Esh,I think thats a bit harsh for the majority,the good dealers have been the backbone throughout the time, without these there would have been very little sold, without these, there would be no p/ex,s, nowhere to go for repairs,support and advice. Yep you could go it alone and save a bit of money,you would also be the one who would be talking to a recorded message or the janitor (you don,t have a clue who you are talking to)asking how long will you have to wait for your board repaired/ delivered. A dealer who buys maybe 100 boards a year will get results quicker than,a mr X who buys one on the net and often rings with an enquiry .I agree not all dealers are the same but the good local shop is there for both the pro and the novice.Mike[/B][/QUOTE]

I've worked at music stores and was the guy that people came to for repairs and advice... the things we fixed were out of warranty and most everything else went back to the factory if it didn't work. Support beyond basic operation was often referred to the manufacturer also. And our customers were overwhelmingly music students and hobbyists with pros taking the minority, so the products and services we offered reflected the market. I personally haven't made a keyboard purchase from a local dealer in ten years.

BTW: one thing my wife and I took notice of... we just got our Feb/2006 copy of Keyboard magazine which has an very good review of the Tyros 2 in it (it got a KeyBuy award). Interestingly, Yamaha has no ads for the Tyros 2 in this issue, only ads for their MO's. I found that surprising, especially since the review touts the many "pro synth" features and flat-out says tha Tyros 2 surpasses many top workstations sonically. The only arranger advertised in the issue is the Roland G-70, and that ad shows the keyboard at an extreme angle and calls it a "music workstation". It's a stealth-marketed arranger.