As a consumer, I have never been as frustrated in buying a keyboard as I am now. Let me explain,

1.No ONE music dealer in Las Vegas has either keyboard for me to audition. The big chains like Mars who advertise they have Psr9000 won't stock it until I buy it and even if they did stock it these sale skids would not know how to demo it properly anyway. They direct me to the big family music stores or the home organ shops. Well, reality is they only go up to the PSR2000 and never heard of ketron,solton, or sd1. As a matter of fact, they tell me that their cliental does not want anything that elaborate or expensive. NOW I HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS OF KEYBOARD HELL.

2.This brings me to option #2. MAIL ORDER!!!! I don't have 3k just to plunk down for mail order and see what is sounds like.

3.I am a branch manager of the largest wholesale security dealer in the O.S. We rep 700 lines and see reps all day long. If my customers would like to see a large matrix switcher which normally runs around 10k and up, I call the rep in to demo this to my customer. NO SUCH LUCK IN THE KEYBOARD WORLD. Logically I would call on the Yamaha rep Jake Jacobe or the Solton Rep ????

4. My only other option is to drive 5 hours one way across the desert to a LA music store and demo these. How impractical is that. I don't know about anyone else, but if I drive 5 hours one way I don't have the wits that afternoon to make a logical rational decision. Which means now I have to pay for a hotel room! I am glad I am not a starving musician otherwise this option would be completely out of the question.

5. I am glad I live in Las Vegas because this whole process is what I call a huge "GAMBLE" thank god for the synth zone. I at least have some advise. But as everyone knows, these styles are so subjective I have to hear this with my own ears.

Is anyone out there as frustrated as I am? Is there a loaner program out there? Can I rent each Keyboard just for 1 day? (I can't believe I said that. That's like renting a car before I buy one)
Please advise.
Herbi

Most any reputable dealer will have a 30-day return or exchange policy. Check with George Kaye or DanO.
DonM

Herbi, I totally concur with you. It really is amazing that an 'entertainment' city the size of Las Vegas (and where I live as well ...San Francisco Bay area) , has no music store willing to stock 'even one' 9000pro or even less, the Ketron SD1. I realize that these arrangers are fairly high ticket items, but how in the hell can they expect to sell them unless the customer has a chance to audition it. I don't know about Mars music, but Guitar Center offered (when Synthzone member Dan O-Neil worked there) a 30 day satisfaction guaranteed refund/return policy on both the 9000pro & SD1, as well as everything else sold by them. I wonder if they still offer this. Though there are many reputable music stores other than the Guitar Center in my area, no other (as far as I know) offers the 30 day exchange/refund policy

Herbi, Here's another idea. Perhaps you could checkout all the lounge acts along the Vegas Strip and find someone using one of these boards in their act and ask to try theirs. Well, at least it would be interesting to find out 'how many' Vegas Acts are utilizing arrangers these days. - Scott

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http://scottyee.com

Hi Herbi,
I know how you feel. when I bought my "Yamaha-PSR2000" there was nobody around my area that had one. The closest I got was a small music store that would "special-order" one but I could not return it.
So I went mail-order ,first time I had to reurn it. Then I waited a while and tried ordering again and it was "ok" (as ok as a y2k can be)
It is frustrating having to buy "sight-un-seen" !! I too would have loved the opportunity to try other KB`s but I owned "Yamaha KB`s" in the past so it wasn`t like a complete surprise!
The thing that helped alot was the ability to down-load the manual before and I listen to samples and the help I got here was the BEST
Best of luck with your KB search !!
jedi

For us, Dutchies, this is unbelievable because in the Netherlands almost EVERY town (some of them are realy small) has its Music Store.
Each of them has Yamaha's, Korg, Roland, General Music equipment from the 'lower class' to 'top class' models.
Unfortunately not all do sell Ketrons, so I have to drive 70 kilometers.

I think EVERY dutch musician is able to find 'his' instrument at a local dealer within a range of 50 kms.

Roel

Roel

Herbie
I came into my store this morning expecting to see you today as I thought that was your plan. I understand your frustration. As I told you last week, I do carry and stock the Ketron SD1 and the Yamaha 9000pro. I have both side by side. I've told members of this forum for years now why you don't find these kinds of products in all the stores. It's not that the distributors don't want the business, it's that the business does not want the product. Some think they are too hard to use and demo, some think they are too expensive, some don't want to deal with smaller european companys compared to the major lines, etc.
Scott, just last week a friend of mine called who used to be the National Sales Rep for Solton (ketron now) and said he is working at a music store in San Francisco and is looking into selling Ketron products. I talked to New York the other day (Bell/Duvox) and I was told there is representation in the SanJose area and Sacramento area and that they are looking into this dealer in San Francisco. Understand that just because you want a keyboard line, financial obligations and financial stability also must be considered as well.
What I tell my customers is that if they don't like what they've purchased from me, they can exchange it for any other product I sell. There is however, no refunds. The good news has been that very few times I've had to exchange a product for another, but if necessary, I'm glad to do it.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

Hi Roel , Holland sounds like a true paradise for arranger keyboard players. Don't be surprised if you suddenly find hordes of us forum members traveling to the Netherlands now

George: Thanks for shariang the wonderful encouraging news that a music store in SF may be carrying Ketron products soon. If your friend's music store ends up actually 'stocking' the Ketron line, please let us know.

Unfortunately, after calling the Northern California dealers Lou had referred me to, I was advised that they would ONLY take prepaid orders only (no kbs on display). I only hope that the San Francisco music store you're talking about (if they do end up carrying the Ketron keybaoard line) will be able to afford to have at least one SD1 and/or XD1 available on the showroom floor for customers to audition as well. - Scott