At Kraft Music, we've got a lot of grand piano options for you from the leading brands. Between Kawai, Roland, and Yamaha, we have 19 different models to choose from at the time of this writing. So when we ask the question, "Is the Roland GP-607PE (while it's available) the best value in digital grand pianos?" we have the ability to take a wide view of the market as we explore the answer to that question.
First, we have to point out that, like all Roland luxury pianos, this grand comes with a 10-year warranty. That instantly puts the GP607 in the category of a premium product, built by one of the most respected companies in the world dedicated to producing the finest music instruments and technology.
Next, let's talk furniture. Many of our customers are equally as concerned with the appearance of the piano they are buying as they are with the sound and features. A grand piano, especially, needs to look great and compliment the space it will occupy. At just over 3 feet deep (37 5/8 inches to be precise), it sits right in the middle of sizes when comparing digital grands. And for many spaces, that might be just right.
The polished ebony finish is timeless and has forever been the dominant color for a grand piano. With the lid open, the wood veneer sound board simulator looks classy and exposes a few of the speakers that are built into the instrument. The music rest is adjustable, and the key cover is actually a smart design that allows you to 1) expose all of the convenient buttons used in operation, 2) move it slightly towards you to hide the buttons (allowing for a clean look while still allowing you to play), or 3) cover the keys entirely to keep the piano clean or keep pets off the keys!
A handsome, height-adjustable bench is included with each GP607, that not only adjusts but also allows for a bit of space to keep sheet music. All GP607s purchased from Kraft Music include Roland's finest duet bench, the RPB-D400PE-US.
So, on the furniture side of the equation, for less than $5,000 you get a rich, traditional grand that will fit well into many spaces and give that appearance of a small acoustic grand piano. Unless you require a smaller grand footprint, or if your room is screaming for something larger, the GP607 sure checks the "furniture" box well.
As an instrument, the basics of a piano are more than covered. Turn it on (by simply opening the key cover), and the piano defaults to a European grand piano tone. Adjust the volume, and go ahead and play the 88-note weighted action with ivory feel. Sound seems to come from everywhere, as the piano has a 4.1-channel speaker system. Open the lid to gain even more sound. Or plug your favorite pair of headphones into the headphone jack and play silently at all hours of the day and night.
Playing with headphones, by the way, is a special treat as the piano has Roland's 3D Ambience technology to enhance the tone. You can turn this on or off.
One of the first things I like to do when sitting down at a digital piano is to adjust the sound to the way I like to hear it. On an acoustic, the piano sounds the way it sounds. On a digital, you can often make a ton of adjustments, so why not? The GP607 has quick buttons for Ambience (Reverb), and you can adjust that up or down. Next to that is Brilliance (brightness), and I tend to increase brilliance quite a bit. Easy to do.
To the right of the display, there is a button that accesses even more customization, often with a feature they call Piano Designer. Here, you can adjust all kinds of aspects of the sound: lid (open/closed), key off noise, hammer noise, sympathetic vibrations, cabinet resonance, soundboard type, and more.
Going beyond the piano and utilizing more of the piano's built-in technology, you can access 307 sounds, all from the panel or thru the iPad using Roland's Piano App. Split or layer tones, record your songs, practice with a metronome, or play along with built in songs. Using the Roland Piano App, you can view sheet music for several songs (or more, with Roland Cloud access), allowing you to play and learn like you only can from a digital piano.
Lots to talk about on the technology front, and it sure seems to check that box as well.
There are several things that the GP607 is not... it is not the latest model from Roland, but to get that you will spend more than $6,000 for a similarly-shaped Roland GP6. The GP607 is not the largest of the digital grands for sure, and if you're looking for something more "grand" you'll want to consider Roland's GP9, or Yamaha's slightly smaller CLP795GP or CSP795GP models. It also does not do the highly-advanced auto-accompaniments that you'll find in Yamaha's CVP line of digital grands (see the CVP809GP or CVP909GP), but be prepared to pay three times as much for those.
In the end, for many of our customers shopping for a a grand piano look and an instrument that will be fun to play for many, many years, the GP607 is a compelling option. And it might even be a bargain.
YOUR MUSIC TECHNOLOGY STORE SINCE 1984