Acoutic VS Electric Pianos

[Glenn Grafton]

>I agree Dan, the problem is nobody or shall I say the average doesn't know
>the difference between acoustic and electric piano sound.  It's no different
>than the person who knows the difference between a Winter spinet and a
>Steinway grand.  Yes in m;y last sentence I stretched it, but you know what
>I mean.  Unless you can convince the average Joe that one is better, nothing
>will change.  All they're interested in is the price.  Lynn Rosenberg

Reality check. Digital pianos are here, big time. I went to see Beauty &
the Beast on Broadway last Jan. with my wife. I went up at the intermission
to peak down in the band pit. Amongst the timpani drums, harp, and various
string players I noted that the pianist was playing a digital piano. It
sounded fine during the performance. Realistically, if it were an acoustic
piano, there wasn't room for a grand, it would have had to have been mic'ed
and would have lost something through that, plus it would have had to have
been tuned probably weekly.

A few observations:
There is a marked difference between the following instruments.
A low end portable keyboard ($2-500)
A higher end keyboard or synthesizer.
An older digital piano.
Various digital pianos on the market today.

Obviously the sound and action on any portable keyboard does not approach
that of an acoustic piano. Digital pianos, on the other hand are another
matter all together.

I say can folks though that the days of digital pianos not sounding as good
as acoustic pianos are over with several brands-not suggesting that they're
as good as a grand. I would suggest you take the time to try out the new
Techncis SXPC-25 digital piano. This sells for about the same as your
average used Aeolian spinet piano in decent shape does. Take a listen and
try it out sometime-the sound is unlike a low end spinet is simply
awesome-compareable to a lot of 6' grands-really.

Most readers of this list are not going to be subjective at all about the
viability of a digital piano, as livelyhoods depend on acoustic pianos, but
that's as I see it.

Glenn Grafton
Grafton Piano & Organ Co.
Souderton PA
http://www.dprint.com/grafton/
gleng@fast.net
800-272-5980

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