YAMAHA P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Sustain Pedal and Power Supply (Amazon-Exclusive)

3 reviews for YAMAHA P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Sustain Pedal and Power Supply (Amazon-Exclusive)

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   David – 18 June, 2024

   I’ve owned a dozen electronic keyboards and played for pay for over 50 years. Mainly classical but also parties and accomp gigs. Yeah, a 9-foot Steinway is still my go-to but not very portable. My current digital board is the Privia PX-S3000; 25 lbs, good piano sample, lots of features and decent touch. Favorite digital: Yamaha Clavinova. That’s my vitae.

   I bought the P71 to use for practice at a vacation home. All weighted-key digital pianos have a spongy touch, but this one is quite good – heavy enough and responsive. The piano samples are very good but not the equal of the Privia (or Roland or Korg). For those who think the top 3-4 notes don’t work, listen over earbuds or headphones. The tiny down-firing speakers can’t reproduce those frequencies.

   It feels heavier than 25 pounds to me. Maybe because the case is quite bulky compared to the Privia. Voices are limited to the basics: two pianos, EPs, harpsichords, strings, etc; ten in all. USB allows connection to iOS GarageBand or Audacity. I’ve also used it to drive the Synthogy Ivory app for better sound when recording.

   Considering the P71 costs about half of my PX-S3000, I think it’s a pretty solid buy.

   Update: Since the original review, I’ve prepared more recordings for church services using GarageBand and substituting Korg’s Synthogy Ivory app. Ivory is comparatively expensive, but the sound is excellent. The Yamaha’s touch response is much more detailed/sensitive through this app!

   Update 2: I noticed an old review about how “out of tune” this DP is. If you’re checking the upper octave with your iPhone tuner app you will indeed see (and hear) sharp tuning. That’s “stretch” tuning and is commonly used on smaller pianos and DPs to make upper note sound brighter and bring perceived harmonics into congruency with the lowest octave.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Carrie Capell – 30 June, 2024

   I have played piano for 18 years now and recently moved into my own place. I desperately missed having a piano to play on a daily basis, but I do not have the space for a real piano. I did a SIGNIFICANT amount of research before settling on this Yamaha digital piano, because I wanted a high quality instrument that also did not hugely break the bank. As a professional musician, here is why I decided on the P71:

   -The weighted keys on this instrument truly feel like the real thing. I’ve played on “plasticy” keyboards before and nothing is more unsatisfying if you’ve played on a real instrument throughout your life. The P71 feels just as genuine as playing a real piano. In fact, depending on piano brand, it feels smoother. The touch sensitivity is wonderful as well, and also adjustable to your liking!

   -The sound is beautiful with a large volume range. I especially love the way the bass rings out with a gorgeous fullness. The higher octaves seem to be a little thinner, but that’s to be expected since it’s up the keyboard.

   -There is so much variety on this instrument to play with! There are many customizable options on this piano and I haven’t even dived into everything it can do yet. Sound changes, sound combinations, sensitivity adjustments, tempo adjustments, etc etc etc. I love having the ability to experiment and find what I like for any given piece of music! However, I also liked the simplicity of the customizations; Sometimes, less is more with the amount of buttons and gadgets.

   -Weight and travel. This piano isn’t “light” per say, but it’s not insanely heavy or difficult to travel with either. It’s a full 88-key size, but I can easily pick it up on my own (unlike some other digital piano brands). I was able to load this piano up into the back seat of my Honda Civic for a gig along with the stand and bench I bought separate. I was able to load all my gear onto one hotel cart and make it up to the rooftop bar in a single trip. Super convenient for me and the staff, since I didn’t have to bother them with setup assistance.

   -Price. If I truly wanted to, I could’ve shelled out the cash to get a fancier digital piano. However, I felt confident that I would get almost the same experience with this one as well as the convenience factor of being able to travel and gig with it. You can pay more, but you’re most likely sacrificing the ability to leave your home with it without extra arrangements (because at that point you’re paying for something like a Clavinova, for example). I also appreciated the fact that I could set up a short-term payment plan with Amazon to afford this instrument. I am paying 80 bucks a month for 5 months and it’s mine to love on forever. If I did that with a more expensive digital piano, I’d be locked down for a solid year or more.

   -Brand. Yamaha is a reputable brand in the music world and I trust their products. My professional model flute is a Yamaha (approx. $4000), and it plays better than some of the $8000 flutes I played on while selecting which instrument I would purchase in college. Yamaha=quality and I trust their pianos just as much as their other instruments.

   Overall, this is among one of the best musical purchases I’ve made for myself. My piano is my self-care as well as a part of my profession, and I enjoy this instrument on a daily basis. You won’t regret it!

   UPDATE, 8/3/2021: I’ve had this digital piano for almost two years now and I still love it SO much. I continue to play regularly and the quality is exactly the same as the day I bought it. This Yamaha is a winner!

   UPDATE TWO, 11/22/2023: My beautiful Yamaha P71 is still going strong as ever. I lug this keyboard around for every big band gig I play, and it’s a staple in my music room at home. It continues to perform perfectly for me and has been consistent and reliable over the past four years.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Carrie Capell – 1 August, 2024

   I had just purchase from Amazon a Moukey Keyboard Piano, 61 Key Piano Keyboard, however I knew for 99 dollars it would have to purchase another keyboard within a year. I really like the keyboard, but with no touch sensitivity, weighted keys, and excellent sound it was lacking.

   With prices going up in everything so quickly I decide to buy a replacement Piano Keyboard immediately.

   The Yamaha came in a heavy long box that required two people to carry it; It was expertly packed so everything arrived perfectly.

   When I compare this to my previous keyboard it is really is so far above the other keyboard that it is not worth comparing. Sound, keys, and finish perfect. My other one had all kinds of instruments and rhythms, drums etc.. that I just would not have used. I just wanted a Piano.

   The bass keys on the Yamaha are so much better then the other keyboard it almost may the Moukey sound like a toy. Until I bought the Yamaha I thought the Moukey piano was great because I had nothing compare it with. Listening to them side by side the difference is shocking.

   When I was looking at other popular high rated, same price pianos’ negative reviews, one thing that constantly “stuck” out was the lack of customer support. Some buyers didn’t even get responses to their emails for weeks. The next thing was reliability after 3 months, everything from sticking keys to the keyboard not working, to a dead piano. Some arrived with sticking keys or no sound.

   If all you have is one hundred dollars buy the Moukey 61 keys it is a great beginner piano but for a bit more money you will get a piano keyboard that will so much better,