsworth, England

 

“The key touch is quite good – Touch response is correct”

I mounted the piano yesterday and this is my initial review:

Model: Yamaha CLP-430 R
Packaging: Very reliable.
Aestetic: nice aspect, good color effect.
Mounting: easy. However, 2 strong persons are required for moving the piano pieces upstairs!
Touch: After an initial weird sensation (I was used to acustic piano), quite good in my humble opinion. Touch response is correct.
Sound: Rather realistic. I find however that a little more volume and expression is missing when I press the touches strongly and/or when I press the pedal at the right (pedal de resonancia).
Pedal at the left (sordina). I havent noticed any change when I pressed it. I will retry it again today. Maybe I need to have more volume to notice the difference.

Anyway I am afraid my opinion is not so valuable since this is the only digital piano I ever tried!

Review by Leandro Nieto

 

“I have paid for an expensive mistake!!”

I have just bought a Yamaha digital piano CLP430 for two weeks, but I have never
been satisfied ever since I got the piano or I should say it’s a mix of sadness
and anger!

The piano doesn’t sound good and to make it worst, it has an obvious & annoying
ringing sound when I was playing with sustain pedal and listening through headphone.
I regret so much, I have paid for an expensive mistake!! I just wished I have met
a better one before I made the mistake! sigh…

Review by PW

 

“It will easily see me though to an advanced level”

Overall I am very happy with my Clavinova CLP430. The purchase was made through UK Pianos and was based on the detailed information given so freely by Graham Howard. I enjoy playing the instrument and it will easily see me
though to an advanced level. The sound is better than I expected, but the touch, to me, is nothing like an
acoustic piano across the whole keyboard and the keys have a “plastic y” feel that I don’t really like, but
expect I will become accustomed to.

This is the first digital piano I have owned, so I do not have anything to compare it with, other than my much
loved, old acoustic piano that I played for 7 years, albeit a long time ago.

For me, the Clavinova CLP430 was a practical choice, based on cost, ease of movement, ability to use headphones
and no requirement for tuning. Also, I’m a night owl and with the headphones I can play into the night without
disturbing anyone – a huge advantage over an acoustic piano.

The CLP430 a great instrument for the price, but I find putting expression into my playing, especially at the
higher end of the keyboard, far more difficult than with an acoustic piano. I have only owned it for a few days,
so maybe that is something that will come with more experience.

Review by Bren Holmes, North Walsham, United Kingdom

 

“Its tone is excellent”

I am delighted with the Yamaha. Its tone is excellent and I am particularly pleased with its jazz organ.
It gives good control with a firmer touch.

Graham Howard’s advice was invaluable.

Review by Professor Michael Clark, Nottingham, UK

 

“Well worth the money”

I purchased a Yamaha Clavinova 430 a few weeks ago, and would like to write a short review.

Overall, the CLP430 is fantastic and well worth the money. It looks and feels like a true acoustic piano. Having 3 pedals is a huge benefit. I felt that the slight differences between the CLP430 and the 440 were not worth the extra money.

The CLP440 is advertised as having ivory feel keys, but the keys on the CLP430 feel fine and are a pleasure to play on. I would recommend investing in the CLP430 over the Arius YDP161. The GH3, the GRE and the much nicer looking cabinetry are worth the extra money. The hammer action is really great, for an intermediate player like me, it works perfectly.

One small problem I have with the CLP430 is that some of the higher notes have a slightly metallic sound to them. I think this is a problem with the speaker system though. When I plug in headphones to play so as not to disturb my roommates or neighbors, the metallic sound goes away. However, this small problem should not dissuade you from purchasing this piano. Even a half decent pair of headphones provides a wonderful playing experience with vibrant, rich sounding tones. Most of the time I play with headphones anyways, since I play late at night after school and work.

I was looking for a piano to fit my budget, without too many bells and whistles, that I could play at night, and that is movable since I am a student and move apartments relatively frequently. At first I was concerned that a digital piano would not be on par with an acoustic, but I am very pleasantly surprised with the CLP430 and highly recommend it to everyone looking for the same characteristics as I was.

Review by Stephen Lerner

 

“The CLP440 digital piano meets our needs perfectly”

Thanks to Graham Howard’s advice, we chose this CLP430 to initiate our daughter to piano, and also for our practice. This digital piano meets perfectly our needs and for a good quality price ratio.

Review by Xia Chen, Shanghai, China

 

“In the end, the decision was quite simple and straightforward”

Hi Graham,
Just wanted to say thank you for your free e-book guide on choosing digital pianos. It was very helpful in explaining a lot of the confusing jargon.

For me, touch was the most important thing, teaching classical music, and preparing students for exams, I wanted a digital piano which felt and sounded like an acoustic piano. I was looking at the casio celviano and yamaha clp 430. You were spot on in your descriptions of the models I looked at….

The clp touch was significantly better than the celviano which was a bit too light for my liking, and the sound production as well (the celviano sounded a little ‘fake’ especially in the higher reigsters)… I would have gone for the 440 except that the dealer I went to didn’t have that model.
The cvp models were interesting  but the extra bells and whistles couldn’t justify the enormous price difference.

In the end, the decision was quite simple and straightforward. Appreciate your ebook as it helped clarify terms, and also gave me a basis of comparison for the available choices. I think I got the CLP430 for a pretty good price under RM5000. (I think about 1200 euros)

Review by Li Wui, Malaysia

 

“It is generally good, but I think the instrument is too expensive”

I have mixed feelings when I buy this model.
The first thing that raised my concerns is the color of the back plate, black!
And I bought the instrument in a variety Rosewood! This is a big oversight,
even disregard the customer, especially in this price class.

First impressions were not very nice practical, then already much better – as
usual with new instruments.

However, after prolonged exercise, I noticed with astonishment that the keyboard
has become like a little heavier and “can not keep up” very fast passages mileage
or so-called “chords thrown.” I get tired after one hour exercise, but not because
of physical fatigue, but due to the resistance of the keyboard, which can not
adapt to the changing speed of exercise.

Now added a few sentences about the instrument.
It is generally good, though not the quality knocks. The colors of classical piano
happen inaccurate quality of some individual samples are not acceptable in this
price class. For comparison, I have a Proteus 2000 module with the extension by
William Coakley Perfect Piano `s and quality of these samples the piano is much
better than what Yamaha offers in your piano.

