Like many first-time buyers, you’ve decided you want to learn to play the piano, but you don’t want to spend a huge amount of money. You’ve found a teacher and she told you to get an 88-note digital piano with “weighted keys.” You don’t know anything about pianos or about buying a piano because you’ve never had to buy one before, so how do you figure out what you should get? Your first instinct might be to check out “the usual suspects” – businesses you purchase other things from already like Amazon, Costco, or Guitar Center.  After all, they should have great pricing and the tools to help you find the right piano for your family (reviews, salespeople, featured products, etc.) right?

Yeah, they should… but they don’t and I can promise you that purchasing from a store like that  – without the support of a local piano dealer – is a disastrous waste of time and money… and I can prove it!

Let’s start with Amazon.  Go to their website and type “pianos” in the search box. Remember, an actual piano has 88-keys and a graded, gravity hammer action (that means the keys are center-balanced with counterweights that run slightly heavier on the bass side and slightly lighter on the treble side).  …but the search results Amazon shows you are simply ridiculous. Let’s look at one of Amazons higher-rated “pianos”:

• 

  When you look closely, this toy keyboard is terrible for piano students – despite its 4.5-star rating. It’s great for toddlers – whose fingers can fit on the tiny keys – but it offers no key weights or pedals. It’s just for fun.

  The RockJam Keyboard Piano! It has over 35,000 reviews with an average of 4.5 stars! That must mean it’s a great instrument, right? Well… not so much. Most of the reviews say they bought it for their three to five-year-old and it works okay.  That is all it takes for them to give it 5 stars. The Reality is – everything has 4 or 5 stars!  All the keyboards listed must be the most amazing instruments on Earth!  Either that – or shopping by Amazon review is not the best way to select an instrument.  In truth, the “Rockjam Keyboard Piano” is $73.43 and it has 61 keys that are not even touch-sensitive. It also doesn’t have a sustain pedal. Now I know it’s not logical to think you’d get a good piano for $74 but my point is – THIS is what Amazon shows you when you search for PIANOS.

• Lets scroll through more of these “Amazon pianos” with names you’ve never heard of like Williams, Zhruns, Donner, StarFavor, BlackStar, Sanmersen, Biikoosii, Hamzer, Vangoa, Umomo, Wostoo, (and a long list of others).  I don’t have to tell you that none of these are true musical instrument manufacturers.  They build cheap toys – Piano-Shaped Objects.  Nothing more.  …yet every one of them has 4-5 stars because the people reviewing them aren’t piano experts!  They don’t know what a “good instrument” is because they’re just like you – shopping for the first time with a retailer that is absolutely not setup to answer their important questions.  Even the Yamaha pianos listed aren’t Clavinovas (Yamaha’s piano-focused product).  They are part of Yamaha’s discount Arius line – which means they are full of old technology and outdated features.  They don’t have Bluetooth access to all the latest learning apps (a critical tool for modern learners).  They don’t feature the best quality sound chips or key actions.  They have poor warranties… and terrible service records!

So, should you buy one of these “highly-rated” pianos?

The Yamaha Arius digital pianos are better than most of the product you’ll find on Amazon, but we can definitely recommend better pianos for less money – AND we can help you put them together!

Of course not! Amazon will sell you cheap junk with great reviews, or they’ll sell you something good with great reviews, or maybe they’ll even sell you something great with great reviews, but all they’re really invested in is selling you SOMETHING. …and you can’t imagine how many Amazon customers we see who have gone through three or four “Amazon pianos” before giving up and buying something good from a knowledgeable retailer!

Even the Yamaha on that list is problematic.  The Arius YDP-145 and costs $1299. It has 10 sounds and no rhythms. It doesn’t have Bluetooth. It also doesn’t allow you to use the hundreds of different apps out there to help you learn and play. So – it’s a great brand with really good sound and build quality but is it the most you can get for your money? No, it is not.  There are far better options out there, but you won’t find them on Amazon!  For a better grade instrument, you have to go to a real store.

This photo is a bit misleading as the stand, bench and ipad do not come with the keyboard. What you do get, is a very cheap, non-weighted key action, old piano technology and the bare bones Bluetooth MIDI connection.

Before you rush off to your local Guitar Center, let me tell you what you’re likely to find.  Most of the higher quality instruments they sell online from Roland and Yamaha aren’t set up in their stores.  None of the salespeople know anything about them (including how to set them up or operate them) and – hilariously – your choices are to shop “online” while standing in the store OR pick from one of the “amazing pianos” they actually DO stock.  Here’s one! Guitar Center has it’s own piano brand called Williams.  One of the most popular models is the Williams Legato III digital piano with over 60 reviews and an average of 4 stars! Of course, the Reality is – it’s a $250 88-note keyboard with no weighting.  The only thing pushing back against your finger is a spring!  It has Bluetooth MIDI, but not Bluetooth audio – so you can only use about a third of the music apps on the market. It doesn’t come with a stand or bench.  …and the “sustain pedal” is a cheap plastic square – not a metal piano-style pedal.  The stand, bench and a decent sustain pedal will cost you about as much as the piano!  …and – in all honestly – will far outlast the instrument.

