The stand for this is: Yamaha L3C Bolt-On Keyboard Stand.

Keyboardists who don’t need all the bells and whistles of sequencers and synthesizers will be delighted with this ultra-light keyboard. There are only a few sounds (a couple pianos, harpsichord, electric piano), but for little cocktail piano, wedding or singer-songwriter gigs, often you only need a piano sound. (Yamaha is known for its authentic piano sounds.)

No more breaking your back carrying your keyboard. Now if someone could just find a way to create a light and powerful amplifier… (This keyboard also has built-in speakers, but for most performing situations you would need more volume than they provide. However, if you’re just playing at home the volume is sufficient.)

As a professional pianist, I normally require external amplification and keyboards that can be split to allow me to walk bass lines in the left hand (at the moment, I’m inclined to say the Kurweil SP2 is the least expensive professional instrument suitable for such purposes). But there are occasions when I’m asked simply to provide solo or background piano for a luncheon, cocktail gathering, reception, etc. In such instances, this keyboard fills the bill, and does so with style, convenience, and eminent practicality. It’s as light weight as they come, it has on-board speakers, and it doesn’t look like one of those chrome-colored, overly automated “toys” sold at Best Buy.

No, the piano sounds don’t blow me away (nor, for that matter, does the hyped “Triple-Strike Kurzweil Piano”), the touch is far from being weighted and realistic, the speakers are not the most powerful or full-frequencied. (But they’ve proven adequate for background music in small rooms, though I’ll admit I usually have a spare amp in the car, just in case.) And for classical music, as opposed to pop tunes, I’d probably accept the extra load of 88, rather than 76, keys. But those are the trade-offs for the conveniences mentioned above.

Ironically, a keyboard like this can “force” you into positive playing patterns. For instance, I like to make extensive use during solos of widely-spaced block chords (piano great Red Garland made a living doing this), but on a keyboard this light it’s not very effective to play blocked-chord solos of any sort. Instead, I’m forced to concentrate more on my finger work and to play with unaccustomed restraint which, in my case, is not necessarily for the bad.

In short, this is probably as “low” as you can go and still retain a modicum of professionalism (not to mention personal pride) as a paid performer. I should mention that I still have the lightest albeit discontinued piano stand ever made–an aluminum fold-out X-style device that uses a “fabric” belt and scarcely weighs as much as a pound. Why no manufacturer has picked up on this design befuddles me. Wish I’d purchased a couple more 25 years ago.

Although the keys have a spring mechanism and not a hammer action, they feel more realistic than the keys on previous generations of electronic keyboards. If you want a basic no-frills keyboard to learn music and to drill sequences of notes into your fingers, as I do, this does the job perfectly, and there is no need to spend several times as much money on an 88-key hammer-action keyboard. The 76 keys are enough for all music up to at least Beethoven and much music later than that. The keys are marginally shorter than conventional keys, but the difference is not noticeable when playing.

The sound that comes out of those integrated speakers is surprisingly realistic (the harpsichord being particularly convincing), and the volume slider control that lets you play any dynamic from silent upwards is useful if, like me, you don’t like wearing headphones and you only need minimal auditory feedback to confirm that you’re playing the right notes. I would have no hesitation in recommending this keyboard to students living in a residence hall, as its light weight and portability make it a practical and versatile instrument which can be loaded into the back of a car in seconds. It is extremely good value for money (I bought mine in the UK, where for some reason the price is lower than in Europe or the US). If I didn’t already own a real piano I would probably buy a more expensive 88-key weighted keyboard, but as a supplementary practice tool to complement an acoustic piano, this is a perfect compromise. The power supply included with the keyboard is heavy and bulky, but at least it has a generous amount cable.