I think the instrument is too expensive, though of course has its advantages –
the general good by the following 5 modes Brilliance, keyboard quite good.

Review by Jan Unge, Konin, Poland

 

“I am very pleased with the quality and sound”

Dear Howard

Thank you for saving me a great deal of time and writing a very detailed review of so many digital pianos. I eventually bought a Yamaha clp 430 PE and I am very pleased with the quality and sound.
I really wanted it for practice purposes and work in a school with a number of different pianos. All have a different action including the grand. I enjoy playing my yamaha more than any at work
due to the quality of the samples. I do find the sound better through the headphones but it is still very good quality without.

Thanks again

Review by Simon Dixon

 

“The Yamaha CLP430 has heavier touch as compared to Kawai CN23”

We were still undecisive between CLP430 and CLP440. We finally decided to go for CLP430 due to its price. After going through the specs and your book, we decided that the additional features in CLP440 did not provide enough
justification to spend the extra money.

My daughter tested the keys and commented that Yamaha CLP430 has heavier touch as compared to Kawai CN23. Anyway, she loves the new Yamaha CLP430 though she said the sound from acoustic pianos is way better than any digital pianos.

So far we are satisfied with the purchase.

Review by Lam, Malaysia

 

“I love the sound”

Dear Graham,

I finally got my new digital piano, yey! From the day I made the purchase on internet. It took about two weeks for them to get it home. I live in Spain (Barcelona) so maybe delivery times are longer than elsewhere.

After thoroughly reading “The Digital Piano Bible” I decided to buy a Yamaha CLP 430. I chose it because even though I wanted to buy the best possible model, I had a budget of 1600 Euros.

Yesterday, after assembling the piano (which is actually easier that I had imagined) I played it for a while and my general impression is that it is really like playing a real piano. I love the sound, the touch it has, the multiple options you get for recording, the sound options and the integrated metronome is also a good thing. I started playing the piano 22 years ago and I really don’t regret buying this piano. It’s a bit bigger that what I thought would be but I managed to make space for it at my flat.

Thank you for providing piano lovers like me your free advice, you’ve no idea of how helpful that is. I won’t hesitate on recommending people I know play the piano your web page.

Review by Diana Navarro, Barcelona, Spain

 

“For this price level I think we have bought the best quality of piano”

Hi Graham,
I am a beginner for piano and I found your advices shared on ukpianos website were so much helpful.
I am so far very happy with my purchase of Yamaha CLP430. When my children get older they will also
learn to play piano. For this price level I think we have bought the best quality of piano.
Thank you very much for your advice!

Review by David

 

“It is by far the most comprehensive one”

I am glad to inform you that I have recently bought the Yamaha CLP430 based on your digital piano buying guide.
It is by far the most comprehensive one that I come across.

Good job, Graham.

Thank you.

Review by Chuang Siew Fang

 

“I absolutely love it”

Hello Graham
I bought a Yamaha Clavinova CLP430 digital piano from you as a 60th birthday present to myself. I learned to play as a child, but had not touched a keyboard for 47 years.
I always promised myself that I would take up the piano again when I retired and I’m so glad I did. I read your information and chose the piano based on your advice and my budget.

I absolutely love it and have made good progress. I started with your free online lessons, some beginners books, then began weekly lessons with a teacher. I have just taken the ABRSM Grade 5 Music Theory exam and I am now studying for Grade 6 piano solo, which I hope to take next year, and Grade 6 music theory.

So, you can see my progress has been quite rapid.

Review by Bren Holmes

 

“I am totally over the moon with my CLP430”

Hi Graham

Thank you for your help. I also need to thank you very, very much for your help and advice on choosing the right piano when I text you a few months ago.
I purchased the clavinova 430 after weighing up all you advice and I must say I am totally over the moon with my CLP430 piano.

I bought it from my local music shop Music in Southbourne, Dorset.

I would have done it online through you but I feel very strongly that I should support local shops where possible especially music shops, as they are
disappearing from the high streets very fast. We have lost 3 local shops within the last 18 months.

Thank you again for your help.

Review by Sue Parsons, Southbourne, Dorset

 

“It plays and feels like an acoustic piano”

We bought the Yamaha CLP 430 for our church. We liked it because it sounds good, plays
and feels like an acoustic piano but doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that make
it complicated to play for those who aren’t as familiar with digital pianos.

We have a small church so it was in a price range we could afford.
And, with the extra voices we now have an organ as well!

Graham Howard’s ratings helped us in making our decision since there are so many
options to choose.

Review by L. Garrett

 

>> For Yamaha CLP430 information, specifications and prices, click here

” I’m confident the Yamaha Clavinova CLP-440 is best value for money”

I really wish to contribute a small review here, it might sounds a little silly because I’m only getting
the Clavinova CLP-440 tomorrow, I’m so excited and it is a surprised gift for my wife! How could I
give a review without even receiving it yet? Actually it is more of taking this opportunity to thank
Graham Howard for the really valuable digital piano buying guides! Really thank you! I’ve made so
much readings and deciding if I should go for a digital or acoustic. With tight budget, I personally
really don’t wish for a very old acoustic piano, or a very beginner new acoustic piano.

Further more, I’ve never been playing piano since more than 10 years (self learning) entirely because
of the utterly lack of privacy which has been restricting me to play piano and the practising, I rather
give it up.

The digital piano is a surprise gift to my wife actually, and I will now having great chance to play
with a piano again whenever I like in my own world!

I’ve made so much researches, and especially with Graham Howard’s buying guides, I’m very
confident the Yamaha Clavinova CLP-440 is one of the best digital piano for the money it can get.

I’ve decided the CLP-440 rather than CLP-430 because I’ve done enough readings. I’m willing to
spend a little more for the 440 as so many claim it is worth the extra over the 430.

Graham Howard’s buying guide tells everything about my decision! and I’m so confident I’ve
made a right choice in every ways.

Review by Y.W.Phang

 

“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

 

“It looks very nice, exactly like an acoustic piano”

I like everything about it.
The only thing which I knew from beforehand is that the sound is not exactly as an acoustic piano.
But the difference is not so big that it makes it into a drawback for the CLP 340.

