Dan,

You have brought up a very important issue for all prospective buyers of electronic gear. I agree with you 100%, buying extended warranty is a rip-off. It is an extra source of revenue for places like Guitar Center where they coax you into getting the extended warranty right after the sale is completed.

Electronic instruments rarely fail if they operate successfully for the first 90 days. Most problems show up during this initial period. This is adequately covered by the original factory warranty. Good dealers like yourself do a swap on the device if something goes wrong saving the customer all the hassle.

Personally, I have never bought any warranty on any gear. Not a single device from Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Technics or Casio has ever failed me requiring warranty service. I take great care of all my toys in my smoke free, child free, pet free home studio and never take them out to gigs. I think if the user does not abuse the instrument, they will last a long time.

The key is to keep them in a dust free air-conditioned environment, use a good power surge like Brickwall, turn them off after use or during a thunderstorm, make sure they have proper ventilation, check for faults in the house wiring, house them in vibration free stable cabinets, and keep them away from liquids, food and sharp objects and use clean hands while operating them.

Thanks for your candid advise Dan.

Tapas