Kind of makes moot what you've been saying, though. It apparently IS about the number of keys, at least from Yamaha's viewpoint...

But seriously, one of the things you don't take into account is, for those ALREADY used to a 76, a forced step back to a 61 is a bitter pill to swallow. It isn't so much about 'what you can do with what you have', for me it's very much about 'what was I able to do before that I can't now'. If I WANT to play within a 61 note range, that is no problem on a 76! But you simply CANNOT play what you can on a 76 on a 61.

This includes almost ALL of the classical repertoire (you'd be amazed at how much can be done on a 76, though!), most jazz, any Rhodes based fusion and jazz funk, and maybe the 85% of modern pop piano that CAN be played on a 76 (probably less than 40% can be played on a 61, IMO).

Within the limits of transportability, I want to be able to play any darn thing I feel like playing, at any time I feel like playing it. And, as a user of keyboards of ALL sizes since the sixties, I can tell you, there are just some things that you CAN'T play on a 61. And they include many of my favorites.

Hence why I use 76 now, I've used 76 for decades now (while adding smaller ones as necessary), and I won't go back. I could easily do a gig on a 61, if FORCED to (done it many times), but if given a choice (this is why I'm pissed at Yamaha), I'll take the 76 every time.

Less compromise is always a good thing, IMO...