Top 5 Digital Pianos Under £1000

The world of digital pianos is full of different brands, models and a load of technical jargon that can sometimes look like another language! We know that if you’re not familiar with the instrument, it can be a bit of a minefield so we’ve compiled a list of five of the best and most popular digital pianos under £1000 to make it a bit easier for you.

People often ask “which is the best digital piano brand?” Unfortunately, there is no real answer to that. Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, Casio, etc all make great instruments and offer players a whole range of different features. To learn more about the differences between the digital piano brands, click here. To see our list of best digital pianos under £1000, carry on reading!

The first option in the best digital pianos under £1000 category is probably our most popular. The Yamaha YDP143 is a great starting point for someone wanting to learn to play the piano. Yamaha’s Graded Hammer Touch (GHS) action means that the lower keys are heavier to the touch than the higher ones, which is like on an acoustic piano where the hammers and strings inside affect the feel of the keyboard. This means that there will be a smoother transition from playing this at home to playing an acoustic piano during lessons. For an authentic tone, Yamaha sample the sound from their world renowned CFIIIS concert grand piano (played by a whole host of professional piano players around the world) so that when you’re playing your YDP143, you get a very realistic piano sound. Alongside this you’ve got 9 other sounds so you can experiment a little with different tones.

Other handy features of the Yamaha YDP143 include two headphones jacks which allow two people to practice silently at the same time, an on-board two track recorder – great for songwriters who want to try out layering different piano parts over each other, and USB to host connectivity which means that recording to a computer is easy and hassle-free.

The Yamaha YDP143 is at a great price point – it’s got a really good feel and an authentic sound. Whilst it doesn’t have as many features as some of the more expensive instruments, it’s certainly worth putting in the bracket of best digital pianos under £1000. It comes in three finishes – black walnut, rosewood and matte white.

The Casio AP460 is full of features that make it ideal for beginners and more experienced players alike. This model boasts 18 different tones including three types of grand piano, jazz organ, electric piano, vibraphone and more. You have also got the option of adding effects like reverb and chorus to your sound. The AP460 has on board lesson functions to help you get going on the piano, as well as ten classical pieces that you can play along with alongside an orchestra. So no matter what level you’re at, you’ll be sure to have fun with this digital piano.

The sound within the Casio AP460 captures a lot of the characteristic nuances that you might associate with an acoustic piano. The way the strings resonate within the cabinet of an acoustic grand piano is replicated digitally; you can even adjust the tone to mimic what it would sound with the lid down or up – this helps you find exactly the right kind of sound for you. The feel and action of the keyboard is great too; they’ve made the keys so that they feel like ebony and ivory, like you would find on an acoustic piano. Casio’s realistic sound engine and keyboard feel both make for an authentic piano playing experience under £1000.

Roland are famous for their unique SuperNATURAL technology, which in the context of the F-140R means that the playability and sound is more expressive and authentic, like an acoustic instrument. SuperNATURAL helps capture of the different kinds of tones that an acoustic piano would give – from very soft and quiet, to incredibly strong and loud (for more information on SuperNATURAL, click here). Combine this with the great feeling PHA-4 hammer action keyboard and you’ve got the makings of one of the best digital pianos under £1000 that allows you to be very dynamic and expressive in your playing.

In terms of sounds, you have a massive 316 different tones; from different pianos to synthesisers, guitars, brass, strings, even drums, allowing you to get so creative with just one instrument! The on-board rhythm functions help you improve your timing skills in a way that’s fun and productive; you even have a wide range of genres to play along with. With built in Bluetooth and free apps for your iOS device on offer from Roland, this piano can help and encourage children to learn the piano which making the F-140R a fantastic option if you’re looking for a digital piano under £1000 for the whole family.

It’s got a massive range of authentic sounds that will help bring out your creative side, it feels great to play and it’s chock-full of features that will help you learn and improve your playing, whether you’re a complete beginner or you’ve already started. You might also notice the slimline design of this piano – it’s still a full-sized piano, only the cabinet is a little smaller so it takes up less valuable space.

The Kawai KDP90 is a great piano for the money. It features a realistic key action that feels very well balanced, like it would on an acoustic piano. The weighted key action on the CN25 is great as it means the feel won’t be too different if a player is using this at home and an acoustic piano during lessons or exams – it’s certainly good enough to get you through the first few grades.

Kawai also have a unique way of reproducing sound which they call Progressive Harmonic Imaging. What this means is they sample every single key on an acoustic piano (a world-class EX concert grand) a great many times to capture every subtle variation of the same note; a note played quietly will have not only a different volume to the same note played loudly but also a different tonal characteristic. Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging helps recreate this in a digital piano, under £1000 too! The KDP90 has 15 different sounds on-board, 192 note polyphony (192 notes can ring out at once – handy for more complex tunes) and built in lesson functions that will help players learn and improve their playing.

The Kawai KDP90 is a great addition to the market and, thanks to its features, authentic sound and realistic feel, it can certainly be classed as one of the best digital pianos under £1000.

The Yamaha YDP163 is the next step up from the aforementioned 143. One of the main upgrades the 163 has over the 143 is a better keyboard action. It’s got Yamaha’s Graded Hammer 3 (the 143 has Graded Hammer Standard) – this responds more like that of an acoustic piano. It replicates notes played very quickly more authentically, plus the synthetic ivory keyops give you the right feel, and absorb moisture from your fingers. The YDP163 has got upgraded speakers too – not only does this mean the piano can be played at greater volume, but it means that when played quietly, it will be slightly clearer too. The 143 is a great starter piano, but the upgrades on the 163 mean you get a more authentic playing expoeriece, so we had to put it in the ‘best pianos under £1000’ category.

Also, definately worth looking at, though just over £1000 is the Yamaha CLP625 Clavinova – check out the product pages for more details.