Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Williams Overture 88 key. Should I buy this one?

I have read many positive reviews about it. What do you think? Is it worth the price tag of $600 on Amazon which I could find as the lowest.

Williams Overture 88

Where did you read the reviews, just out of interest?

James
x

The usualy advice you will get here at that sort of price range is to look at Korg and Casio.

(I got to play a Yamaha P120 this morning - the build quality and texture of the keyboard superficially seem better than my Privia PX-330 but when actually I prefer the Privia's sound and action)

Personally, I haven't liked any of the William's pianos that I have played.I haven't cared for the sound or the action. Guitar Center also stocks these. If you are considering buying one, I would highly advise you play it before buying, and make sure you play the other brands of pianos as well so you can compare them.

Williams (and many other no-name, never-heard-of-them-before brands) are widely disparaged here. Use caution.

As Vectistim says, in your price range there are well-regarded models from Casio and Korg. I'd be very reluctant to buy Williams. Very.

In addition to the cautions voiced here, I would suggest that you not only spend some good time (with good headphones) playing it, but also that you spend some good time comparing it with the competition; it's easy to be seduced by a DP in isolation until you compare it with some known benchmarks.

Good luck and happy hunting.

I bought a Williams Overture sight-unseen from Amazon in 2009 for $600. Previously I had owned: a top-of-the-line acoustic upright, that I bought in a store in the early 1980's for ~$6000 (US)--a similar model today would be in the ~$20,000 price range; a Korg C-800 digital console, that I bought in a store in 1989 for $1700; a Casio AP-24, that I bought sight-unseen online in 2005 for $700; a Korg SP-250, that I bought sight-unseen online in 2006 for $900.

You can see from this that I have gone to less and less expensive pianos, even as my playing has gotten more advanced: ~$20,000(~$6000)-->$1700-->$700-->$900-->$600. The reason for this is that that first experience with the expensive upright turned me off completely to expensive pianos, forever. I bought it thinking that having the most expensive piano available would improve my playing. I quickly discovered that I was badly mistaken; the expensive piano didn't help my playing one iota.

Since then I have been very wary of spending a lot on a piano. Thus the steady trend to cheaper pianos. When shopping for a piano in 2009, I decided that I wanted as cheap a digital as possible, to be bought sight-unseen online. I wanted a console rather than a stage piano. I wanted a piano with instant record and playback--some expensive digitals don't have this can't-do-without feature. I wanted a dp without a graded (progressive) action, because I believe the older non-graded action that you find on economy digitals is better for strength building and technique. I wanted a dp without a half-pedal, because I believe the older non-half pedal that you find on economy digitals is better for developing crisp, clean pedaling.

The Overture gives all of the above: heavy, strength-building non-graded action, non-half pedal, instant record and playback, console configuration, economy price, online purchasing. Plus, it's a beaut. The wood is nicely finished. The felt trim is bright red out of the box. The sliding key cover is first-rate. The silver WW Williams medallion on the music rest is very nice, makes the S&S logo look tacky by comparison. The pedals are bright brass finished.

However, this is an economy dp, and so obviously some design compromises had to be made to keep the price this low. The sound is just okay. The fit and finish is a little dicey in places. The action, although I like its heaviness, can be a little quirky when playing some seldom-encounted playing situations.

Nevertheless, I like it. It's adequate for playing anything, from jazz improvisation to the biggest, baddest concertos.

Like music instead of noises, for instance. A seldom-encountered playing situation for sure.

ouch

Only Gyro will recommend it, the rest of the world thinks they are awful. Please don't buy it, you will regret it.

Nevertheless, I like it. It's adequate for playing anything, from jazz improvisation to the biggest, baddest concertos.


.... mp3's ... ?

If you read the manufactures own description of this piano you will see that it's best features are the sliding key cover, shiny black finish and the "full vanity panel". Later on they tell you it is keys and makes sound. I think these people know their customers well.

I read the review you linked to. they say it's great because it plays louder if it hit the keys harder. Well "duh" if it doesn't do that it's a child's toy, not even a real piano. the salesman is using an old trick, haul out some real junk pile and place it next to the thing you really want to sell so by comparison you have a great product.

Is it worth $600? Maybe. Hands down, it has the nicest paint job and finish of any sub $1,000 digital piano, you can see your reflection on the black polyurethane. At that price point the others will give you blow molded plastic cases.

Spend a little more and get a real digital piano: http://www.amazon.com/Casio-PX-330-...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1285630030&sr=1-1
Or spend less and get the PX-130... Williams pianos are a joke in my experience. Even their baby grand-style DP (~$1100 IIRC) feels and sounds awful.

But doesn't that dazzling WW emblem make it play and sound better? Actually, I'm with you, it's extremely hard to find anyone with good things to say about the Williams EPs except Williams, retailers, and Gyro. The OP should go try some real name brand EPs and see what is available (Yamaha, Roland, Korg, Kawai, Casio, etc.).
Clyde

"...it's best features are the sliding key cover, shiny black finish and the "full vanity panel"."

We wouldn't want anyone looking up our dress when we were playing a big-time concerto onstage.

Would we?

Gyro, how can you develop any level of nuance in your playing if your instrument doesn't communicate such nuance? If you get to practice on a keyboard that responds only coarsely to your fingers, then your ability to develop expression in your music will be stunted. If you learn to 'crisp-pedal' on a DP with no half-pedal facility, then how will you learn to half pedal?

Haha I actually skipped reading Gyro's post (as I always do), but what he said was hilarious. He turns all the really bad things into 'good' things. Though of course no pianist would ever deliberately choose for a piano without half-pedal, and non-graded action = non-realistic action. Gyro, when are we EVER going to hear you play?

Gyro, when are we EVER going to hear you play?

Shall we start a pool? Everyone chooses a one week period where you think a mp3 with his playing surfaces.

Count me in for the first week of September 2017.

Gyro's mp3:
march 2011

re Dave Horne's signature:
does that mean that a high voter turnout is when voters who are using drugs get themselves off the road?
Most of us would favor that