Roland GO:PIANO88 Review: 88 Keys at 5.8 Kilograms

Who Should Buy It

Key Specifications

What the GO:PIANO88 Is

Roland's GO series are keyboards built around portability and simplicity. The GO:PIANO88 gives the range of a piano without the weight of one: 88 full-size keys with velocity sensitivity, 40 sound presets that lead with Roland's piano tones, a stereo speaker system, a USB MIDI port, a sustain input, and power from six AA batteries or the included adapter. The listing confirms the keys, the sounds, the speakers, battery operation and the 5.8 kilogram weight; it does not publish polyphony or Bluetooth.

The keys are the thing to understand. They are full size and respond to how hard you play, but there is no hammer mechanism, so they feel like a good synth keyboard rather than a piano.

Keys, Honestly Assessed

Unweighted keys make the GO:PIANO88 light, fast and tireless to play, and they are fine for chords, accompaniment, synth parts and sketching songs. What they do not do is build the finger strength and control that a hammer action teaches, and they feel very different from an acoustic piano. Teachers running lessons toward an acoustic will ask for weighted keys, and the Roland FP-10 at a higher price is the answer; the Korg Liano is the closest semi-weighted rival at a similar weight.

Sound and Speakers

The main piano preset carries Roland's characteristic clarity and responds well to touch, and the remaining presets cover electric pianos, organs, strings and a handful of synth and other sounds. The built-in stereo speakers are small but tuned well enough for a room of listeners around a table; a headphone jack covers quiet practice and doubles as a line output. Polyphony is not stated on the listing; Roland's specification should be checked if you layer sounds with heavy sustain.

Connectivity and Apps

USB MIDI connects the GO:PIANO88 to a computer or tablet and to lesson apps with a cable. Bluetooth is not stated on the listing reviewed here; earlier GO:PIANO models included Bluetooth audio, so confirm with Roland's specification if streaming matters. A sustain input takes any standard pedal; Roland's DP-2 or a piano-style pedal are the usual choices.

Battery Life and Portability

Six AA batteries power the keyboard for hours, long enough for a rehearsal, a lesson or an afternoon in a park. The whole instrument can be carried in one hand and set up on any X-stand or a table. For a teacher who visits students, a musician who rehearses in different places or a family in a small flat, that portability is the entire value proposition.

Who Should Buy It

Singer-songwriters, worship musicians who travel between venues, teachers on the move, and anyone who wants 88 keys in an apartment where storage matters. It also suits a child's first keyboard when the family is not sure lessons will stick, because it costs less than a hammer-action piano and takes up less space. It is the wrong choice for classical study and for any player whose teacher requires weighted keys.

GO:PIANO88 Against the Alternatives

Against the Korg Liano, both are ultra-light 88s; the Korg's keys are semi-weighted with a little more resistance, and the Korg's German grand sample is warmer, while the Roland's piano is clearer and its panel is just as simple. Against the Roland FP-10, the FP-10 has the PHA-4 Standard hammer action and is the piano to buy for lessons, at more than double the weight. Against the Alesis Recital, the Alesis has more speaker power and semi-weighted keys at a similar price; the Roland is far lighter and sounds better.

In its niche, an 88-key keyboard you can carry anywhere, the GO:PIANO88 and the Liano are the two to choose between.

Long-Term Fit

Owners who bought the GO:PIANO88 for portability keep it even after buying a weighted piano, because nothing else is as easy to throw in a bag. Owners who bought it as a first piano for lessons move on within a year or two once technique demands weighted keys. Knowing which buyer you are decides whether it is the right purchase.

Strengths and Limitations

Alternatives to Consider

Korg Liano

Players who need a full 88-key piano that weighs almost nothing and runs anywhere

Read the Korg Liano review →

Roland FP-10

Beginners who want the best key feel available under the entry price ceiling

Read the Roland FP-10 review →

Alesis Recital

First-time buyers who want 88 full-size keys, speakers and a lesson mode for the least money

Read the Alesis Recital review →

Head-to-Head Comparisons

• Roland GO:PIANO88 vs Donner DEP-20 Compare →

Questions Buyers Ask