The touch and weight of the keys are not different to me.
And the computer facilities are very nice, specially that I can play right and left hands separately
when I practice.

It looks very nice, exactly like an acoustic piano and weighs less than a third of my previous
acoustic piano, which means i can bring it without problem when I move.

Review by Sven Hansson, Sweden

 

“CLP-440 was a clear winner on touch and sound”

My children have been able to compare a Kawai CN33 with a Yamaha CLP-440 and preferred the touch of the Yamaha, and able in a separate dealership to compare the CLP-440 to cheaper Arius Yamahas and a Casio AP-620; no contest the CLP-440 was a clear winner on touch and sound, and had a solid non wobbly keyboard deck. I’m not a piano player, but I could feel a clear quality difference. The only problem is the measly low number of extra tones at 28 vs the other brands ‘hundreds’
So if Roland didn’t exist, I would probably be placing an order for a new Yamaha CLP-440. But I feel the need to look at Roland before committing.

Review by Sam

 

“I am very pleased with it overall, particularly the keyboard, but I do miss the overtones of our old upright acoustic”

I have had the CLP440 R for two days I bought it mainly for the children to learn on, but my wife also plays, and I like to mess around with jazz . I am very pleased with it overall, particularly the keyboard, which really does have the piano feel. I think the sound is fine, but I do miss the overtones of our old upright acoustic, which made it feel more alive. Perhaps this is only an issue because I am used to essentially a honky-tonk piano, rather than a well-tempered grand. The demos sound impeccable, assuming they are midi files, then I imagine any shortcomings of the piano sound are more due to my deficiencies than the piano’s.

There were a few downsides I did not anticipate:
1) it is very heavy in the box. I am tall and athletic, but my driver and i had to struggle to get the box safely off the lorry and into the house. I unpacked it on my own, but again, the weight (98kg) meant I was putting my back and shoulders at risk.
2)the voltage appears to be fixed at 220; it cannot be switched if we want to take the piano to the USA/Canada.
3)the metronome does not appear to be programmable; I would have expected it to have, like very other electronic metronome, stressed beats for the start of each measure. I need this to keep me honest when practicing.
4)as furniture, this is like an ikea piece; functional, well-designed, but a little cheap in appearance. The music stand for instance, reminds me of those old formica kitchen tables; particleboard with veneer tape on the sides.
5)the manual is functional, but it would be nice if there were more regarding the digital aspects, perhaps a website with resources and examples. It loks as though Yamaha has given up on the web services it had aimed at the Clavinova, and I saw no forum.

Review by John Knowles

 

“The sound is beautiful and the touch resistance is good”

We bought a Yamaha Clavinova CLP 440. Both players in my family think it is wonderful to play on, the sound is beautiful and the touch resistance is good, quite similar to our acoustic baby grand.
One small downside is that the keyboard can get a bit ‘slippery’ but that is a very small matter indeed. Playing with the headphones on is quite a novelty as the music is so crystal clear!

Review by Lena Vaukonen

 

“We are both very happy with the CLP440”

I live in Munich (Bavaria/Germany) in a 8-family house and my goal was to be able to play at night.
Also my 19-year old daughter loves to play the piano and she hardly ever comes home before 6pm.

So about 6 weeks ago, I went to the 3 leading piano/music shops in Munich to see whats there in digital pianos. (Price Range about 1500 €).
In one store, they were spezialized in Kawai digital pianos, but fortunately, they had the few digital pianos in the same room as the acoustic pianos they offered for rent, so we (a czech student was also trying the different pianos) could hear and feel the difference.
There was less difference between the digital pianos than between the “best” digital and the average acoustic piano.

In the second store, I was recommended a Kawai CA 13(?) which had a much piano-like feel, but no electronics to play with, even the voices were not displayed.

In the third store (just music) the employee just gave me earphones and let me try all the instruments.
There I endend up playing on the Yamaha CLP 430 for more than 30 minutes, just forgetting the time, so much I liked it.
But it was only available in bright colour (called cherry?) before christmas, so I postponed my decision.
3 weeks before christmas, I went to the city again, now with my daughter, to show her the instruments and the different colours, the piano should fit well into our living-room.
Again they told us this piano would be available only after march 2012, so we tried the CLP440. Which we liked very much also.

As we liked to have it here before X-mas, we ordered (2000€ including delivery), were connected to the man responsible for the delivery, and he said, the only chance to get it before X-mas was just the following day.

So we had it here two weeks ago, got it assembled within two hours, and use it since then.

We are both very happy with the CLP440. We use it mostly with earphones, so nobody can hear us playing. I appreciate very much the possibility to record what I play, especially to play 4-handed piano pieces “with myself”

I think only the “grand piano 1” voice really sounds like a piano, but I like the “grand piano 3” too, which sounds like a “Zither”, which is used in bavarian music. Thats great for bavarian X-mas songs.

Also I like the furniture, we got our old (50 years) acoustic piano and our new digital piano in our small living room. First I was disappointed, it didn’t sound like my old piano, which has a dark, full sound, but my acoustic piano already had some age problems, the pedal didn’t work accurately any more, some keys couldn’t be tuned/gave a snaring sound, …

I’m glad I can even use my digital piano with loudspeakers better than my acoustic piano, as ist sounds like music from the radio and does not affect the whole house (ceiling, …)

I can say that I do really practice now, as I can record the pieces and compare the different recordings. First I was astonished I vary so much in loudness, I was not sure. if that resulted from the dicrete digitalisation, but I think, I adapted a bad technique with my old piano and I’m improving since.

The Yamaha clp440 looks nice in our living room, we bought it in black (not the polished version).
So in all, I’m very happy with it, though, I think I would have also been with the lower model, which came about 1650€, but was only available in 2012. So after all, I paid the 350€ for having it before X-mas.

Dear Graham, I appreciate your page very much. I hope my review can also be usefull to other people.
I wish you happy holidays.

Review by Mechthild Kirchhoff, Munich, Germany

 

“Once we played and heard the Clavinova CLP440, we weren’t happy with any other options”

I purchased a Yamaha Clavinova CLP 440. Purchased at a local music store in Walnut
Creek, CA for a very good price at $2,200. The piano is for my kids. My 9 year
old son has been playing for several years and my 7 year daughter is now excited
to start taking lessons.

