The Best Digital Piano for Beginners – Casio AP270

Update:

After one year using this Casio AP270, I made a video sharing my opinions about my experience with this piano along with what I have learnt through one year helping my son practicing piano every day for one year. Am I still think it is the best digital piano for beginners? You can check out the video here

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Buying the first piano was challenge because I am not a pianist or musician myself. I had a hard time to determine which piano to buy or whether I should invest in purchasing a grand piano, which was a big investment of money and space. I wasn’t sure if my children will continue playing in a long term. I debated between an acoustic piano or digital piano. How much to spend on a piano became a deliberation between my husband and me. I wanted to give the best experiences for our kids, so buying a keyboard or cheap digital piano online was not the option for me. Dropping between $5,000 and $10,000 on a piano for 5 years old kids who doesn’t know how to play and not sure if he will like it was impractical to my husband.

I agreed with my husband. To be honest I never planned to pay $10,000 for our first one. That is a lot of money to invest on something that I don’t know how to use and not sure if my children would like it either. When I looked at the price tag, I saw a long-term commitment, the substantial investment of both time and money, and care that we must put in after purchasing this peace of instrument.

However, based on my research, I was not convinced buying a $500 keyboard could give my kids the real experiences of traditional piano sounds and feels. How about used one, you may ask? I asked myself the same question. Just like buying used car or anything used, we don’t get the manufacturer’s warranty. The same thing with buying the used piano. According to Alamo Music, “buying a new piano is having that manufacturer’s warranty since you can save a lot of money if your piano lasts a while without extra maintenance.”

Used piano is cheaper. The lower upfront cost is very attractive. What about the hidden defects may require higher maintenance cost unless it is completely restored? It is like a trade-off to me. On the other hands, used piano don’t depreciate in value. If you are interested in buying a used piano, this historical overview of piano will give you a quick picture of piano industry.

The cost of owning a piano doesn’t end after purchasing it. Piano requires regular maintenance to keep it sounding and looking good. How much does it cost to maintain a piano? “Typically, a piano will be tuned twice a year at a cost of $100 to $200 per tuning, depending on geographic region and experience and reputation of the tuner.” Piano Buyer suggests that most piano owners budget an average of $300 to $500 per year for maintenance.

Tunning every 6 months and no warranty were my deal breakers. I settled for a new digital piano that doesn’t take a lot of space and less maintenance but playing a beautiful sound.

Casio AP-270 helps me overcome the first time buyer’s concerns.

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Table Of Contents

Is its quality good for the price?
Is it the best digital piano – Casio CA270 for beginners?
What are Casio AP270 features?
What does it come with?
What are the colors?
More Pictures about this digital piano Casio AP270:
Where to buy it?
Why did I buy from Tim Praskins?
Is this digital piano easy to put together?
How to reset and return to factory default setting for a beginner?

Is its quality good for the price?

If you ask me, my answer is yes. But to be honest, how do I know if I don’t have any experiences with piano or playing piano before. It would be a lie if I say “yes, of course”, and write all good things about it. I rather let you be the judge and made your own decision. Keep on reading! I work my best putting my research together and hope this post will be helpful and save you time.

First, let’s listen to Peter Tschaikowsky, a young talented pianist play the Nutcracker. He played it beautifully using this piano.

Is it the best digital piano – Casio CA270 for beginners?

I can answer this question easily. Yes, because it meets all qualities and requirements that I was looking for. Before buying the piano, I did research on things to look for when buying a piano. Here is my must have list. Your list maybe different:

Full size piano 88 keys
Hammer action (fully weighted keys)
Price between $700-$1,000
Home use friendly
Digital because of no tuning requirement and kids friendly
True great piano sound
Key cover
Touch sensitivity
Connect to computer or phone or up to date with new technology
Fitted stand or cabinet
Come with a bench

Almost a year since I bought Casio AP-270, I am happy with my decision. First day, my kids were happy with a new addition to their lives. They went all out and played around with all the buttons and changed the grand piano tune to string sound.

It took me a while to reset it back to factory default. The instructions were direct and user friendly. Mate paint doesn’t show dust or marks. My boy likes to playing around with the sound and mixes his own music; the fast reset keys are practical and helpful (Grand Piano 1 or Grand Piano 2).

What are Casio AP270 features?

