Thinking about buying a Roland RD-150

I have read some of the threads on this group about digital/stage pianos trying to decide which one to buy. We have a teenage exchange student who is taking piano at school and really needs something to practice on, and we have two younger boys who have expressed an interest in music lessons.

I play guitar, but I don't read music. Wished now that I would have taken 6 to 12 months of piano lessons prior to guitar lessons - would probably be further along with my learning to read standard notation, music theory, etc. Plus, want to start doing a little composing and I am convinced that the piano is the best for that, as well as arranging. I don't see myself playing piano concertos - just can't invest the time. Mainly want to have fun.

Went down to Guitar Center this evening and checked out what they had. The Yamahas were nice, but the action just didn't feel right - don't know how to describe it. Also tried the Roland FP's, but the keys felt bouncy. The RD-150 had a good feel, and the piano sample sounded quite good. I also realize that the speakers can make a BIG difference in the sound.

So, am I missing anything? Should I be looking at something else? I have found the RD-150 for about $850 online, and Roland is offering a $100 rebate through the end of the year, so for the money it looks hard to beat. Anyone have recommendations as to what speakers would serve my purposes? And there are a number of pedals offered by Roland. Which one would best complement this particular instrument?

Before anyone starts, I know that this isn't a real piano. But then, I'm not shopping for one. I imagine that if I become somewhat proficient on this, then I will do okay on an most other pianos.

Eagerly awaiting any encouragement/direction anyone is willing to offer.

Regards,

John I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Roland RD series, or several other models of theirs. The same is true for the Yamaha P80, 60, etc series. For sound, it's hard to beat the Roland keyboard amps, but you might want to try the Behringer keyboard amp if you don't plan to move it around. (It's heavy)

Gerry,

Thanks for your response. Not sure that I will need a keyboard amp, as this will spend most, if not all, of its time in our family room. Was thinking of smallish monitors like the Roland MA-8. However, there are a lot of different makes of these speaker systems, and I was just wondering if anyone had tried something that was a cut above the rest.

Regards,

In that case, take a look in your local music stores and you will probably see some of the keyboards hooked up to these monitors where you can hear them. I've never tried it personally, but I know when Mars was in business they used the Roland monitors a lot.