How to choose
Full size keyboard piano: what the 88 keys settle, and what they do not
A full size keyboard piano means 88 keys, but the key count says nothing about action, width or weight. Here are three published spec sheets compared, and the measurements to take before ordering.
A full size keyboard piano is defined by one number and one number only: 88 keys. That is what the phrase means, it is what the maker is claiming when it appears in a product name, and it is the first thing worth confirming on the specification page rather than in the marketing copy.
Everything else that decides whether an instrument suits a beginner at home sits behind that number. Two instruments can both be full size and still differ by nearly 30 mm in width, by more than 3 kg in weight, and by well over a hundred notes of polyphony. This guide works through which of those figures matter in a small room, and which are easier to live with than people expect.
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88 keys is the claim, and it is the easy part to verify
A conventional piano keyboard runs 88 keys, and the published specification usually names the range as well as the count. Korg lists the B2 as 88 key, A0 to C8, which is the same span an acoustic piano offers and the reason the phrase full size is used at all. Roland lists both the FP-10 and the FP-30X as 88 keys. If a specification sheet gives 61 or 76 instead, the instrument is not a full size keyboard piano no matter what the listing title says.
The count matters for a learner because sheet music and teaching material assume it. Pieces that wander into the extreme registers become unplayable on a short keyboard, and a student who learns on a short keyboard has to relearn where middle C sits relative to the ends of the instrument. That is the practical argument for 88 keys, and it is also where the usefulness of the phrase stops.
- Confirm the key count on the maker's specification page, not in the product title.
- Look for a stated range as well as a count, for example A0 to C8.
- Check whether the stated dimensions include or exclude a music rest.
- Check whether the stated weight includes a stand, a pedal or a power supply.
The width you have to clear is published, and it varies
Width is the figure that decides whether the instrument fits where you intend to put it, and it is not the same across full size instruments because the end cheeks, control panel and speaker housings differ. Roland publishes a width of 1,284 mm for the FP-10 and 1,300 mm for the FP-30X. Korg publishes 1,312 mm for the B2 without its stand. All three are full size with 88 keys, and there is still 28 mm between the narrowest and the widest.
Depth matters for a different reason. Roland gives 258 mm for the FP-10 and 284 mm for the FP-30X, while Korg gives 336 mm for the B2. On a desk or a narrow shelf that difference decides whether the instrument overhangs, and an overhanging keyboard is one that gets knocked. Measure the surface you plan to use before you compare instruments, then treat any model wider or deeper than your measurement as unavailable rather than as a compromise.
Three published spec sheets, side by side
The table below is drawn entirely from the three makers' own specification pages, which is the only place these figures should come from. Two of the instruments share the same named keyboard action, and that is a useful illustration of how little the phrase full size narrows things down: the same action appears under two very different polyphony and amplification specifications.
Read the table as a set of constraints rather than a ranking. The width column rules models in or out of your room. The weight column decides whether the instrument gets packed away between sessions or stays on a stand. The polyphony column matters once a student starts using a sustain pedal across dense passages, because held notes consume voices.
| Specification | Roland FP-10 | Roland FP-30X | Korg B2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keys | 88 keys | 88 keys | 88 keys, A0 to C8 |
| Keyboard action | PHA-4 Standard with escapement and ivory feel | PHA-4 Standard with hammer action, escapement and ivory feel | NH Natural Weighted Hammer Action |
| Maximum polyphony | 96 voices | 256 notes | 120 voices |
| Width | 1,284 mm | 1,300 mm | 1,312 mm |
| Depth | 258 mm | 284 mm | 336 mm |
| Height | 140 mm | 151 mm with music rest detached | 117 mm without stand |
| Weight | 12.6 kg | 14.8 kg with music rest | 11.4 kg |
| Amplification | 6 W by 2, two 12 cm speakers | 11 W by 2, two 12 cm speakers | 15 W by 2 |
Specifications are revised between production runs. Treat this table as a snapshot and open the maker's page before ordering.
Action and polyphony change practice more than the key count does
Keyboard action is the mechanism under the keys, and it is what a student's hands actually learn. Roland names the action on both the FP-10 and the FP-30X as PHA-4 Standard, and describes escapement and an ivory feel surface as part of it. Korg names the B2 action as NH Natural Weighted Hammer Action. These are proprietary names, so there is no cross-brand scale to convert between them, and the only honest way to compare is to play both instruments in a shop with the same short passage.