Previously, my son was playing on a Casio keyboard and we wanted to get him a real
piano that would provide more sensitive touch and allow him to use pedals.
We were going back and forth between getting a used acoustic upright or an electric
piano. Once we saw the Clavinova, played it and heard it, we weren’t happy with
any other options at that price range or lower. Plus, it has a pretty small
footprint and blends in well with the other furniture in the room.

The new piano will now force my son to drop some of his bad habits he was forming
with the keyboard and the lighter touch keys, and will help him work on focusing
more on the dynamics of the pieces he is playing. We’re happy with the purchase.

Thank you for putting together your buying guide! Not knowing anything about
electric pianos before shopping for one, it was very helpful to have all of
this information in one place. The guide also helped provide us with more
peace of mind about our purchase decision.

Thanks again!

Review by Steve Milani, Walnut Creek, California, USA

 

“The choice was easy”

My Yamaha CLP440 clavinova piano just arrived today!
Thanks to your great piano guide our choice
was more easy. (sorry for my poor english)
The piano is for my daughter (15),
…may be later for me?
Our budget was about 1500 euro but
it ended up at 2059euro ,
we bought the Yamaha clp 440.
We did test many of them several times
in a very nice shop in Brussels,
piano’s Maene. They delivered and mounted it here
for free with 3 years warranty.
My daughter was playing since years on a casio
ctk 573 (200euro?), it was time for a big change!
Thank you again for your very useful advices.

Review by Etienne VanLierde, France

 

“I love this piano and I would recommend it to anyone”

Hi, Mr. Howard

I had really nice days when looking for my piano. I went to every piano store here in Bogotá (as you can know, there are few of them) and dream of those Steinway.
Then I played some Kawai and Yamaha (acoustic ones) and realized that it’s hard to have a digital piano. However, regarding my needs, budget and possibilities I decided to buy the Yamaha CLP430. It’s crazy, because I didn’t find any store selling this one. So I wrote letters to the official dealers, then to Yamaha Japan and the answer was quite surprising: piano importations is delayed and there’s no news of CLP’s arrivals soon. But when I was quitting, and after playing some Casio, Roland, Kurzweil and Kawai (not the best of them), I re-read your guide and decided to wait my CLP. But last week I received a phone call from a vendor who offered me the CLP440 at a really cool price: 500 dollars under Yamaha official price in Colombia (final price: 1600 GBP, more or less).

He didn’t have the piano in Bogotá, so I had to wait a couple of days. Finally I went to the store and saw my precious piano. Of course, the vendor was sincere and when I asked him wether he liked or not the piano, he just drove me to an old Yamaha Grand and told me that my CLP was good, but he never liked digital pianos.

Then I packed my piano again and drive a long road home. I have it 5 days ago. The life has changed. I love this piano and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a digital piano, even an acoustic nostalgic. Certainly I miss the harp and the chords, but when it’s late and I don’t want to bother my neighbors and my wife I just plug the headphones and keep playing ’till the sun rises again. The harmonics are well done, and some features that are missing in the CLP430 are really nice. I don’t know yet the other voices. I just play it as a piano. And yes, the ivory-like keys and the sustain feature, as well as some technological tricks may be excessive. But it doesn’t matter.

Thanks for your help and I hope you’ll keep writing those amazing reviews.

Review by Santiago Zuluaga, Bogota, Colombia
“The CLP440 just felt nicer to play”

I played the piano as I teenager and reached grade 5. I did not touch a keyboard again until last year (30 years later!!!). I joined a choir last year and thought it would be good to have a piano so I could practice some of the music I needed to learn.

I bought a second hand digital piano on ebay (a Yamaha which was about 10 years old). I slowly started to get back into playing music (and I mean very slowly!!). But over the last few months I felt I wasn’t progressing much at all. Some of the keys on the Yamaha started to stick and the pedals didn’t work. My husband who is a furniture maker said it must be like trying to make a fine piece of furniture without really good tools. One of our daughters has a Roland DP990 so I tried that and my playing seemed so much better.

So I agree with your article about second hand pianos they may not necessarily be the best option and could actually put you off playing.

OK so which piano to buy. I found your review extremely helpful. I liked the feel of the Roland but the keys are very noisy when the volume is turned down. Although my Yamaha is old I liked the sound. So I decided I would like to try a new Yamaha and considered the CLP 430 and CLP 440. This felt about the right price bracket for me. I went to Millers/Ken Stevens in Cambridge. The sales assistant was very helpful and let me try a number of pianos including Yamaha and Roland. She was not pushy in any way. Eventually I decided on the CLP 440. It just felt nicer to play and the sound seemed better than the CLP 430. I hope to keep this piano for many years so felt it was worth getting the CLP 440. My husband negotiated on the price so we ended up with a deal we were happy with. The piano is on order as they didn’t have the colour I wanted in stock so hopefully I will be able to collect it in a few days.

Your review was very good and certainly helped me to make a decision.

Review by Kathryn

 

“CLP 440 seemed to have a better sound”

Dear Graham,

Thank you for the very helpful information on digital pianos. Based on your ranking, I was interested in Roland RP-301 for its good price, Yamaha CLP-430, and CLP 440. I finally decided on CLP 440 – 20% more expensive than CLP 430 – because the keys of CLP 430 were of shiny plastic material whereas CLP 440 had the natural bone colour which appealed to me more, CLP 440 seemed to have a better sound, and my wife preferred the colour of CLP 440 to CLP 430 that was available at the dealer. My 7 year old daughter takes courses and she teaches me the same at home with her organ which we both enjoy very much.

Review by Musa, Turkey

 

“Graham Howard and the salesperson advised me to go with the Yamaha”

The information provided by Graham firmed up my stance to go with a Yamaha and substantiated the advice of the sales person at the music store. Thank you Graham you really made it do much easier for me to decisively make this choice after dithering for so long of my 8 year old’s first piano, as I wasn’t sure how well I could trust that the sales person wasn’t conflicted in his advice.

It’s been a week and already we are so excited and he is really enjoying practicing. I can’t thank you enough Graham!

Review by Lindi, Johannesburg, South Africa

 

“I’ve really enjoyed playing it all night”

I have the Yamaha CLP440 in the plain black (I couldn’t rationalise the polished ebony price as gorgeous as it looked!)

