Quote:
Originally posted by BEBOP:
I can readily see this is not a thread for home users however I think our perspective should contribute as well.
Surely the manufacturers of these keyboards must have a need of home user support. How many semi or pro buyers can there be compared to the home user that is the one who supports these products.
I am no longer a pro user for several years now. Oh sure I do a gig once in awhile but I don¡¦t count that. That random gig doesn¡¦t even buy Donnie¡¦s used Keyboards.
So how much are us home users willing to pay for a have it all arranger, now that 639,000 of us a week are loosing our jobs, our houses, our cars, and our reputations?
Who will buy the home arranger if the choice is between insuring your family under an exorbitant priced Cobra Policy and a new have it all, do it all arranger keyboard?
Maybe the pro buyers have to pay more now in order to replace the home buyer who is no longer buying.
I used to pay 10 to 20 thousand for an organ and 5000 for an arranger in the piano stores and be glad to do it and get it.
What am I willing to pay now? What will formulate my decision?
Depreciation and available cash will be big part of that decision. What does the newest and greatest have to offer the home player that we probably already have in our current keyboard? Not a lot probably. New styles? We can download them all over the Internet. We can also make them.
How often does the home player play his home arranger that he needs all the latest bells and whistles. I play mine about 4 hours a week now days.
Depreciation?
I play a tyros 2 that list at about 4000.00. I just had a quote from Musician 123 or whatever they name is that buys your gear or takes trade. Their offer for my mint Ty 2 with max hard drive and Ram installed was about 600 for cash and about 800 for a trade in.
Do you think this excites me to buy the latest and greatest at ah exorbitant price if there is no return on it?
I also play a Roland E 80 that had a list price of 5000. I See these Roland jerks are now pedaling them off for 2000 a pop.
Do you think this would excite me to go buy another Yamaha or Roland.
I still have a PSR9000 in here that I have never sold because of the depreciated value. There are 8 more keyboards in here that I have never sold. I also have a complete recording studio in here that I have never sold. I have never sold these because I have been unable to come to terms with the depreciated values. Like Donnie sez use them, write them off and pedal them. How do us home users do that Donnie?
There are nearly 7 million people out of work in the us today. They are trying to live on unemployment checks that max out in California at 450 a week. This barely buys food here and not keyboards.
I may soon just take up playing the phonographļ
That is the perspective of this home player regarding price increases for a new over priced keyboard.
Best to all,
OLD RETIRED BEBOP
PS: I forgot to add that half the keyboards in here are Work Stations. They go back to the pro working days. One is a dedicated sampler. They don't have much value either

[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 05-15-2009).]


Bill I understand your position & thank you for your thoughts on this topic.Home players are making themselves happy playing music......& that is priceless. We have short times on the earth, how we choose to take life's journey is up to each of us & we all do it different. I'll bet you can still make great music on anyone of those arrangers you have in your home due to your talent not the unit itself. You cannot change the way the market conducts business & to make a profit to exist is a fact of life although we might not like it as in depreciation....a car for example being one of the worst investments ever & a cancerous cash cow at best. Technology is in its infancy for sure now....imagine whats in the horizon in the years to come .....in a few short years what we have now will surly be atiquiquated..........money, money, money, rules the world but dont let it rule yoruself.

Good luck my friend.