"Good Keyboard?"
Just as mentioned above-
-it all depends on what you want to spend.
If you have a fair amount set aside, there are numerous options in the $1000 - $2000 range. As far as the criteria you specified, I would personally reccomend a Kawai. They tend to be a bit expensive when sold in shops, but they are truly quality instruments. They have arguably the best actions of any keyboards/digital stage pianos, and one of the nicest piano sounds in the industry. The ES series is the midrange stage piano for Kawai. I have the ES 3, which is the most popular of the ES series. It's pretty streamlined, no real bells and whistles to speak of. Basically, you plug it in and play. If you decide to audition it, don't judge it on the built-in speakers, they sound like shit. This instrument has basically everything you're after; simple to operate, excellent piano sound, and great action. Here's the stinger, minimum $1200 new. Not too terribly bad, but it's a bit of an investment. You have to pay for quality I suppose. I actually laid down $1700 in the shop, and even though I got the stand and the case for the price, I know I got ripped off big time. Only afterward did I find it on the internet for a lower price. Actually, for that price, you might be able to pick up the slightly larger model, the ES 5. A few more sounds, a rhythm section, and a better speaker system are the only real difference.
If your budget is less than $1000, the best option is to go used.
Yamaha P-80 has beautiful piano sounds (I personally prefer them to successive Yamaha models) and a nice action. It's pretty basic as far as features, and as it was discontinued, a used model will probably run under $800 or so. Another fairly decent model was
Roland RD-100. I played in a jazz ensamble several years ago, and I liked this instrument. Also slightly outdated, and probably available used for a decent price. Though I sound like a broken record, we go back to good old Kawai.
The MP9000 professional stage piano was the predecessor to
the MP9500. Both feature the same main piano sound as ES3 (and for that matter, all Kawais), and both have real wood keys for an action superior to any other keyboard. The MP9000 can be had used for a fairly decent price. It goes against your criteria somewhat in that it has more gadgets than a swiss army knife, and it's a bit complicated. Even so, just a suggestion.
All in all, though I'm sure you expected this response, the "best keyboard" question is best answered by swinging into a music shop somewhere and trying out as many 'boards as you see. There are so many different perspectives on the issue, as there are so many different conceptions as to what the perfect instrument should include, and many different uses for keyboards. I have offered my two cents, what you decide is ultimately up to you.
Hope this helps
-Rich
Life sucks, drink beer - the proven philosophy