I really love it, when at the shop I played both the clp430 and the clp440, and the clp440 had a much crisper clearer sound, and when compared to the 440 and played straight after, the 430 I thought sounded a little muffled. Luckily they 440 was on special, so I got it for $2599 (rrp up to $3699 in Australia) so I was very happy.

I’ve really enjoyed playing it all night, the only negitive I would say in that in the 16 lowest base keys, I play softer otherwise these notes just seem too loud and can overpower the treble.  Otherwise totally in love!

Review by Leah Padowitz, Australia

 

“I liked the CLP 440 better than the CLP 430”

I ended up purchasing the Yamaha CLP 440.  Graham Howard’s advice was exceptionally useful and clear.  I originally was going with the base CLP 430 model because of the lower price.  When I went to the local Yamaha dealer to test them out side by side, I liked the CLP 440 better as it had the richer and more full bodied sound.

Review by Helen Wong

 

“The sound is very good”

I purchased a new Yamaha CLP 440PE in polished black for my son. It had received very good reviews and had all the features I wanted. The next step up became too expensive compared to what I gained in added features.

The piano looks very good, and from a pure “furniture point of view” it’s a nice addition to our living room.
The varying weighting of the piano keyes are quite good and feels realistic (I grew up with an acoustic piano, so compared to that it’s not bad at all).

The sound is very good, and it delivers strong crisp and clear piano tones in the middle/high octaves, and very convincing and strong/rich sound in the bass octaves. The Piano resonates nicely, and the speakers divide the sound between them corresponding to which part of the keyboard is played (just like an acoustic grand piano resonates stronger on the left side when playing bass notes contrary to playing in the high register.

The touch control is very sophisticated and convincing, both with regard to velocity, pressure, release and other input variations. You can adjust these and a lot of other settings concerning response and output sound.

We are quite happy with the purchase.

The reason we got the piano was a combination of me always wanting to buy one (grew up in a household with an acoustic piano and learned to play when I was a young boy), and the fact that my son has grown a keen interest in learning to play the piano.

I’ve always owned keyboards of varying quality (not the cheap toys, but not the top models either. mostly Rolands and Yamahas). But always missed a piano that both sounded convincingly like a piano, and last but not least FELT like a real piano. I knew my son would never master a piano if he had to practise on a keyboard at home, so that was in the end the main reason for buying one.

The reason we ended up with the Yamaha CLP 440PE, was partly because there were few other pianos (in that price range) that sounded and felt equally good (I haven’t had the chance to try any of the highly revcommended Kawai’s, but it was impractical to travel all the way south just to try one. The Yamaha met all the expectations I had to a digital piano. The alternative would be to buy a real acoustic piano, but that was just out of my price range now.

Review by Stale Rosland, Norway

 

“A wonderfully open and realistic piano sound!”

I am the happy owner of a Yamaha CLP-440. I read in some forums, some people are not happy with the sound of the instrument. Dull, feeling suffocated.
I would recommend them to use a softer grade of the tilt sensitivity, so sound is much more open. In addition, the use of the key cover part-time, because they can develop a superior sounding gap, which sounds more open to dry out.

Also, mix up 1 aa piano and piano sounds 3. The distinction made ??in sync octave, cut down the rates (1 85% 3 15%) of the Dual Detune function by 3 Slide up to 3.

The result is a wonderfully open and realistic piano sound! I wish you continued good experiment!

Review by Zoltan Balogh, Szeged, Hungary

 

“It’s truly a gift from GOD the ALMIGHTY”

I have gotten the most wonderful instrument I have EVER had!! It’s GLORIOUS and takes me to 207th HEAVEN when ever I play it!!

It’s a Yamaha Clavinova CLP440, and has 4 concert grand piano sounds, piple organs, harpsichord, vibraphones, 2 electric pianos, a string sounds, and even CHOIR!! The action and sounds are just what I need, and there is a wonderful warrnety on it as well!!

I got it from Darrel’s, in Nashua New Hampshire, and Adam, their son delivered it, and assembled it so beautifully for me!! It’s truly a gift from GOD the ALMIGHTY!! I totally love it!!!!

Thank you for your programs, news letters, and inforation that you have been sending me all this time.

Love in GOD and Music!! – Bonnie Barish.

Review by Bonnie Barish, Nashua, New Hampshire, USA

 

“There is a big echo coming from the piano”    

My main problem is the powerful voice, even when I put the powerful button on 4-5 level. Also a big echo coming from the piano ,so I tried to move it in the living room , put a carpet under it, And it helped a little but not enough.

I thought to connect to external speaker. I am considering buying a stage piano

Review by Adi

 

“I’m thrilled with my purchase”

Hello, Graham. Thanks for your information about digital pianos, which I found to be quite helpful. It confirmed the brand that I wanted to buy (Yamaha) and I purchased a CLP 440PE, which was delivered last week. I had given my niece the family upright, apartment size Mason Risch piano, which had been in the family since 1930 and replaced it with this purchase. My wife and I are thinking of downsizing from our house into a smaller dwelling in the future, so this will make the transition easier.

I’m thrilled with my purchase, as it has the grand piano sound I wanted, as well as the touch of a real piano. When I was trying it out at the store, I had a chance to play one of the Yamaha 7’ grand pianos to compare and the sound was very similar.

Thanks again for your help,

Review by AL, Ontario, Canada

 

“I love this instrument, the price and performance is very good”

The Yamaha CLP 440 perfect enough for an average 20 to 24 square meters room. Well the sound fills the room, but the volume using the volume key, you should not be louder than 60%!

60% above the upper Octave jumps a voice over the others unpleasantly strong internal echoes due to pops.
Unfortunately, this natural, almost all the furniture box digital piano so. More space you have the option to load an external audio amplifier to switch to the instrument, the electronic aux out jacks.

The slide halfway position not only decorative, improving the acoustic characteristics.
If the weak man playing the piano with your finger, use a lighter tilt mode. The soft touch setting.

Every owner should experiment with musical instruments, which settings are optimal for his room!
I really love this instrument.
The bottom pedals cardboard over a 45-degree angle to the geometric form I set it down on the propagation of sound waves more intensively about the rules of the room space.

