I wonder if all this is, .....is Rolands attempt to sell off surplus parts from all the BK models just to get rid of parts?

Besides the two displays, I don't think this is about getting rid of physical hardware parts. The buttons look different. No, I think Roland analyzed that some geographical markets such as Eastern Europe, Turkey and Asia have been more prone to arranger demand according to their past experience, and so they are focussing on these regions now. It's still about compensating for their past operating in the red.

those reused parts could be inside the kb

Then why not just continue to manufacture the BK models in China instead of investing in thousands of new ethnic samples?

I guess Roland knows they have no chance in the USA arranger Kb market anymore selling against Yamaha & Korg...
too bad they were a big player years ago.

Still better than abandoning the arranger market entirely, which would have been possible after the end of Roland Europe. Maybe they will come up with a more sophisticated arranger some time again when they have really recovered financially (the Aira range could help).

I doubt it they blew their chance .....good luck to them.

As long as you and others perceive it that way, it will be so, as the consumer is boss, even though they may not realize it. They certainly have the expertise to make a world class arranger, but their marketing and production mistakes, as well as their internal financial upheaval has severely damaged their reputation.

A case in point is the BK-9, which I own. It has wonderful sounds and unique functions, but they didn't finish balancing etc, and their method of compiling registrations,has made unnecessary work for the end user.

It is,indeed, too bad.