Keyboard: 88-note Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard Ⅱ with simulated ebony and ivory keys and 3 sensitivity levels
Sound Source: High-definition sounds using Casio’s AiR (Acoustic and intelligent Resonator) Sound Source processor
Simulator: Damper Noise, Hammer Response, and Damper Resonance
Polyphony: 192-note polyphony
Built-in Tone: 22 onboard sounds; choice of 2 grand piano sounds
Digital Effects: Onboard DSP effects: Reverb, Chorus, and Brilliance
Songs: Concert Play with 10 classical pieces, 60 built-in and 10 user songs
Key Transpose: Built-in 2-track MIDI recorder
Duet Mode: splits the keyboard into 2 identical pitch ranges, great for student/teacher duets
Connectivity: USB-to-host port, Phones/output, connector for 3-pedal (damper, soft, sostenuto)
Number of Preset: 17
Speakers System: 2 x 4.72″ speakers, 8W + 8W amplification system
Power: Auto power off
Weight: 80.69 lbs
Dimensions: 55.79” x 17.0” x 32.32”
Attachment: Music stand, AC adaptor
Fast Reset Buttons: GRAND PIANO 1 button, GRAND PIANO 2 button
Additional: Lesson Function, Connection to the app
Cover: Single-plate sliding key cover

What does it come with?

In the package: the piano comes with a bench, AC adaptor, power cord, music stand, leaflet
Warranty: Casio provides home service warranty for Casio AP270. Contact your seller or Casio for local service providers

What are the colors?

Black

Brown

White

More Pictures about this digital piano Casio AP270:

Casio AP-270 Brown - guide for beginners

Casio AP-270 White - Guide for beginners

Where to buy it?

Google for your local store
You can buy Casio AP270 on Amazon: click here
I bought it from Tim Praskins.

Why did I buy from Tim Praskins?

He has better prices compared to others from my research: Free shipping and no tax!
He works directly with factory distributors in the U.S., he can get better deals and provides accurate in-stock/delivery information. I got my piano fast and didn’t have to wait for weeks.
He has deep knowledge on the wide ranges of piano. You can find all reviews from his website
I found his website has the best reviews on piano, detail and in depth. Talking to him directly gave me confidence that I was in the right place. He was patient, thoughtful, compassionate, and honest answering all my questions. He gave me a feeling that he was there to help his customer, not to sell.
As many other sellers, Tim gave all the warranties I needed as a first-time buyer: Damaged return, free shipping and no tax, 5 years warranty and in-house service
As a buyer from a person whom I just read reviews from, it is a risk I took; however, he does too because he only asked for less than half for deposit. I paid the rest when the piano was shipped. Delivery was fast within days, by the time I paid my balance, the piano was at my door.
Would I buy it from him again? Absolutely yes! I had a very positive first-time purchasing piano. Great discount, fast delivery, well packed product, 5 years in house service warranty!

Is this digital piano easy to put together?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the unbox video to share with you. The instructions were simple and easy to follow. It didn’t take us long, around 30 minutes. However, you need 2 people to do this because you don’t want to drop and leave a mark with this little brand-new baby. I have found a couple videos from Musisol Instrumentos to share with you here.

How to reset and return to factory default setting for a beginner?

Reset: GRAND PIANO 1 button, GRAND PIANO 2 button
Returning the factory default setting:
- Step 1: Turn off the Digital Piano
- Step 2: Holding down the FUNCTION, MIDR REC and GRAND PIANO 2 buttons, press the Power button.
- Step 3: Hold down the FUNCTION, MIDI REC and GRAND PIANO 2 buttons until the GRAND PIANO 2 lamp, and then the GRAND PIANO 1 lamp, and then the R lamp start to flash. (After some time, the flashing will stop)
- Step 4: Release the FUNCTION, MIDI REC and GRAND PIANO 2 buttons (the Digital Piano will initialize its internal system. You will be able to use the Digital Piano in a short while)

The Last Thing You Need to Know

To be honest, Casio AP270 wasn’t my first choice. I wanted the Kawai because everyone I talked to recommending this brand. The one I wanted was a little bit pricier than our budget. In addition, it took almost a month for shipping and back order at the time. After talking to Tim, I did my own research again based on his recommendations. According to Tim, “The piano sound chip has been noticeably improved along with an exclusive stereo piano sound sample from a handmade $150,000 New York Steinway 9’ grand piano. Up until now Casio and others have used sound samples from a variety of pianos including from Europe, but never from a real New York custom 9’ concert grand. The new Casio AP270 is the only Casio piano made out of all models with this new Steinway piano sound.”

This morning during my son’s practice, I recorded this video to share with you for comparing and reviewing. I didn’t use anything fancy but just my iPhone. After 6 months of practicing daily, he is enjoying and getting comfortable with his piano as well.

My kid is learning and having a good time. That is all that matters. Lesson I learnt is not about the best instrument he uses, but how he practices improving his skills. No matter how expensive the piano is, if he doesn’t have the right skills, the fancy piano becomes useless and a waste of money. For a beginner, Casio AP270 is the right choice for the budget and requirements.

Another lesson I learnt is purchasing a piano is not only a financial commitment, but it also requires a long-term commitment of deliberate practice if you want your children to get the full benefit of playing piano. It likes they can’t miss brushing their teeth. I will share more on this topic another time.

Now, my questions for you are: