Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I'm hitting the road in april with my looping act. I need a good roadworthy keyboard that is small, light, and sounds like a good electric piano. What I really want is a wurli 200a but those are running $1000. Any advice? thanks in advance.

do weighted keys matter to you?

I like it but I might be able to do without. What did you have in mind?

neanderpaul wrote:I like it but I might be able to do without. What did you have in mind?

I was thinking that Yamaha has quite a few lightweight keyboards that are touch sensitive and have tons of sounds, but excel with the grand piano models. They are mostly plastic and light-weight, good for travel.

I bought a cheaper one around $170 that sounds fantastic IMO, and I'm sure their higher grade ones are that much better. Only problem is that once you get into the weighted keys category, I think you end up dropping $1k+ for just about anything with a decent piano model.

Nord (Swiss made) makes a really good one, it does a great Fender Rhoades and the best Hammond I have heard in fact I like it better than the portable Hammond.

That nord really is a superb machine. High dollar though. Aren't they like $1500 - $2800? I might just get a 200a.

That is the price range, they are kind of expensive but extremely reliable. Two guys that have been in our band over the years have had them and neither one ever had any problems with them and one guy was pretty abusive to his, I think they sound way better than a Hammond and they have the digital draw bars the Nords specialty is recreating the Fender Rhoads and Hammond B3 the clav that is in there isn't very authentic but will do.

I'm kind of a Wurli snob. I'm Mr. "use whatever is free or cheap" on everything else but on the Wurli nothing else will do. I don't even like a Rhoads. My bass was free, my guitar was too. I bought my green acoustic for $80. My drums were in on a trade (still free to me). All of my gear is cheap or free. I bought my Wurlitzer 270 butterfly baby grand for $10 at a yard sale and got mad spoiled. I saw one like it sell on ebay for $2050 a few months ago. Now I want a 200a for gigging bad. I'm weak at piano but growing everytime I play. Some purists would call it a waste for me to have one, but I need it.

Paul,I must say thats tight. LOL

Its just another day in Paradise

Paul,
For about $600 you can get a Yamaha MM6.
I love Yam synths, been playing them for over 20 years.
The mm6 has all the great AWM3 sounds Yamaha is known for.
Plus, it has a sequencer , real time filter tweeking for great live work, etc.

I got my eye on one myself. (They call it "entry level", but it looks like a real value to me, You would go nuts with it.)

The only down side is a somewhat cheesy body, but with a good road case, that shouldn't be a problem.

Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E_bDg5ak9w
HJ

That's what I needed. Howlin input. Thanks! I'll look for sound samples.

Paul

Click on the link at the bottom of my post

HJ

doh! thanks

Paul,
Those Personal use Yamaha's, like the one Kramerguy mentioned, are great for giving to your daughters for a Christmas Present, but I have the distinct feeling the you are WAY beyond mere toys!

The Nord mentioned by J-H is no doubt an excellent ax, but, a whole lot more then you need, or seem to want to pay.

The MM6 is a professional synthesizer that will do what you want, is highly portable, inexpensive, and has enough features to get your creative juices flowing for many years to come.

You obviously do well with new technology, so don't get to hung up on your vintage Wurlitzer. I still love my old Farfisa Combo Compact, (that's the "Come On To Me" organ) and once thought that I'd be giggin' with it for the rest of my life, however my Yamaha SYs put that ol' transistor box to rest once and for all !

That MM6 is like having my two SYs , a real time vintage ARP or Moog, Your Wurly AND my Farfisa, all in one package!....PLUS
It has on of the best sound generating systems on the market...(Advanced Wave Memory)..same as the Yam flagships, the Motif. PLUS
You can plug it into your computer! so you get to greatly expand your home recording studio capabilities.(comes with Cu-base)

all for around six bills!

seems like a "no-brainer to me, BUT if you do happen to come across anything better, let me know, since I'm hoping to upgrade myself someday,assuming I get my accounts back up to par!

Keep on creating, and take care of all those girls. (If ya do get the MM6, you can buy them all something nice next Christmas, and they wont need one of those cheap wall-Mart keyboards.

later,
Howlin'

Man J. I'm torn. I don't want to lug and potentially tear up a vintage wurly but I really like the idea, look, and sound of it. I would like maybe one good organ sound but I'm no snob when it comes to those. I do like the price on the MM6 considering all it is capable of. I wish I could just get a synth that was way cheaper with WAY less options. I would be fine with a good wurli sound and a good organ sound and no other sounds and no drum beats. It looks like the MM6 has semi weighted keys is that right? I have a year 2000 larger (radio shack version) casio. I can't remember the model . It was $300 back then. I like one of the organ sounds and it has a cool sawtooth wave sound. That's about all I like it for. It's light too. But the keys aren't weighted.