GlennT,

If you want the best portable 88 key portable piano, look no further than the Yamaha P250. This has the best touch suitable for classical pianists and the best sampled Grand found on any electronic piano made for professional use. The only way you can get a better touch and slightly better piano sound is to get the new Yamaha CVP-309 which is not portable and therefore does not apply to your friend.

Yamaha cornered the professional electronic piano market with the P250. It eclipses the Roland RD700 both in touch and sonics. It lists for $2500 but you can easily buy it for $1800.

It comes with a 16 track 150,000 note sequencer and the full palette of 480 XG voices plus its own 45 panel voices and 128 voice polyphony. The Grand Piano 1 (default) and Grand Piano 2 are outstanding. Pianists buy this just to get this sound and practice with headphones at home. Speaking of headphones, you should also get the Sony MDR-7506 with this. You can get this for $89. Excellent detail, frequency response and comfortable fit.

This unit weighs 71 pounds and comes with very powerful onboard stereo speakers. Do not buy the optional Yamaha LH3 stand. Instead, get a simple X-stand. It is easier to fold and transport and the P250 feels very stable on it.

Later, your friend can add styles and rhythms to this setup by placing a Yamaha PSR3000 on top. There is enough real estate on the top panel of the P250 to comfortably fit the PSR3000. This setup will give you a tremendous value rivaling the CVP series of Clavinovas costing several thousands more.

Because the P250 is designed for professional gigging and has some stiff competition, it is priced low. A similar CLP piano with living room grade styling costs much more.

I think the P250 will be an excellent choice. You ought to go to Guitar Center and try this out. It beats the S90 Triple Strike Piano and betters the Motif ES with the PLG-150AP piano expansion card.

If weight and price is of concern, the second best choice is the P90 as suggested above by George.

Tapas




[This message has been edited by Tapas (edited 12-16-2004).]