Other than from an economic angle, I was never a fan of Yamaha acoustic pianos. So back in the 1980s it came as no surprise when their digital instruments failed to impress me. In my opinion Yamaha pianos sounded too 'wooden' at the top end. They had none of the 'singing' tones common to European pianos like Blüthner, Bösendorfer or Bechstein.
However, after moving into an apartment in 1996 I was obliged to get a piano that took cans and chose a Technics PR900, which in my view was the nearest thing to an acoustic piano. It sounded like some of the best German pianos I had played.
Early incarnations of this model had a very annoying background 'static', only noticeable when the piano was silent. By 1998 this static had been fixed by Technics. But in 1996 it was driving me so crazy that I sent the PR900 back to the store and got a Yamaha P-150 instead. Although this one didn't sound as good as the PR900 it only made the sounds it was supposed to make. Accordingly I lived with it for 12 years until earlier this year when an upgrade seemed due.
As a result I now have a Yamaha CP300 and am, on the whole, delighted.
I am pleased because, while still not a patch on the Technics PR900*, the CP300 'sings' a lot more than previous Yamaha pianos. And, of course, being a Yamaha, it is very well-mannered. There are no strange electrical noises to worry about. CP300 is also a fine MIDI/XG tone generator and much more capable than the P-150. The only major gripe I have is that CP300 does not come supplied with a music rest. You have to purchase that as 'an accessory' for about £30. As you'd expect, none of the music stores I tried had one in stock. It had to be ordered direct from Yamaha.
On the plus side, CP300 does have a detachable power lead and a panel lock. Very often when thrashing the P-150 you could easily hit one of the buttons and the settings would change. But not any more.
Other things I like about CP300 are: balanced XLR outputs; the half-damping feature; comprehensive mono-jack ins/outs and connections for other types of effects pedals; the built-in amplification, not common on this style of piano; the adjustable action; and the ability to connect to a computer using USB, which allows using CP300 as a multi-timbral tone generator.
Consequently, for people like me who live in an apartment and don't have room or the pockets for a boudoir grand acoustic piano by one of the German manufacturers cited above I would say that CP300 at around £1500 is probably the best compromise. In fact, I was so confident that CP300 would suit me that I didn't even bother playing it before buying it. Later, when the instrument arrived, I was not disappointed in any way.
Just bear in mind that, unless you have one, apart from the music rest for CP300 a suitably robust stand will be required on which to sit the instrument. I use a Quiklok 'X' type stand. But Yamaha does a special stand costing about £150 - also available as 'an accessory'.
*As far as I know Technics stopped making electronic pianos a few years back.
UPDATE ON ABOVE REVIEW - 8TH APRIL 2009
Now on to my second CP-300. The first one - reviewed above - developed an odd resonance on the note 'D' that lies a major ninth above middle C. In fact, the two notes on either side of this 'D' are affected i.e. the C and C# and the D# and E. Yamaha reckons it could be the acoustics of my room of perhaps 'something' inside the piano case that is vibrating with these notes and needs taping down. Leastwise, the new piano is doing the same as the previous one and I reckon it's a dodgy sample. So, best check this out before you buy a CP-300. Interestingly, the replacement CP-300 also has quite a different tone to the old one, which reinforces my view that Yamaha has been playing about with the samples on this model.
As in my opinion this dodgy 'D' is quite a serious 'fault' I'd like to remove two stars from my original review. This piano is 'satisfactory' - just. For me at least...
I agree that there is really no substitute for a top notch acoustic piano. However, I must be honest and say that most upright acoustics I've played could not match the sound of this CP300. During my working life I was privilged to play some of the finest pianos in the world. But unless you want - or can afford - to pay a five-figure sum for one of these (and live in a big house) CP300 has to be the best alternative on the market right now.
johnny040676 31.12.2008 18:44
Great review, John.
JoannaPiano 31.12.2008 18:29
I have a more basic Yamaha digital piano which is fine for a total beginner like me. When I've been learning another couple of years though I foresee that I'll really want to move onto an upright accoustic, which may also mean moving house! Enjoyed your review. jo
In 1976, Yamaha released the first of the CP series stage pianos. These 'electric grands' ... more
became instant classics with their authentic sound and live performance convenience. Thirty years later, Yamaha celebrates those milestone keyboards by unveiling ...
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technology with a 48Mb wave ROM, 45 voices plus XG voices for MIDI file playback, integrated 16 track sequencer, Flash ROM for songs and performances, 5 band EQ, buil...
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Dec 31st, 2008
(Apr 9th, 2009)
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