I love this instrument, the price and performance is very good. Of course, there are better, but a lot more money.

Big greetings to everyone!

Review by Balogh Zoltan, Szeged, Magyarorszag, Hungary

 

“I am so pleased I went for the clp 440, excellent quality, sound and key touch”

Hi Graham

Thank you very much for your advice.

I have fancied learning the piano for many years, firstly I started with a keyboard but for some reason I couldn’t get away with it, perhaps this may have put me off a little but having visited a store in the North East it sparked off my interest again, and secondly it was the January sales too.

So I had a little play in the shop and a chat with the salesman, initially I was quite taken with the Roland model with the larger screen and tutor so I could teach myself, however the cost was not what I had budgeted for (£4k+) and I had thought I could get good tutor apps on my iPad which could do he same.  It was then I did a little Internet research and found the uk pianos website, I have to say having read your guidance on what to look for and the terminology used I understood a lot more than I started, I visited the shop again and was there for 3 hours comparing a number of models, key touch, functionality, number of speakers etc etc.

I have to say the shop concerned were really pushing Roland over Yamaha, but when it came down to it all things considered I had decided i liked the Yamaha CLP range (440), which so happens to be one of the top in your list.

Being that this was to be a one-off purchase, I wanted the best I could afford at the time.  I had done some research and found that Bonners in Bournemouth were selling a Yamaha CLP 440 in satin black, it was advertised on the Internet as ex display but was in fact new, still in the box (apparently stores do advertise this way so as not to undercut the competition).

I was slightly concerned about delivery to Northumberland, I had a preference for buying locally for a variety of reasons, delivery, ongoing support should anything go wrong, support of a local business etc.  At this point I knew what I wanted (CLP 440 satin black) where i wanted it from (Newcastle), and the price I wanted to pay ( price match with Bonners, saving approx £400), however having negotiated hard my local supplier (JG Windows) they were unable to honour their price match guarantee (they only had mahogany in stock at the sale price, the black would have had to be bought in from Yamaha), at this point they were also still pushing Roland which annoyed me intensely!

In the end, I purchased from Bonners, over the Internet on Tuesday 1pm and it arrived 8.30am the next day with no issues at all, the piano arrived in a huge box, my husband and I assembled it in the spare bedroom (don’t under estimate the weight of the keyboard section, it’s mega mega heavy, certainly need 2 strong people!!!!!!). I am so so pleased that I went for the clp 440, excellent quality, sound, key touch, i cannot fault the service from Bonners, I have my iPad set up to use tutorials, formal lessons have also just commenced.

Thank you once again for your guidance it has been invaluable for a novice in selecting the right piano.  I’m really enjoying it!

Review by Tracey Armstrong

 

“I preferred the Yamaha”

Hi Graham,

I eventually choose the Yamaha CLP440 because I liked the sound and the keyboard action. I bought the piano locally, I tried out the Roland HP505 as well but as I say I preferred the Yamaha.

Thanks for all the help I got  from you and the your website, its a pity you where a bit too far away for me purchase from you as I don’t have a car and I obviously need to try out the piano first.

Review by Alan Penns

 

“I would rate the Clavinova good value”

I eventually bought the Clavinova 440 . I am very pleased with the tone, I use it mainly as a piano but find the headphones and being able to adjust the sound level very useful as my house is open plan and other family members may be watching TV, I also use the demonstration feature as it shows me what I should aspire to when playing from the user manual.  I would rate the Clavinova good value.

Review by Patricia Bryant

 

“communications on the phone were reassuring, and the piano arrived within a week”

I used the UK Pianos website and downloaded the online guide about digital pianos, which I found very informative and helpful.
I was able to make an informed choice of piano and bought the Yamaha CLP440 in dark rosewoood as a result. communications on the phone were equally reassuring, and the piano arrived within a week, on the arranged day. Efficient, knowledgable service. Highly recommended.

Review by Margaret Bateson, Louth, Lincolnshire

 

“The touch is very close to the Yamaha grand piano”

As a beginner I find the Yamaha CLP 440 very good.  The touch is very close to the Yamaha grand piano and that helps me a lot as I learn on a grand piano at my teacher’s place.  The recording function is useful in monitoring my progress while the metronome makes it easier for me to keep the correct timing.  Recognising the limitations of an electronic piano in comparison with acoustic ones, I would recommend the CLP 440 to those who want to buy a piano with a smaller budget.

Review by Ha Le

 

“Did I buy a good piano?”

I recently purchased a Yamaha clp 440 after seeing and hearing it in a shop. I bought it without doing any research and once I got home, started to get very nervous. Did I buy a good piano?

I got online and saw Graham’s manual and after reading it, felt confident with my purchase. He explained what everything meant in simple terms and the reviews were very comforting.

I highly recommend you reading this before purchasing a piano.

Review by Melanie Kwok

 

“I’m thrilled with my purchase”

I live in Canada, near Toronto and came across Graham Howard’s site when I was doing research for my new piano. I found his site and information invaluable and I’m thrilled with the purchase of my Yamaha CLP-440 Clavinova. Thank you.

Review by Al Switzer, Canada

 

“I absolutely love it”

Unfortunately, I don’t own this piano, but I spent much time (hours, put together) playing it in a shop. I absolutely love it, but due to space constraints and portability will probably buy a P 155. If yamaha made a stage piano with the action and sound of CLP440, that would be the absolute winner for me.

Review by Tony

 

“Very pleased with my purchase”

Hi Graham,

I bought a Yamaha Clavinova CLP 440 from Park Pianos in Perth, Australia after reading your superb advice. I chose this over the CLP 430 which I originally intended to buy as when I compared the two in the shop the 440 had a
noticeable extra richness and depth to its sound.

I am just a beginner but have been very pleased with my purchase. I am fortunate to have a couple of friends who are very accomplished piano players and both of them have said how good the sound and feel of the 440 is. One of them who plays a lot of jazz piano said he really liked the sound of some of the electric piano voices too.

Many thanks for your brilliant advice Graham I am in your debt!

Review by Peter Barry, Perth, Australia

 

“We chose the CLP 440 because we like the tone”

Hi Graham
We bought the Yamaha CLP 440 today. It will likely be delivered tomorrow.

