Digital Pianos and Acoustic Pianos

When trying to decide whether to invest in a digital or an acoustic piano, there are several factors that need to be weighed. If you need help on how to choose a piano, consider the following.

What are my specific needs? Am I buying this for pleasure, as an investment, for cabinetry? How fussy am I regarding the tone quality and touch of the instrument? Do I want the ability to record? Do I want a variety of sounds and rhythms?

Below is some food for thought to help you decide on a digital piano or an acoustic piano.

Acoustic Pianos:

Tone Quality: Even though there have been drastic improvements made in the tone quality of digital pianos over the past few years, it is still difficult to reproduce the rich, full tone of an acoustic piano.

Touch: Again, although huge strides have been made to reproduce the true feel of a grand piano (on a digital), it is extremely difficult to recreate the exact feel of an acoustic piano.

Furniture Appeal: Acoustic pianos come in all shapes, sizes, styles and finishes. From a traditional, satin ebony grand piano to a cute little oak console piano...there is a cabinet style to fit every person's unique taste.

Longevity: Many acoustic pianos that were built over 100 years ago are still in service today. Although an acoustic piano may need to be restored at some point in its life, it should give you and your family decades of enjoyment.

Durability: Because of choice hardwoods, steel, high density felt and other quality components, a well-built acoustic piano is a solid instrument that will stand the test of time.

Investment Potential: Due to the fact an acoustic piano lasts for decades and the basic design doesn't change too radically, it will tend to appreciate over its life, provided it is maintained regularly and not abused. Many articles in investment magazines have been written over the years in reference to purchasing high-quality grand pianos as good hedges against inflation. Our opinion is: As long as your money is going to be invested in something, why not be able to enjoy it daily (as a beautiful instrument in your home) rather than looking at it quarterly on a piece of paper?!

Digital Pianos:

Easy to Move: By design, digital pianos are much lighter weight than acoustics, making them easier to move.

Never need Tuned: This is a nice feature, especially if you live in an area where there is a shortage of good piano tuners!

Sounds & Rhythms: From basic models with 10 or 20 sounds, to models with nearly every sound and rhythm you can imagine, you can easily find a digital piano that will provide the variety to keep you entertained.

Recording Capabilities: With today's technology, you can record straight to CD without going to a recording studio! Some models even allow you to hook up a microphone to record vocals! Imagine listening to your child's first recital many years down the road. They say a picture is worth a thousand words...what will your family's collection of CDs be worth? You can pass down the archives of your family's musical heritage for generations!

Headphones: If you live in an apartment, if you want to get your new song down "perfect" before you show it off, if Dad wants to watch football, if your sister is practicing her clarinet in the same room...YES, headphones do come in very handy!

Variety of Options: Built in metronomes, self-teach options, transposing, MIDI and USB ports to hook up to your computer...the list goes on and on.

There are plenty of options available to you. Ultimately, you should consider what things are the most important to you when you choose a piano. Looks? Brand Name? Features? Investment? Versatility?

We are here to answer your questions, provide you with years of expertise, and assist you in finding the instrument that will give you the most enjoyment. Prior to visiting our store, feel free to contact us at 1-800-950-3774 and we'll help you narrow down your search.

We look forward to assisting you!