Is Nord Piano 2 a good buy?

[Metraalex]

Hello everyone again , I'm here to share this question.

I recently received an offer to buy a Nord Piano 2. The question is whether it's a smart purchase.

A while back, I asked if it was a good idea to buy a Nord Stage 2, and many users commented that it was, since Nord's previous quality standards say it was much better than it is now. It was built with extremely high-quality materials, such as metal knobs and a very good keyboard. Many report that those older Nord models actually sound like "Nord," not like they do now, either because of the PCB design or the preamps they came with.

Nowadays, they're made with plastic knobs, annoying sliding potentiometers, keys that break, and some say they don't sound like they used to...

I ask myself the same question about the Nord Piano 2. Was it a good keyboard? Did it have good construction materials? Does it sound good? Did it have any flaws that appeared over time?

I see it has a wide range of sounds I can load.

The seller's asking price is $2,200. It's obviously used.

He's willing to negotiate.

The price may be high; what would be a good price? A fair price.

I'm a professional musician as a pianist/keyboardist. This would be my first Nord. I've always wanted to own a Nord and find a good deal.

I'm reading this carefully. Best regards.

[Metraalex]

With regards to build quality I would expect the Piano 2 being equal to the Stage 2 since they are from the same period, mid to end of the 201x years.

[cphollis]

$2200 for a NP2 in good condition initially struck me as rather high. I had the NP2, then the NP3, 4 and 5. They play and sound better with each iteration. If you're looking for a great slab piano at a decent price, there are plenty of Kawais and Yamahas etc. that will play and sound better than an old NP2.

That being said, I was surprised to find that $2200 is a *good price* after checking reverb.com. Make sure to test every key, as dirty contacts can be an issue.

[Metraalex]

Perhaps $1,000-$1,200 is a more reasonable price, considering it was manufactured in 2012, has very little memory for storing sounds, a sample section for combining with keyboards, and no dedicated synthesizer section.

The only really good thing I'd highlight is the key technology, which, from what I've seen, has almost no flaws over time.

[Metraalex]

Perhaps $1,000-$1,200 is a more reasonable price, considering it was manufactured in 2012, has very little memory for storing sounds, a sample section for combining with keyboards, and no dedicated synthesizer section.

The only really good thing I'd highlight is the key technology, which, from what I've seen, has almost no flaws over time.

In Italy, on the most popular local site for musical instruments buy&sell, a used Nord Piano 2 can be found at 1.300€ (and Nord Piano 4 around 1.700€)...

[Metraalex]

I believe Nord prices are what they are through different factors: name, famous for being robust (relatively), famous for being repairable (to a certain extent, as you probably won't get any motherboards anymore for a Piano 2).

And apart from that: The prices are for what they can do, not for what they can't (it's a lot - the Piano line never had a dedicated synth engine, doesn't react to mod-wheel or pitch-bend, doesn't allow for a custom velocity curve, has no alternative tunings etc). In my eyes, Nord keyboards concentrate on the basic points, mainly for band context; and Nord Pianos are even more reduced within the portfolio.

If you'd really consider that offer, you should know if a Nord Triple Pedal is included (as it was initially) or not - another amount of money to spend if you want it. Or you directly count on using a simple standard sustain pedal anyway (not continuous in that case) and start from a lower price base.