Casio AP-750

A New Chapter: The Grand Upgrade

My piano journey began in 2009, while I was deployed in Afghanistan. In the middle of that warzone, I made myself a promise: If I make it home alive, I’m going to learn to play the piano.

I did make it home—but in rough shape, far more broken than I realized at the time. During stretches of homelessness, I stumbled upon old pianos in VA hospitals, and those keys became my refuge. They gave me something steady to hold onto, a way to ground myself when everything else felt like chaos. I loved playing, learning, and even teaching when I could.

Then, in 2015, I gave it all up. I sacrificed my piano dream for the sake of a marriage—a terrible marriage that ultimately failed and turned out to be worse than the nightmare of war itself. Looking back, giving up piano was a needless loss at my own expense, and one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

After divorce, heartbreak, and losing nearly everything I had worked for—my home, my family, my stability—life finally restarted for me in 2023. I bought a basic $400 digital piano, nothing fancy, but enough to reignite the fire. I started playing again, rediscovering a piece of myself I thought I had lost forever.

Two years later, I’ve grown far beyond the limits of that instrument. The plastic keys feel dead beneath my fingers, the weak speakers flatten the sound, and I can’t express the dynamics my music demands. Even something as fundamental as a proper crescendo is impossible. My music has outgrown my piano.

So now, it’s time for a serious upgrade. After much thought, I’ve chosen the Casio AP-750 Celviano Digital Upright Piano. This isn’t just a purchase—it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. With its Smart Hybrid Hammer Action and three rich grand piano tones (Berlin, Hamburg, and Vienna), it will finally give me the authentic, expressive experience I’ve been craving. The sound and touch will change everything. To me, this is life-altering. It’s wholeness.

This will be an instrument I cherish for a lifetime, one I’ll use for thousands of hours of practice and joy. My repertoire is always expanding—I rotate through hundreds of pieces, usually keeping about ten in active study at a time. Each piece unlocks something in the others, sharpening both technique and expression. My ultimate goal is to master at least 100 full songs.

It has taken me over fifteen years to reach this point, but I can now sight-read confidently and dive deep into the advanced music theory I love so much. This new piano feels like the perfect partner for the next stage of my journey.

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This is where music meets the mind. Here, I share tutorials, deep dives into sheet music, and insights shaped by both technical study and lived experience.

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Please revise this blog post:

UPDATE: September 19, 2025.

I decide to invest in the Casio AP-750 Celviano Digital Upright Piano with Bench - Black instead of the legendary Japanese handmade Kawai CA401 Digital Concert Piano.

My piano journey began in 2010, after I returned from Afghanistan. For a time, while I was homeless, I found solace in playing the random pianos I came across in VA hospitals. It was a way to ground myself amidst the chaos.

Then, in 2015, I thought I had to give up that dream. I sacrificed my piano ambitions for the sake of my marriage, a sacrifice that, in the end, was not only foolish but unnecessary. It was a loss at my own expense.

Life started over for me in 2023. I bought a basic, $400 digital piano and started jamming, rediscovering that part of myself I had left behind. After two years, my skills have grown to a point where my instrument can no longer keep up. The cheap, plastic keys and awful speakers simply can’t capture the music I feel inside.

I can't even play a proper crescendo, and the dynamic range I need to express myself is completely lost.

So, I have decided to invest in something truly special. I’m upgrading to a more high-quality instrument, a modern-day digital concert piano that is a work of art.

I am so incredibly excited. This is something I've always dreamed of—a purchase of such size and importance that it will literally change my life for the better. The thought of having the sound and tactile pleasure of a grand piano at my fingertips is life-changing. It makes me feel complete in a way I haven't before.

This is an instrument I will use for thousands of hours, and I know I will cherish it for the rest of my life.

I have hundreds of pieces of piano sheet music that I’m working on, and my goal is to eventually learn over 100 full songs.

#SunsetPiano

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#sunsetpsyche

#piano

#musictheory

please tell me the differences between the Casio AP-750 Celviano Digital Upright Piano ($4,000) than the Kawai CA401 Digital Concert Piano? also list what makes the casio better than the kawai ($3,200).

Both the Casio AP-750 and the Kawai CA401 are premium digital pianos, but they take very different approaches to achieving a realistic grand piano experience. The differences in their technology, particularly the key action and sound engine, are significant.

The Kawai CA401 Digital Concert Piano

The Kawai CA401 is built on the philosophy of emulating the experience of playing a Kawai acoustic grand piano.

Key Action: It features the Grand Feel Compact action, an all-wood key action that's designed to replicate the feel and pivot point of a real grand piano. The keys have counterweights and an escapement mechanism for an authentic, responsive feel, which is excellent for a wide range of dynamics.
Sound Engine: It uses Progressive Harmonic Imaging sound technology with a full 88-key stereo sampling of the flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand. This provides a rich, warm, and highly expressive tone.
Strengths: The CA401's primary strength is the authenticity of its wooden-key action, which many pianists feel is one of the most realistic you can find in this price range. It's a fantastic instrument for developing technique and a sensitive touch.

The Casio AP-750 Celviano Grand Hybrid

The Casio AP-750 is part of the Celviano Grand Hybrid series, a unique collaboration between Casio and the prestigious piano manufacturer C. Bechstein. The goal of this series is not just to sample a piano, but to fuse digital technology with a real piano's mechanism.

Key Action: The AP-750 features the Smart Hybrid Hammer Action Keyboard Celviano Edition. It's a hybrid action that combines a graded hammer mechanism with real spruce wood keys. This unique combination provides an authentic feel, and the three sensors per key offer a high level of responsiveness.
Sound Engine: The AP-750 uses the Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Grand Sound Source. Instead of just one sampled piano, it offers three distinct grand piano sounds from renowned manufacturers: the Berlin Grand (from C. Bechstein), the Hamburg Grand (a Steinway), and the Vienna Grand (a Bösendorfer).
Speakers: The Grandphonic Sound System uses six speakers and a unique lid structure to project sound, emulating the complex sound field of a concert grand.

What Makes the Casio AP-750 Better than the Kawai CA401?

While both are phenomenal instruments, the Casio AP-750's technology gives it a few key advantages, particularly in terms of realism and sonic versatility.

Key Action Realism: The AP-750's collaboration with C. Bechstein gives its action a unique and highly realistic feel. While the Kawai action is excellent, the Casio's hybrid technology is widely praised for its feel and responsiveness.
Sound Variety: The biggest selling point of the AP-750 is its three distinct, world-class sound models. You're not just getting one great piano sound; you're getting three different ones that are perfect for different genres and styles of music. The Berlin Grand is rich and warm, the Hamburg Grand is bright and powerful, and the Vienna Grand is known for its elegant clarity. This versatility makes the Casio an incredible tool for both performance and recording.
Speaker System: The Casio's multi-speaker Grandphonic system, combined with its lid structure, does a better job of creating an immersive, room-filling sound than most pianos in this range. The speaker placement helps the sound feel like it's coming from the entire instrument, just as a real grand piano's soundboard would.

In short, the Kawai CA401 is a fantastic choice if you want the most authentic Kawai grand piano experience. However, the Casio AP-750, with its collaboration with C. Bechstein, offers superior versatility and a unique, highly realistic feel that many professional players prefer.

9/16/2025 1914

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