No real reason for the delay except that we have been busy with other obligations.

We only considered digital pianos as we live in an apartment and our considerations
included space requirements, weight (for relocating) and volume control (to keep
the neighbours happy).

Our research, including your comments certainly helped us narrow down our search
in an efficient and fairly quick manner before we went out shopping.

In the end we were only considering Roland and Yamaha when we started our physical
in store research. We decided quickly on the Yamaha. We chose the CLP 440 because
we like the sound or tone of this piano as well as or better than some others and
it has a nice touch or feel to the keys. There were lots of acoustic pianos in
the show room, and the 440 still sounded pretty good compared to them…
not the same and not better, but still more than adequate for our purposes.

Thanks for your help and your interest

Review by Wally Seipp

 

>> For Yamaha CLP440 information, specifications and prices, click here

“The sound is excellent very close to acoustic quality”

The CLP470 was, thanks to your general advice, exactly right for me and the technological
improvements over the CLP150 are quite dramatic. The sound is excellent very close to
acoustic quality, the touch, and pedal progression makes it very much easier to play !
The recording set up is so simple too.

Review by George Watson

 

“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 CLP470 has been outstanding in all aspects”

Delighted with the choice of our first digital piano! Graham Howard’s “7 things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano”, was instrumental in making this choice.

In summary:

a) Yamaha scored in the top 5 brands,
b) came 2nd in the top 10 most reliable,
c) scored in the top 5 best warranty,
d) came 1st place on long term popularity, and
e) 1st place again on recent popularity.

Although the CLP 470 was rated 3rd place in the top ten list of best digital pianos, it’s touch and sound (which are the most important aspects of a digital piano) of 9.25 is the best score.
It also rates highly (5th) in the top 20 over £1,000, and since the first four pianos are between £3,200 and £6,000, the CLP470(PE) has done extremely well to come 5th, costing us £2,244!!

So, finally, after a lot of reading and researching we have come to a very satisfactory conclusion with the purchase of the Yamaha Clavinova CLP470 and chose the Polished Ebony finish – as an added bonus!!!

Since we don’t have anything to compare this piano to, thus far it has been outstanding in all aspects and believe it will serve us well.

Thank you, Graham, for your advice and assistance which we have appreciate immensely.

Review by Lilla Skopek, Hemel Hempstead, UK

 

“I have not got anything I dislike about it”

I set up my Yamaha 470 in polished black ebony today.
These are my first thoughts but may have a few more after tying it some more.
Didn’t play before today but can now play 3 peices and am very pleased with
myself after a few hours of trying.

All the information in the piano guide helped me make a choise, and helped
me get a good price it looks great and sounds amazing (on the demo more
than me playing so I need to learn now LOL).

For our room I thought it was worth paying the extra money for the polished
black as it stands out as a beautiful piece of furniture too.

I have not got anything I dislike about it.

Thanks Graham for your assistance with the guide, it was a great help to me
so many thanks for your assistance.

Review by Mark Pearson

 

“A very average product form Yamaha”

Not great….

Has better tonal characteristics than the Roland models in same price range. However the speaker system onboard the 470 is of low quality. For example if you play at louder volumes, say above 3/4 max volume, you get heavy tonal distortion and its very annoying and shouldnt happen at this price. If you record your playing on the piano you can use the built in recorder for audio or midi, but again if you record at a volume too high there is distortion and you wont know until you play it back on a recording, this is if you are recording externally as apposed to the internal recorder, which records at a set maximum volume to avoid the distortion (they clearly know about!) and its not loud enough for more professional recordings in my opinion.

Apart from the poor speakers, this model also has very muffled and again low quality bass section notes, some of the notes sound louder than they should compared the other notes within close proximity (the C bass note an octave below middle C is far too loud for some stupid reason, and the D flat next to it) , this gives an unbalanced feel when playing lower bass notes with treble notes. This model is an inferior 480 it would seem, so beware of this, never compare the two models because you wont want the 470 after listening to the 480, but as always the 480 is overpriced.

Underpowered speakers and underwhelming bass section coupled with a poor selection of tones (you only get 14 for some odd reason) and you get essentially a very average product form Yamaha, I know because I have owned many different pianos over the years. With the Rolands you get far better speaker systems at same price range but perhaps a flatter overall more dull tone than the yamahas.

Remember – a digital piano is only as good as its speakers in many cases, if you really like to crank the volume up whilst playing a piece just beware of the distortion which completely ruins your enjoyment of playing.

Review by Mark Fowler, Peterborough, England

 

“It does not have too many gimmicky features or distracting sounds”

After a very long and frustrating wait for my piano, it has finally arrived and I am delighted with it in every way. I very nearly opted for the Classenti CDP3 based on the excellent online reviews but in the end, the strength of the
Yamaha brand and advice from Graham’s buyers guide and ongoing advice swung my decision in favour of the Yamaha. I wanted a piano that was as close as possible to an acoustic in terms of key weight, touch and feel and the CLP470 comes very close.

It does not have too many gimmicky features or distracting sounds, just enough useful featues and sounds to give you enough variety when needed. My two daughters are just starting lessons and I am returning after a thirty year break which I really wish I had not taken. The Grand Piano 1 sound is superb and is pretty much what I will use most of the time. The pipe organ is also a very realistic and pleasing sound. Set up was easy even for me but
make sure there are two able adults to lift the main keyboard section which is at least 50kg.

Review by Mark Fletcher, Crewe, UK

 

“The Yamaha CLP sound, touch and general look were all superior to the Kawai”

Arriving two weeks ago at the piano shop , rather uncomfortably close to the evening closing time, armed with notes from your excellent piano guide, I was all ready to purchase a Yamaha CLP 440, which in theory ticked all my boxes. But with another customer in the shop I had time to tinker on other pianos (including Steinway grands, why not?) but very apologetically, since piano is not my first instrument.

I exited the shop with a CLP 470 on firm order.

Why? Having tried out all the keyboards in sight, I found that for digitals the Yamaha CLP sound, touch and general look were all superior to the Kawai (yes, they showed me the backboard!) and I disliked the Roland sound intensely. Then I discovered that this high class(Steinway-oriented) piano shop had its own standard advantageous price for the 470, not far above the 440, and it seemed silly not to take advantage of it.

