Hey guys i would like to buy and musical keyboard and learn to play.I have always been attracted to the sound you can make with a piano or a keyboard.But i dont know what brand,how many keys or what to look for? I need your professional advice? By the way a musical keyboard not a piano,i dont have the room for it or the money, $200 is my budget,but hey let me know what i need,so i can make a good investment,open to ideas!
Thank You!

You can go to a pawn shop, or look on Craigslist and get a lower end yamaha for less than a hundred bucks. They cant seem to give away Yamaha PSR 250's or whatever they are. My keyboard player played on one and did ok with it for several months. Get a cheap used one, learn how to play it, then upgrade from there, after you figure out what you really need. It will suit your purposes as an amateur just fine.

just like any other instrument, if you're going professional, certain high end keyboards are for certain things. Some keyboards are more designed for sampling, and computer recording, and some are better for playing live. Its all about what you plan on doing with it. If you want to go really high end brand new, you will be spending at least two grand, and thats not inlcludin gthe amp.

I share this ambition. A good used Yamaha is the way to go, and since learning to play is your goal, get one with the entire octave on it (the most keys).

Instruments geared towards recording will have less keys and typically be loaded with sound effects and other doo-dads.

Eventually I'd love to have a B-3 with the retro Leslie rotating speakers, nothing else has a sound like it.

The expense in keyboards is that the processors are built into the instrument. This can drive the price up enormously. I am currently saving up for a keyboard without processing and am planning on hooking it up to my computer and using my computer to process through FL Studio. This will save me a ton of money in the long run.

I'm planning on purchasing a pretty damn nice keyboard for like $150. Unfortunately I don't have the name with me (have it written down at home) but I'll check it out and get back to you.