More Suggestions for Buying a Used Keyboard

In an earlier post, I offered several tips for buying a used keyboard. Now, here are some more for you.

So little Joey wants to take piano lessons. You need a keyboard.  What to do and buy?

If you can afford it, aim to buy a used digital piano with weighted keys, such as a Roland FP10, Roland FP30, Yamaha  P125, Yamaha P115 (the predecessor to the P125), Yamaha P45, Korg B1, Yamaha Arius YDP144 or Casio PXS1000.  They can be found on Facebook marketplace or Kijiji Ontario for approx. $600 to $800.

If you want to start with a cheaper keyboard first to make sure your child is really interested in taking piano lessons before upgrading to a model with weighted keys, here’s what I suggest.  

Go to Facebook marketplace or Kijiji and search for “keyboard and stand”.  When an ad comes up, open another window and search for that keyboard and model number.  If you can’t see a model number, e-mail the seller and ask for it.   Look for reviews or comments of that keyboard.

I did a search and found an ad that says “Yamaha Keyboard Portable Grand DGX-300.  I did a separate search for “Yamaha DGX300”.  I scanned down until I got an amazon review dated 2013.  So it’s approx. eight years old.  Try to buy a keyboard with full-size keys, five octaves (five sets of two and three sets of black keys), stand, adapter (so it doesn’t run on batteries) and music rest (it fits into the top of the keyboard and you lay your music against it).  At the minimum, get a keyboard with touch-response.  If you touch the piano keys hard, it’s a loud sound, if you touch them softly it’s a quiet sound.  Try to buy one that is less than six years old.  I’d stick to the Yamaha or Casio brand.

Yes, it’s time-consuming to go through the ads.  But you can pick up a used keyboard for $150 to $200.  In a year, if your child is committed to piano lessons, upgrade to a digital piano with weighted keys.  Or you can buy a used piano (start by reading my post about buying used pianos).

Also, consider waiting a year, and putting the money you’d have paid a piano teacher into a separate bank account.  The following year, buy a digital keyboard with weighted keys.

Yes, I’m harping on digital keyboards with weighted keys  But a student can only play as beautifully as the quality of the instrument allows.  Read my blog about free pianos!  and if you have the room, invest in a real (used) piano.

There are some differences between the keyboards with weighted keys I mentioned above.  The Roland FP10 has a furniture stand (straight sides) and one pedal (what’s called the damper pedal).  The Roland FP30 is a couple hundred dollars more, and can record, and has a three pedal option.  Let’s assume all the digital pianos have the furniture stand option.  If you buy an X stand, the keyboard will jiggle as you play.  

The Yamaha P125 has a three pedal option and better speakers than the Yamaha P45, which has only one pedal.  The P115 is the previous model to the P125, so is slightly older.  

Long & McQuade (I highly recommend the Burlington location) has a rent to own program for the Yamaha P45, Yamaha P125, Roland FP10 and Roland FP30.

They also sell used keyboards which come with a three month warranty.  An extended warranty can be purchased.  Be warned; the used keyboards are selling like hotcakes!