I remember the 510 and 410 very well...I actually had the 510, which was a little gem of an instrument, and one of the first PSR with on bass chording. The styles on both 410 and 510 were great!
I went to a PSR-1700 after that one, and then, like you, I fell in love with the PSR-8000 when I saw it at a Yamaha "Keys To Success" in Scarborough Ontario. I had that keyboard for quite a few years, actually buying a second one as I was playing very often and needed a backup.
I feel that the PSR-8000 was when Yamaha really got serious with the competition.
Like you as well, I went to mid-range for a time with the PSR-2000, 3000, S900, S910...lucky to have them all at dealer cost price as I was a clinician. Then the Tyros4 did the same thing the PSR-8000 did to me...and now I have one.
I have always liked Yamaha's sound, even before I worked for them, and although I also dabbled with other brands, I always felt most comfortable and at home with Yamaha.
Danny, are you doing any gigging?
Ian
Hi Ian,
I remembered the shop I bought the PSR-8000 from, it was Chappell's in Milton Keynes, it doesn't exist any longer, I think they have a Yamaha Kemble place now but I've never been to that one.
I remember a feature that I really enjoyed on the 8000 was the virtual arranger where it gave the 7th chord inversions (I think) to each style, it really made a difference, shame they took that feature away.
Unfortunately there's nothing local to me anymore and I'd have to travel out of town. Most of my purchases have been online and I took a risk with GEM & Solton. I was really going into the unknown there but wasn't disappointed apart from both of those keyboards developing faults (GEM WK6 the motherboard died and with the Solton X1 the display went on it). I also owned a GEM WX2 (second edition) but I gave it to my sister.
The three Korg keyboards I owned (i30, PA-80 & PA1X) were superb and never hit any problems, the same as with all my Yamaha's.
As for gigging, I've never gigged myself but I have assisted my dad on his gigs, nothing major. I have occasionally played in Church a few times in the past to fill in for the main pianist that's when I was using the PSR-620.
One keyboard that I really always wanted to own was a PSR-730, it looks really slick. I could probably get a cheap one somewhere but really it wouldn't be for anything other than satisfying my curiosity, but it does look slick.
It's a shame I missed out on Technics keyboards, my dad owned one and I remember it sounding awesome, I can't remember the model but it was a MOTL range.
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