That's not an old folks home. It's a music store in Sears who's customers are seniors.

I worked with Mark Bouvier at Fletcher Music centers which was/is the worlds largest home organ chain, selling home organs only.

Sears has leased space to different music stores for years starting with Baldwin. Someone tried to lure me away from Fletchers to do that for Roland some years ago.

Mark has left Fletchers and is using the home organ concept with the T4. Interesting to see how this approach works so well that it is number one in the US outselling the New York and Los Angelos market. FWIW

The swing beat that Pete played is outstanding. I was wondering when I'd actually hear something that good on an arranger.

This is an extension of the home organ market. I assure you that most of the customers here are lucky if they can play with one finger in both hands.

Only a very small percent of this type of customer would be interested in 76 notes.

True...we do surveys at all our clinics, and the percentage wanting 76 keys is very small...almost negligible.

The "younger" arranger buyer, at around 45 or so, does tend to want something that can be easily carried, as quite a few do some gigging.

Those wanting more than 61 are usually piano players, and prefer 88 weighted action...the CVP Clavinova is very popular with this bunch.

Ian

Amazing!! No not the demo, the conicidence. My wife and I are on the verge of buying a home in Ocala. We've been to the Paddock Mall where the Sears store is, too bad we weren't there this week.

Exactly.
And especially since Ian has basically said that their “research” really did not address having extra 15 keys and did not seem to address other customer’s concerns other than persons over 65. Asking a small segment of your market who plays 61 keys if they would like 76 keys (where the perception of 76 keys is that of the Korg PA1 X pro and Roland G70 and PSR 9000 pro), the answer is quite obvious.

If arrangers were just for past organ players then is Yamaha saying that Roland, Korg, Ketron, and Mediastation are all wrong? Did not those company do “research” to see if 76 key arrangers are wanted?


If those persons on the video will buy a T4, if it had an additional 15 keys and was not heavier and less compact, did Yamaha ask them if that would prevent them from buying the T4?


And, I am sorry but if those arranger players (as Ian says) use to play keys in a band, did they not play a 76 key keyboard? Did they not play a piano or a 88 key keyboard? Would not a 76 key arranger be the perfect compromise for them?

Hopefully the new S series will address the short comings in the T4 and have the extra 15 keys.

Still haven't accepted that there will be no 76 TOTL arranger from Yamaha, Genny?

Gee, it's staring you right in the face.

Count 'em...61 keys.

Now stop weeping, and take your meds.

Ian

So I guess I'm the only one Shocked at the $7000 price tag??? or has this music store included some value added services like Lifetime lessons or something?

They mention lessons and superb service in the article. Someone mentioned that the owner visits them at home. Surely something comforting to the clientele since most-all of his customers are old.

Did you see that one customer who played the Tyros 4 was 90 years old?

[This message has been edited by trident (edited 09-16-2010).]

I think george kaye stated in a previous T4 same price as the T3?....and well worth the price for all the great features and super sound this instrument gives the customer.

The suggested retail price is still the same and map is still the same. I'm at home right now but I think retail is $5495.00 and map is $4595.00 (give or take $100.00!).
This doesn't mean you have to sell at this price. It only means you cannot advertise anything less than MAP price. And although I think it must be getting more difficult to sell for over the retail price, this is just a suggested retail and dealers can mark up retail to anything they wish. Some dealers I've been told do mark up and then offer large trade up values when their customers wish to upgrade. This was a very common practice years ago but I think it would be harder these days with so many folks using computers.

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George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566
www.kayesmusicscene.com