Guitar Center’s repair shop classifies this 4-star “piano” as “disposable”… so – if you have a problem – you’re on your own.  Frankly, you might have been better off with Amazon!

The Roland FRP-1 “Digital Piano Bundle” at CostCo does not represent the quality and performance of a *real* Roland digital piano. With tiny speakers, a very flimsy stand and only Bluetooth MIDI, the FRP-1 is far from a “great deal.” It’s a mess!

I know what you’re thinking.  “What about CostCo?  They pre-shop for me so anything I find there will be great… right?”  Let’s take a look…  CostCo’s merchandising strategy is based on a “treasure hunt” strategy.  They have different product showcases and different models of product at different times.  …but – outside of a Yamaha Road Show (where they do offer some very nice instruments) – here’s what you’re likely to find at CostCo:  The Roland FRP-1.  It claims to have a hammer-weighted action and Bluetooth connectivity, so that’s good.  …but it has tiny speakers in a cheap plastic cabinet so it sounds more like a toy keyboard than an actual piano.  Also, the sustain pedal is a cheap plastic square that only has an on-off switch, so you can’t pedal correctly. The stand is a very shaky “fall-apart-icle-board” unit, so don’t expect it to last very long.  …and, once again, the piano has very limited Bluetooth capabilities (with Bluetooth MIDI only), so you won’t be able to use many of the latest music apps – including Roland’s latest control app!  It may be cheap.  It may be outdated… but it’s certainly closer to what your teacher suggested than anything you’ve found at CostCo or Amazon!  …but does that mean you should buy it?

No.  Absolutely not.  …because you STILL haven’t shopped a REAL piano store with true piano experts – like me!  …and – like Amazon – Guitar Center and CostCo are eager to sell you SOMETHING – anything that makes you feel like you got a “good deal.”  …when all you got was a cheap keyboard.

So what do you get when you speak to an expert?  Well, I can tell you about our piano rental program (from $30 a month).  I can tell you about our “under $1000” options.  …and I can tell you about everything else we have – including our FULL TRADE guarantee!  I can compare all the pianos out there and help you find the perfect fit for your budget.  I can even recommend the piano you might trade up to down the road.  In short, I can give you a road map for success – something NONE of the other stores can do – and I can do it for about the same price as some of those “big box” stores and websites!

With properly weighted keys, dual headphones jacks, a 3-pedal bar, adjustable bench and FULL Bluetooth access to all the latest music apps, the Roland RP107 is a far better choice than the Arius, Rockjam or Williams pianos you’ll find in the “Big Box” stores.

Here’s a great example:  For LESS than the Yamaha on Amazon, I can show you a truly well-made lessons instrument from Roland – the Roland RP107.  For only $1199.99, the Roland RP107 has a shockingly authentic piano sound with a gravity-based hammer action keyboard (with no springs to wear out over time!).  It also comes with a sturdy, furniture-style cabinet with key cover, a 3-pedal bar and adjustable piano bench!  Onboard it has 320 sounds, 50 drum beats and automatic rhythms, it has Bluetooth MIDI AND Audio so you can connect your tablet or smart phone and use ALL the latest music apps – including Roland’s new Roland Piano App! …and it comes with a 5-year parts and labor warranty!

So, you could spend more and get less… or you can talk to an expert at Riverton Piano Company and get a fantastic value in every price point.  …and that’s all BEFORE the sale!  Unlike those “big box” retailers, we can help you assemble your piano, connect your smart device AND learn to operate your instrument!  We even have a Low Price Guarantee!  WHY would you shop anywhere else?!

You might think buying from Guitar Center, CostCo or Amazon will save you money, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  The Truth about buying a piano from a “big box” retailer is that you’ll get the ILLUSION of convenience – at the cost of the quality and customer service you deserve. You might get free shipping, but that doesn’t include setup and installation.  You might buy online to avoid a “salesperson,” but you quickly discover that there isn’t anyone to help you if you have questions about how to connect your tablet, find the best learning apps or take advantage of all the special features you paid for!  How convenient is that really? Service after the sale is a HUGE part of my business.  As members of a small, locally-owned business, my Riverton colleagues and I have a vested interest in making sure your experience before, during and after is world class.  Client referrals are the life’s blood of our business and we work hard to earn every 5-star review we get.  Why do our clients leave us 5-star reviews when we don’t offer any incentives for them to do so?  They leave them because we do after-the-sale service better than anyone else. …and you deserve no less.

Stop by our Peoria or Scottsdale stores today and get to know a true piano expert.  We won’t just save you money – we’ll save you time and frustration during every step of your piano selection process.

That’s the truth.