in concert, and it was WAAAYYYY better than a pure electric keyboard. It was in essence a baby grand with each string miked that broke down for transport. But I have never even seen such an animal in the "wild" (outside of a concert setting). And such a thing would very likely be cost-prohibitive. But I have been out of that world for a while--it doesn't seem like it has fundamentally changed, but perhaps it has, since technology has moved forward considerably.

But you are entirely correct in saying that ACOUSTIC pianos vary widely, from great to very, very poor. Electric ones, in my experience, have a far narrower window of variability, but even the best ones don't really compare to a good acoustic. And good miking makes all the difference in a concert setting...

But an electric may be the most cost-effective option available. Obviously, I think a good acoustic is the way to go. There are almost for sure some decent ones on CraigsList. But I agree that a good electric is better than a crappy acoustic. I would suggest that in looking, you take along someone who can really play so as to get an idea of what you are getting.