Most recommended pianos
ordered by price-point and suitability for grade-levels
Whether or not a piano is suitable for a high-level of musicianship comes down to two things: range-of-expression and the piano’s action. Once you’re confident that both of those are at the required level, then you can consider things like the piano’s tone, colour, brand, value-for-money, etc.
Note: I have met many families who wish they invested more in their first piano to save upgrading in the future. I have never had a customer regret spending “too much” on their piano.
Read on to see our recommendations for parents and students:
Contents:
Suitable for: Preliminary to Grade-2
Roland FP-30 portable piano
Digital pianos can be a perfectly valid option where space or budget are limited factors.
Roland pianos are designed to offer maximum expression, providing a solid foundation for proper learning and the detailed articulation and response that students require.
A quick note on Acoustic vs. Digital pianos:
Due to the complexity of acoustic pianos (more than 20-tonnes of string tension and more than 8,000 parts!) there is a point where they simply are not at a suitable quality. Up until $4,000 or so, for most situations we recommend considering a Roland digital piano to save on maintenance issues and to ensure an even tone and response across the whole keyboard. Beyond this price-point, there are still some situations where a digital piano has advantages, however for young students an acoustic piano is generally the better option to offer the most engaging and fun instrument to learn on. Even the best digital pianos are not suitable for classical piano studies beyond grade-5 and grade-6 levels.
Suitable for: Preliminary to Grade-5, occasionally up to grade-8
Used upright pianos ($3,000 to $8,000)
In Australia, there is an abundance of used Japanese-made Kawai & Yamaha pianos - however they are not all equal! Many have come from schools or institutions and are nearing the end of their useful life. We take great care in our selection process and offer a 15-year warranty on our second-hand Yamaha and Kawai upright pianos.
Our stock usually includes popular models like the Yamaha full-size (131cm) upright piano models U3H, U3M, UX, U3A, YUA, YUX, U30Bl, U30A, U300, UX3, UX5, YU5SXG, Yamaha grands: C1, G2, C3E, C3X, C5, Yamaha student upright pianos (121cm) U1A, U1M, U10, YU11, Kawai upright pianos K3, K5, BL61, BL71, US50, US55, US63, Kawai grand pianos like the RX1 and RX3, as well as many others. Click below for more information or contact us with any questions.
Suitable for: Preliminary to Grade-5
Pearl River EU-122
The EU122 has won praise from music industry magazines, the world’s #1 Piano Forum www.pianoworld.com and excellent reviews by the world’s #1 Piano Ranking website www.pianobuyer.com which designated the EU122 a “staff favorite!”
Pearl River haven’t taken a dominant 30% share of the global piano market by accident. They have a fascinating 60+ year history and have been the world leader in piano manufacturing for the last decade.
Suitable for: Preliminary to Grade-8
Ritmüller RS-130 full-size upright piano
This piano offers significantly extended string lengths and larger soundboard area which means a much wider range of expression available to the pianist. Perfect for any teaching studio, serious student, or enthusiast wanting the best sound from an upright. This flagship model from the new RS-series sets a new standard for upright pianos.
Suitable for: Preliminary to Grade-8 and above
Kayserburg Artists Series KA3 upright piano
The KA-3 (126cm) is the middle of the Kayserburg Artist’s range and is perfect for teaching studios or large rooms. It offers a robust design and powerful tone complimented by a beautifully crafted all-wooden action for a light and controlled response across every key.
These unique pianos are handmade by the factory’s most experienced artisans, closely supervised by European piano experts. It can be truly said that in purchasing a Kayserburg, you are buying a piece of the craftsman who perfect the instrument.
Suitable for: beginner to Diploma & Professional Pianists
Rönisch Model 132K Concert Upright
“... all done with the purest of missions: to make something indisputably beautiful. It’s more than just quality German engineering. This is a tool that exists solely to bring joy and magic into people’s lives.”
This is a brand recognised and respected by any serious pianist in Australia. Today Rönisch pianos represent a multi-generational investment due to the supreme manufacturing quality and respect that they’ve developed and maintained over the last 170+ years.
Suitable for: beginner to Diploma & Professional Pianists
Hupfeld H175e studio grand piano
This is the studio/home model of the Hupfeld grand-piano line-up. It sounds like a much larger grand piano because its unique wide-tail design allows for a significantly larger soundboard and a longer bass-string length.
This is the perfect option for any music enthusiast that values a warm and balanced sound, enjoys using a wooden action (no plastic!) and appreciates the subtle differences in craftsmanship and quality between a hand-made European instrument and a production-line student piano.
The pianos above are some of our most popular options, however this is only general advice.
Your requirements may be unique. We stock a very wide range of pianos and are confident that we can find the right one for your family at a fair price.