The rosewood “beast” was delivered yesterday by two strong men. Already unpacked, set up, and ready to play. And play I did, during snatched moments in the afternoon, and then late at night with the volume turned right down. No need for headphones to hang on the dinky hook thoughtfully screwed on underneath.

Amongst the fiendishly difficult 50 Classics in the book so thoughtfully provided by the manufacturer, I found a couple of old Chopin pieces and, after more decades than I care to admit, my fingers began finding their way comfortably round the keyboard.This compact piano has feels exactly like the pianos I used to play on at school.  I can also thump out Beethoven without worrying the neighbours, (noisy though they are) as the speakers sound clearly at 35%-45% volume. The buttons are arrayed logically and great fun – the harpsichord sound isn’t bad, and, with the touch button on “Light”, Scarlatti is easy to rattle off. The pipe organ is pleasant.  The choir sound an unexpectedly pleasant surprise.

The metronome clicks like the real old-fashioned weight-swinging one and thank goodness does not have that hideously annoying first beat in the bar DING that drives one wild when one doesn’t want it.
Will no doubt get tangled in knots when using the recording feature and MIDI connection one day. Presume there’s an online Yamaha forum for that. I found the pedals a bit high, until I put a pair of heeled shoes on – then they were just right – not too tough. And l like the fact that Yamaha has given the middle pedal a function – a sostenuto (sustaining) pedal for use by the organ/strings/choir voices.

But then one can semi-close the keyboard cover to hide all the buttons, and just imagine one is playing a pukka piano. My original intention for years has been to buy a good electronic keyboard, which can be stored upended in this small domicile.  But now I’m so glad I paid double to buy this piano as I’ll get four times the enjoyment from it.

As for looks, although compact, the clean lines of the 440 are smart enough to put against my antique mahogany pedestal desk without looking ‘out of tune’.

So I definitely have Graham Howard’s Piano-buying Guide to thank for being satisfied that I have bought the right piano for me needs. (All I’ve got to do now is learn how to play it properly!!)

Review by Caroline Walcot, Belgium

 

“The piano is superb”

After a lengthy search including reviewing Graham’s impartial and informative buyers guide, we opted for the Yamaha CLP 470 and I’m so glad we did. It was a close call with the Classenti CDP3 but the strength of the brand, high scores and advice from Graham swung it in the Yamaha’s favour. The piano was easy to assemble but ensure there is one relatively fit and able person to assist the delivery driver and another to manoeuvre into the room and help lift the keyboard section onto the stand.

The piano is superb and in my opinion as close to an acoustic piano in terms of key weighting, touch, feel and sound but with more versatility. There are not too many gimmicky features to distract children and we cover the electronic panel with the sliding keyboard cover which makes the piano look more authentic. The Grand Piano 1 sound is primarily what we use and I think it is very realistic compared to the acoustic I played on many years ago. Yes, the CLP470 is one of the more expensive digital pianos but the discounts available and packages bring it down considerably compared to the RRP.

Review by Mark Fletcher, Crewe

 

“It seemed the best option”

We are very pleased with the look, sound and feel of our 470.
We are both musicians and it was important that it had good
sound and touch. This seemed best option without spending
an extra thousand pounds.

Review by Lizzy Barker, London, UK

 

“We found that the overall volume was quite quiet”

We originally chose the CLP470, but once installed, we found that the overall volume was quite quiet, and that to really feel the sound in the room we had to play it at a high volume.  Also, my husband is interested in pursuing the MIDI functions, which (if i understand correctly) was limited on the CLP 470, sooooo, after much ado and discussion and pondering, we opted to upgrade to the Yamaha CLP480.

We’re now waiting for delivery, and so are anxious to try it out!

Review by Charlene

 

“The piano teacher confirmed the CLP470 is a brilliant piano”

Graham Howard’s digital piano buyer’s guide is extremely useful

A few weeks ago I got the depressing news from my son’s piano teacher that our piano was no longer good enough for him to progress in his playing. She suggested the cheapest way to buy a better piano would probably be a digital piano.

After a search of the net I found Graham Howard’s piano guide which is extremely helpful.

After reading the guide I decided that I would like to buy a Yamaha CLP470. I got my son’s piano teacher to try one out, She confirmed that it is a brilliant piano.

Review by Alasdair Hay, Edinburgh, Scotland

 

“The touch feels like a real grand piano”

Hello Graham,

My piano yamaha clavinova clp470 has been delivered about a week ago.
The information in your book was very helpful to make my choice.
The clp470 is a great instrument for use at home.

My findings are: price quality is good.
The touch feels like a real grand piano is fantastic.
The sound of the instrument is good but not that great.
The piano sounds are great but some of the others are just good.

I will need some more time to find out what the possibilities are of this instrument.

Review by Jean Van Leare, Belgium

 

“I couldn’t be happier with my purchase”

I finally narrowed it down to two pianos, which are the equivalent of each other in their respective ranges: the Yamaha CLP470 and the Roland HP507, and Graham Howard of UK Pianos responded to my email for his thoughts with a list of the positives and negatives of each. They are so close in sound, feel, and functionality, that it effectively was decided on cost, and the Yamaha was around £400 cheaper.

So now the Yamaha has been delivered, and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase, it sounds and feels fantastic. I now need to set some time aside each day to get a bit of practice in. All credit to Graham for his invaluable documentation and advice…..thanks Graham!

Review by Dale Samson

 

“It’s good to know that I am getting the second best for now”

Hi Graham,

Thank you for the detailed information provided for CLP 480. I actually went and give it a try at the local piano store after reading your review on how stunning it is. Indeed, it is every bit of what you have described, the extra speakers on top and the soundboard are just mind blowing, like playing a real acoustic piano, might even sound better than the old upright Kawai that I have. The store owner recommended Roland HP507 as well, but I
find it too muffled especially at the bass.

Honestly this is making it very hard to go for the initial CLP 470 which I set out for, but the budget is really a big constrain to me, so I decided to go for the CLP 470 after a night of battle haha. I really want to express
my thank to you, for the honest and accurate feedback provided, though I am not able to get the best of what you have recommended, but it’s good to know that I am getting the second best for now.

Review by Chan

 

 
>> For Yamaha CLP470 information, specifications and prices, click here