The talent level of Genos purchasers has NOTHING to do with justification for buying one. In fact a great sounding instrument WILL encourage a player to practice more, and many have said they just can't quit playing the Genos...(this of course apply's to any brand)

If that 6 year old, falls in love with the sound of that Violin, he/she may well be encouraged to be a concert level player.

So if you don't have to move it around all the time (justification for a smaller board) and can afford it...why not get the best. I'm in the 20% that don't sing...so to me the quality sound of the instument is critical, and will encourage me to practice and become a better player of the music I like.

Just from my point of view...
Lee

And let me say Lee, that I totally respect your point of view. I'm a firm believer that your point of view is as valid for you as mine is for me. I think it's very healthy to look at situations from different points of view. Sometimes we even learn something.

chas

Lee...I like You're point of View!...Harold

Just curious,
Does that mean you shouldn't buy a Genos if you can't play like Peter Baartmans?
Sounds kind of ridiculous to me.
Next Question:
Why is it that all the nay Sayers keep insisting that the Genos cost $6000.00, even though it was numerous times stated by people who bought it that they payed around $4000.00
Just trying to keep it real. ...
Most people have bigger houses than they need ...
A lot of guys have bigger cars or more luxury cars than they need.
Where does it start and where does it end?
Who cares what anybody buys as long as they have the money and enjoy it.
Live and let live ...
Eric

Good thread! Here are some of my thoughts...If they are worth anything, I take PayPal.

I have long extolled the virtues of the Korg PA4X, and my opinion has not changed. EXCEPT my fingers and wrists have changed, and I now find it very difficult to play the whole night with the semi-weighted keys. Last night I played four hours without a break (my own choice of course, but it was worth it $). The lowly EA7 didn't bother my fingers at all.
Genos keys are not as heavy as the Korg or the Ketron, but are they too heavy still for me? Don't know for sure. I did love the keys on the SX900.
Whatever I get these days is excellent, and there are compromises for each brand and each arranger. No bad choices.
On the PA4X, pianos, organs, guitars, strings, EPs...are fine. I like the saxes on both the Roland and Yamaha better. Yammy guitars, particularly the Pedal Steel are unsurpassed. Vocal sounds are better on Roland and much better on Genos and SX. I am very pleased with all the sounds I used on the Ketron SD7/SD40. The "bread and butter" sounds I use are probably overall the best on Ketron.
As mentioned already, I feel the organs on Yamaha rank dead last, but I don't really use them that much anyway. Roland organ on BK9 is tops; EA7 is really good as well.
Style: All of them have their strengths and weaknesses. No problem with any of them finding what I need. It's an extremely subjective area.
Multipads are most versatile and useful on Yamaha, Korg is second, Roland "sucks" as the kids say, but at least they finally added some. Ketron--missing.
Operating in real time--Korg RULES with the Songbook and myriad of controls plus very well done touch screen. Roland EA7 is right there with it, though in a totally different way.
Yamaha is fine once you get really familiar with it, but I feel it still trails the PA4X in many ways. They are catching up though.
The seamless fills, breaks and variations on Yamaha styles are tops, while Korg is getting better but still has some deficiencies. Ketrons are excellent with as many as four breaks per style, although they are not that easy to select individually and use in real time. It depends on what you choose to display on the screen.
Korg rules on vocal processing/vocal harmonizing and overall e.q. Ketron is very close, Roland lags on the EA7 with no VH at all. Yamaha is finally making some improvements to the VH, but not totally there yet, although the vocal processing (effects, e.q., variety) has always been quite good.
Text display I feel is better on the Korg, but good on Yamaha and a little awkward to set up on Ketron. None on EA7!
Registrations are best on Ketron, really good on Korg (again Songbook), and o.k. on Roland, but limited to 100 per group. Yamaha is fine and there are many ways to use them. The great thing about the Ketron Registrations is that they actually contain all the data, rather than just point to it. The sounds, styles, texts...etc., are all contained in each Registration. Outstanding! You can take a Registration from previous generation and load it and even if the data are not on the keyboard, it is still there in the Reg. However on Ketron, organizing them is not as easy. Each new one you make is not automatically put in alphabetical order.
One added thought, I have only very limited exposure to the Genos so far and my Yamaha observations are mostly from models up through the SX900 and from manuals and videos.
All of the arrangers require time and effort to personalize and adapt to one's own wants and needs, and all of them sound excellent, though in different ways.
Again, NO BAD CHOICES, just what fits you best at the time.

This guy makes some interesting points.. Worth watching with an open mind.

when does yours is better then mine ever stop here?

Maybe I didn't make it clear in my post. I stated clearly that "people can spend their own money any way they see fit" and that my opinion was just that, an opinion. I feel that there was some truth in it even if that truth may be uncomfortable for some, and yes, I still don't think a 6 yr old should be given a Stradivarius, and I would question the wisdom of any parent that did so, regardless of their financial situation. As with a lot of things in life, it's not a matter of 'CAN you do something, but SHOULD you'. Again, JMO.

chas

Well that's certainly not what I said. I said they are all great.