I have to admit, I used a Casio Wk3200 on stage (for the piano and organ sounds, and as a temporary controller for Midjay) for a few nights. I must also admit I used silver masking tape to cover the name. In the words of Jimmy Reed: Shame, shame on me.
I did THINK about leaving the name showing and telling everybody that the arranger they heard was the Casio. But that would have be cruel.
DonM

So what is DonM, blinkered or blind? He's about as 'Pro' as you're going to find and has enough credibility with his audience to be able to display the Casio or any other banner, but his gut reaction (and action) was to NOT identify what most folks would consider to be an amateur keyboard. Thankfully, he was honest enough to admit it (though sheepishly ).

I'm just saying, sometimes someone else is right, too. Maybe, once in awhile, we should preface more statements with "IMO". JMO.

chas

What is anything here BUT opinion? Do I REALLY got to preface everything I say with JMO, IMO, YMMV? Surely that is implied...

Opinions vary... You can't honestly be telling me that anyone takes what I write here as FACTS, do you?

Personally, I am kind of the perverse kind of guy that it might tickle my fancy to cover up the Roland logo, and put Casio there (or Bontempi, or Costco! ) because, basically, no-one whose opinion I value much would EVER judge me or my playing based on what the bloody logo is on the front of my keyboard. You listen to music with your EARS. And they can't hear a logo.

Casio used to make some pretty amazing synths, back in the day. If they make something as good tomorrow, I won't worry in the slightest what the logo says. The only people that EVER care or even notice what brand keyboard you play are other keyboard players... And I sure as hell ain't playing for them!

I just don't get it... For all everyone worries about what brand keyboard they play, or all the talk about people coming up and dissing arranger use in a band, or even as a solo or duo tool, I swear, in my entire LIFE, no-one has EVER come up to me and dissed what gear I played. No other musician I have EVER worked with has ever disparaged me for using an arranger... You know why? Because, all they know is, I'm playing a KEYBOARD. And it sounds great. THEY DON'T CARE what brand it is, or what type of keyboard it is, or what color it is, or what it weighs...

If it sounds great, they won't give a damn if it is a Casio or a Synclavier. They won't care if it is an arranger or a WS. They won't care if it is black or blue or red or silver.

I just don't get why WE seem to care about stuff that is SO irrelevant as to be absurd Worry about your PLAYING, folks. That's all they care about...

JMO, IMO, YMMV, BBC, BBQ, DCO, VCF, WTF...

How many styles does one really need? More than the amount, the quality of styles is more important.

I think Casio puts out a pretty decent product, but is short on features. A MOTL arranger good enough for "pro" use is very achieveable if Casio were to put its mind to it. This might be worth keeping an eye on.

What Diki said in theory I can agree with.
But, from the manufacturer’s perspective, they are quite concerned with what “they” think.
The “they” in this case is not the audience. The “they” in this case is the keyboard buyer. And, if the Keyboard buyer does not feel comfortable having a certain brand displayed as part of their set-up, you could bet that the manufacturer will take that in to consideration in what they make and how they market what they make.

One thing that Casio would probably excel at is the 76-88 keybed lightweight arranger. Yamaha have chosen to pretty much abandon that segment with any decent arranger section, seems like the perfect spot for Casio to come in with a Privia with a more full-blown arranger than they currently have.

At least they won't be going toe to toe with Yamaha...

I know of several VERY good piano players MORE than happy to gig with a Privia. 'They' don't care it has Casio on the front It's a great sounding, inexpensive and lightweight stage piano.

Remember, once upon a time, having Yamaha on the front logo of your arranger meant it was a cheap and nasty POS... Now, it's cool They didn't change the logo, and people started buying them. Know why? Because they started to be really good...

That's all it takes.

Look, all I said is that I thought Casio would have a better chance of success marketing to professional musicians if they labeled it under a new name and implied that it was being produced by the newly-created 'Professional Division' of their company. In fact, it could be called the POS Pro.

Do I know that for a fact? No. Does anyone know that it's not. No, again. I think it's ok to take a different position on an issue, but sometimes maybe we could just topple it gently as opposed to smacking it down. JMO.

chas

Casio sold plenty of CZ-1's, VZ-1's and even a few FZ-1's too, all the while suffering from that same assumed inferiority complex. Even back then, keyboard players didn't CARE whether it had Casio on the front panel. Why would they care any more now?

The Privia has already demonstrated that Casio don't need to rebrand themselves to get respect and sales from the pro players' market. They are one of the hottest, most popular stage pianos (hardly a Casio strong point from years past) out at the moment. I am just unsure WHY, if Casio can get respect in one area of the keyboard market, they can't in the arranger market (or any other they choose to go in)..? All it takes is one killer product.

I don't honestly think this IS opinion... Privia has shown it to be a fact. Without Privia's success, I might be more inclined to think you right, but you are arguing a point that there is direct contrary evidence.

Let's face it. 'What have you done for me lately' is the tune of the industry Roland USED to be the top dog. TONS of cachet for the name, the logo. But does it get much respect around here? Not much that I've noticed... I may have to cover up THAT logo before I cover up a Casio one, these days

If I cared, that is...

I used to use a Casio CZ-1 that sat on the stand above the Yamaha DX-5 I was also using.

One of my Yamaha buddies came to the gig, and on break, he remarked how great the DX-5 sounded on the last tune.

I took a perverse delight in telling him the instrument he heard was the CZ-1, which I was playing from the DX-5's keyboard through MIDI.

Casio FZ-1 samplers are collectors items, and I just sold a mint VZ-1 a few months ago for a pretty darn good price.

The day I start being concerned about the logo on my keyboard in relation to what someone else thinks, will never arrive. It has never made one bit of difference to me in all the years I've been playing.