Thomann SP5500 Reviews

“Middle C not working”

It was delivered today and now I’m trying to find out how to get the keys below middle C to work –
all dead and only has instruction manual in German – so have requested help from Thomann.

I watched various videos of product being demonstrated and it appeared a reasonable starter
electric piano, but wish I could have tried out in UK first.  Hope Thomann can get problem
resolved on keys and supply English manual!

Review by Tony Appleby

 

2) “I would definitely recommend this piano”

Hi Graham

Thanks for all your advise, I have now bought a Thomann Clifton SP5500 from Thomann Cyberstore for £289.68. It was much bigger and heavier than I had imagined it would be but the sound is alright and you get so many bells and whistles.  It came without a UK plug but luckily we had one which fitted and the instruction book was only in German.  I phoned them up and they sent me a PDF English Manual so I can work my way through the instructions.  I have no regrets about choosing this one as I think I will get a lot more fun out of it than an ordinary piano would give.  It wouldn’t be any good for someone wanting to move it on a regular basis as it is very bulky and heavy.

Review by Ann

 

3) “The keys made a wooden thumping sound going down and coming up”

I bought the SP5500 because of the price and all the goodies that where on it. More than some top keyboards.
Different firms give this piano different names and prices. I bought this one from Thomann in Germany and I
would not hesitate to recommend this firm as they have been very helpful. They answered all my E-Mails and
sent me a pr-paid returns label to send it back. The full refund took about a week to go through.
Now for the reasons for returrning it

1. The Music rest which is very basic would not slot into the two holes provided. ( No problem I made my own )
2. The top five keys were faulty, even with the volume on full they just gave off the odd tinkle.
3. The Keys did not rattle sideways as there was a little pad seperating them, but when played they made a
wooden thumping sound going down and coming up. This was not noticeable when using the headphones but
to anybody in the room it was like listening to Bongo Drums. Very annoying
4. There was very little difference in the touch settings, even on the light setting the keys felt stiff and clumsy
and I would say a child would have trouble playing them
5. When playing a run there was not a smooth transition in the sound. The black keys seemed to be louder than
the white ones, and sometimes even a little out of tune.
6. I did’nt try out all the sounds and styles but they did sound a bit basic. Some O.K some poor, but as with
other instruments you cant please everyone. Each person has thier own idea as to what a good sound is.
For several years now I have been playing 61 note keyboards so I suppose a piano would seem hard work.
My first upright piano was a John Broadwood and it was a joy to hear and play, a very light touch. After a long
lay off I went onto the early Technics Pianos and then Technics and Yamaha keyboards. I missed the old piano.

My advice to anyone buying a piano is to try and go to a shop where you can try it out, and then shop around for
the best buy. Graham Howards advice is worth its weight in gold ( I should have listened to it before buying.)
In all the SP5500 is a well made and nice looking piano but for me it was a very dissapointing playing experience

Review by Derrick Summers, Atherton, Manchester

 

“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