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Best Stage Piano Under $1,000: Not Only for the Stage!

  • If you are interested in a stage piano for under $1,000, you have the choice between two fundamentally different designs: A classic stage piano or a portable piano.
  • With a robust case and a sound selection suitable for playing in a band, a stage piano is clearly intended for live performances.
  • Top 5: Best portable pianos for less than $1,000.
stage-piano-under-1000-roland-fp-30 (Image Source: Roland)
Whether in the studio, on stage, or in the living room as a home piano, a portable piano offers great flexibility. (Image Source: Roland)
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Playing a gig with the band? With the best stage piano under $1,000 (£800/€1,000), this can be entirely possible without costing you a lot of money. Although these entry-level instruments come without some features of the professional class, the quality of essential elements such as sound and keyboard is significantly better than those of some of the cheaper models.

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If you are looking for the best stage piano under $1,000, you have the choice between two fundamentally different designs: A classic stage piano or a portable piano. Both instruments are of compact design, making them super mobile.

Portable pianos are the perfect combination of home piano and stage piano.

Equipped with built-in speakers, portable pianos are the ideal solution if you are looking for a transportable instrument that can still find its permanent place at home. The selection of sounds and functions of a portable piano are more comparable to a home piano.

Thanks to the built-in speakers, a portable piano is immediately ready to play—no additional amplifier needed: Ideal for band rehearsal or even home use if you don’t have the space for a large digital piano.

A portable piano does not take up much space and manufacturers usually offer optional matching stands, which make the portable instrument then look like a small home piano. Removal from the stand takes just a few steps before it is ready for mobile use again. This makes portable pianos the perfect combination of home piano and stage piano.

Korg D1 stage piano
Stage piano for live use at an entry-level price: Korg D1

Portable Piano vs. Stage Piano Under $1,000

Since this price range is part of the entry-level segment, there is a wide range of portable pianos available, as these are tailored to the needs of piano beginners. They offer practice functions such as a metronome, a recorder, and also stored etudes. Stage pianos usually do not include such features, nor do they have built-in speakers.

The focus of a stage piano is clearly on its suitability for live performances: Here, you need a robust case and a sound selection that is suitable for playing in a band. While classical piano pieces perhaps do not reach their full potential when played on these instruments, you get assertive sounds from acoustic pianos, cool electric pianos, rock organ, pads, clavinet, etc. Also, increased emphasis has been put on MIDI functions and editability. With these features, a stage piano is ideal for home studio use as well.

Top 5 Portable Pianos Under $1,000

Portable pianos in this price range are intentionally designed to be the cheaper alternative to home pianos. Therefore, you won’t find much more equipment than in a home piano under $1,000. Line outputs should be available for use with external sound systems in the rehearsal room or on stage; otherwise, the headphone jack has to serve as an emergency solution with the help of an adapter.

For the optional stands plus a triple pedal unit, you have to plan on paying an extra $150. Even with this additional equipment, the cheapest recommendable models in this class still cost less than $800 in total. Please note that manufacturers do not include a keyboard cover with their portable pianos.

1. GEWA PP-3

GEWA-PP-3 - portable piano

A vivid Steinway grand piano sound, high polyphony performance, and a modern feature set including Bluetooth for audio and MIDI—plus a piano remote app for Android and iOS devices! The GEWA PP-3 is our purchase recommendation just above the $500 mark. Make sure to check out the bundle which includes a stand and pedal lyre!

Pros and Cons

  • Great piano sound
  • Affordable price
  • Option to save favourite sounds

Jörg Sunderkötter

→ REVIEW

The GEWA PP-3 aims to be a sales hit, as it offers high sound quality in the entry-level segment.

PP-3 :   444,00 €

TO THE OFFER

PP-3 Stand :   99,00 €

TO THE OFFER

PP-3 Bundle :   535,00 €

TO THE OFFER

2. Yamaha P-225

P-225 B top (Image Source: Yamaha)

Identical to the successful P-145 in terms of the keyboard, but otherwise a clear upgrade in terms of sound selection and playback system: The Yamaha P-225 is a portable piano with a modern feature set.

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Yamaha P-225 B
Yamaha P-225 B
Customer rating:
(63)

3. Casio PX-S1100

Casio PX-S1100 - Portable Piano (Image Source: Casio)

One of the best keybeds in this price range. Also comes with good sounds and Bluetooth for MIDI & audio.

Pros and Cons

  • Price/performance ratio
  • Modern and functional design
  • USB Bluetooth adapter included
  • Simple footswitch instead of a sustain pedal

Henrik Bruns

→ REVIEW

The PX-S1100 takes and builds on the strengths of its already convincing predecessor. In addition to improvements in overall sound, it features wireless app connectivity for MIDI and an onboard audio recorder/player via USB stick. It's extremely attractive to have all of these features at this price point.

PX-S1100BK :   499,00 €

TO THE OFFER

CS-68 PBK Privia Stand :   115,00 €

TO THE OFFER

SP-34 Sustain Pedal Unit :   69,00 €

TO THE OFFER

4. Kawai ES-120

Kawai ES-120 b (Image Source: Kawai)

The continuously high quality of Kawai digital pianos brings a good and flexible sound selection, four registration memories, MIDI as well as Bluetooth MIDI an Bluetooth audio to the Kawai ES-120.

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Kawai ES-120 B
Kawai ES-120 B
Customer rating:
(60)

5. Kawai ES-520

Kawai ES-520 - Portable Piano (Image Source: Kawai)

Superb speaker system, good playability and great piano sounds, Bluetooth MIDI/Audio and it is also pleasantly lightweight.

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Kawai ES-520 B
Kawai ES-520 B
Customer rating:
(16)

The Best Stage Piano Under $1,000 – Recommendations

There are only a few stage pianos under $1,000. However, if you do need a piano for the stage on a small budget, you should take a closer look at this selection because here, you get great value for your money. However, “professional” features such as XLR outputs, as well as high-end sounds and keyboards, are not included. Nevertheless, the quality of piano sounds, keyboards, and manufacturing is very decent for a stage piano under $1,000.

Korg D1

Korg D1 - stage piano with pro features (Image Source: Korg)

With the D1 costing around $700, Korg offers one of the most affordable stage pianos on the market. Equipped with Korg’s own RH3 keyboard, it has the best keys in the entry-level class!

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Korg D1
Korg D1
Customer rating:
(73)

Studiologic Numa Compact 2x

Studiologic Numa Compact 2x - stage piano

The Studiologic Numa Compact 2x is ideal for on the road when you need an 88-note keyboard. A small drawback: A weighted hammer action keyboard is omitted here. However, the semi-weighted keyboard means a not inconsiderable weight saving: The Compact 2x weighs just 7kg.

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Studiologic Numa Compact 2x
Studiologic Numa Compact 2x
Customer rating:
(18)

Studiologic Numa X Piano 73

Studiologic Numa Compact 2x - stage piano

With the Numa X Piano 73, Studiologic offers a professional stage piano with a sophisticated operating concept and extensive features. It is priced just above the $1,000 mark and offers a 73 hammer action keyboard. The sounds are of good quality and thanks to the integrated audio interface and master keyboard features, the Numa X piano is well equipped for live use.

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Studiologic Numa X Piano 73
Studiologic Numa X Piano 73
Customer rating:
(25)

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