Yamaha CLP120

Fantastic weight of keys, clear crisp lovely tone of the piano but not enough recording spaces. Great value for money too!

Yamaha CLP120:

We were looking for a realistic digital piano for my son to learn on - one with weighted keys and which could be left permanently in place (ie had a proper cover for the keyboard). Everyone we spoke to (piano teachers, owners of digital pianos and sales people) recommended the Yamahas - we considered other makes, but in the end did not feel we had the expertise to go against all the advice we were getting. We looked at the 115 and 120 but figured that the model we got (CLP120) was worth the extra £150 for the recording, extra sounds and control panel and that we could afford the extra space (the 115 is less deep and high).

The CLP120 comes in a big box. It is described as "flat pack" - but the bulk of the instrument is anything but flat... All goes together easily with a phillips screwdriver; instructions are clear, but I would advise that a second person is required for mounting the main unit on the base (the main unit is heavy).

The keyboard has 14 "voices" including two pianos, two harpsichords, two pipe organs, a Xylophone, and a guitar, plus electric organ sounds and a synthesised "choir" - not all the sounds are touch sensitive (not applicable to pipe organs or harpsichords), but the pianos are.

My 9 year old (who is learning to play the piano -hence the purchase - loves the different sounds and seems to find all the controls quite intuitive. He can mix the "voices" together (so that, for instance, both the choir and pipe organ play when a note is hit) and record without problems. The piano sounds are convincing and the weight of the keyboard is realistic (so say the piano players in the family). Other advantages over the old upright piano we used to have are that it doesn't need tuning and that it has a volume control (and headphone provision, although my son prefers an audience).

Ours cost £830 which seemed a reasonable price.