Polyphony is easier to reason about because it is a plain count. It is the number of notes the instrument can sound at once, and it is consumed by held notes, by sustain pedal use, by layered sounds and by the resonance modelling some instruments apply. Roland publishes 96 voices for the FP-10 and 256 notes for the FP-30X; Korg publishes 120 voices as the maximum for the B2. A beginner playing single-line exercises will not reach any of those figures. A student two years in, holding a pedal through a dense passage with two layered sounds, can.
The amplification figures tell you about the instrument as a piece of furniture rather than as a keyboard. Korg publishes 15 W by 2 for the B2, Roland publishes 11 W by 2 for the FP-30X and 6 W by 2 for the FP-10. In a small room with headphones available, the lower figure is rarely the thing that limits practice; in a room shared with other activity it can be.
Weight, stand and pedal decide whether it stays set up
The single strongest predictor of whether a learner practises is whether the instrument is already out and ready. That makes weight a practical specification rather than a shipping detail. Korg publishes 11.4 kg for the B2 without a stand, Roland publishes 12.6 kg for the FP-10 and 14.8 kg for the FP-30X with its music rest. All three are liftable by one adult, and none of them is pleasant to move twice a day.
Stands and pedals are usually sold separately on instruments at this size, and the published height figures reflect that. Korg quotes a height of 117 mm without a stand and a much greater overall height with its optional stand fitted, which is the difference between a keyboard on a table and a keyboard on legs. Decide which of those two arrangements you are building before you compare models, because it changes which height figure is the relevant one and whether a bench of the right height is an additional item.
- Decide between table-mounted and stand-mounted before comparing published height figures.
- Check whether the published weight includes the music rest, the stand or the power supply.
- Check which pedal type is included and which is an optional item.
- Confirm the headphone output exists if practice has to be quiet.
- Confirm whether the instrument runs from a built-in supply or an external adaptor.
What to settle before ordering, and when to read the sheets again
Go to the shop with three measurements written down: the clear width of the surface or floor space, the clear depth, and the distance from that surface to the nearest obstruction in front of it. Those three numbers eliminate more models faster than any amount of reading, and they are the numbers a salesperson cannot supply for you. Then play the same four bars on each instrument, because the action names do not convert between brands and your hands are the only instrument that reads them.
Keep a note of the specification figures you compared and the date you compared them. Makers revise specifications between production runs and quietly update their pages, so a figure copied from a forum post or a shop listing can be two revisions out of date while still looking authoritative.
Before you buy
- Confirm 88 keys on the maker's own specification page before anything else
- Measure clear surface width, clear depth, and the space in front for a seated player
- Compare published widths rather than assuming all 88 key instruments are the same size
- Check whether quoted dimensions include the music rest and whether weight includes a stand
- Note the maximum polyphony figure and whether layered sounds are planned
- Play the same four bars on each candidate instrument before deciding
- Confirm which pedal and stand are included and which are additional items
- Write down the specification figures with the date you read them
Questions readers ask
- Does full size keyboard piano always mean 88 keys?
- That is what the phrase is used to mean, and it is the thing to verify on the maker's specification page. Roland lists the FP-10 and FP-30X as 88 keys and Korg lists the B2 as 88 key, A0 to C8. A sheet that says 61 or 76 keys describes a different instrument regardless of the listing title.
- How wide a space does a full size keyboard piano need?
- Wider than the keyboard itself. Published widths differ even among 88 key instruments: Roland gives 1,284 mm for the FP-10 and 1,300 mm for the FP-30X, and Korg gives 1,312 mm for the B2 without its stand. Measure your clear surface first and treat anything wider as unavailable.
- How much polyphony does a beginner need?
- Less than the published maximums, at first. Roland publishes 96 voices for the FP-10, 256 notes for the FP-30X, and Korg publishes 120 voices for the B2. Single-line exercises use very few. Held notes, sustain pedal use and layered sounds are what consume voices, so the figure becomes relevant as repertoire gets denser.
- Can I compare keyboard actions from the specification sheet?
- No. Action names such as PHA-4 Standard or NH Natural Weighted Hammer Action are proprietary and there is no conversion between them. The only way to compare is to play the same short passage on each instrument in a shop and notice which one your hands settle on.
- Is a lighter instrument the better choice for a small room?
- It depends on whether it will be moved. Published weights for these three run from 11.4 kg to 14.8 kg, all liftable by one adult. If the instrument will live permanently on a stand, weight barely matters; if it has to be packed away between sessions, it is the figure that decides whether practice happens.
Sources
- Roland FP-30X specifications (official product page) — checked 2026-11-06
- Roland FP-10 specifications (official product page) — checked 2026-11-06
- Korg B2 digital piano specifications (official product page) — checked 2026-11-06
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