Guide: Keyboard Instruments

From acoustic grand pianos to synthesizers – action, sound generation, care, and buying advice for keyboard instruments.

Grand Piano

Grand piano transport is specialist work with real costs that belong in any buying decision.

Grand Piano

What actually varies between grand piano manufacturers, beyond brand reputation alone.

Upright Piano

A practical checklist for evaluating a used upright piano before you buy.

Upright Piano

The action is the mechanical heart of a piano - here's what to look and listen for.

Upright Piano

Where a piano has lived matters as much to its condition as how old it is.

Upright Piano

What tuning actually involves, and how to judge whether a used piano needs it right away.

Digital Piano

A practical checklist for evaluating a used digital piano before you buy.

Digital Piano

Not all "weighted" keys are the same - graded hammer action is the feature that matters most for piano technique.

Digital Piano

A higher polyphony number sounds impressive on a spec sheet - here's what it actually changes in practice.

Grand Piano

Not every crack in a grand piano's soundboard is a dealbreaker - here's how to tell the difference.

Synthesizer

A practical checklist for evaluating a used synthesizer before you buy.

Synthesizer

Three approaches to generating a synthesizer's sound, each with real practical tradeoffs, not just a "warmth" debate.