Fran and AJ,and, of course,Gustavo,
You must understand I am not trying to say one keyboard is better than the other in terms of features/sounds etc.
That's a personal issue.
My concern is the integrity of the information I pass on to our friend Gustavo.
I can't prove the Casio/Technics connection(I will try and find more information,but it isn't readily available) but I have read reviews that "almost confirm" this issue.I believe in the adage,"where there is smoke...there is fire"
If Gustavo were here in Canada,or in the UK or USA where there were lots of Technics and MZ-2000 keyboards that could be cannibalized for parts,than I would tell him to go ahead with the Casio purchase.
The power of Yamaha parts/service was demonstrated to me several years ago when a friend of mine called me about a problem he had with a Yamaha D-85 Electone organ,which was made in 1980 and was at least 15 years old at the time.
It needed components that the local dealer did not have,but through Yamaha Canada,I was able to get the OE parts from Japan,and the cost wasn't even outrageous (It did take a few weeks) .Now,that's pretty good... and one of the reasons I am pro Yamaha.
I have witnessed other people get PSRs and DX7 parts the same way....so it wasn't a one-off thing.
Maybe Technics was beginning it's downward period when it shared the technology with Casio.
I remember the big fiasco when people found out several years ago that Hohner was using Casio portable keyboards in their line...albeit the panels and the name was altered slightly.A German company with Japanese engineering!!!.
Radio Shack uses Casio stuff as well, under the" Realistic" name.
The name of the game is big business, fierce competition,and profits!!!!
The bottom line is..... will our friend Gustavo,be able to have the MZ-2000 repaired,and within a reasonable time? Will the store provide him with a replacement keyboard while his is being fixed(they should offer this in the warranty if they have that much faith in the product.But they seem to be "gougers" ,at least by the ridiculous prices they charge.
It is already "used" and slightly damaged...not good signs,and even worse,where in Argentina,the product is very scarce....no support is available.
I love old gear,and would love to still have some of the keyboards I used to own,but maintenance and parts and poor reliability(even when new) made keeping them too much of a burden.
A.J. is correct,the ability to have these instruments in "software" is terrific, and a person can have ARPs, Moogs and Yamaha CS-80's....all incredible sounding,and unreliable or too large and heavy keyboards that would be a nightmare to maintain in hardware form.
What will keep the PSR-3000 a viable instrument ,long after it's superseded by newer PSR models, is Yamaha's ability to provide parts and service(even after the warranty is over) for many years after the purchase.
The PSR-3000 may not be the perfect keyboard,but there is no denying it is an outstanding value.
I wish Gustavo the best of luck with whatever ends up on his keyboard stand.
Ian