I'm not the smartest person... But from all messages I read from you guys, I discover that most keyboards from Yamaha, Roland and others are available in UK, for example, months before they arriving to the US. Why is it?

we alway get them last.... Sad but true, and we also don't have some models available to the US as well. Plus this whole thing on the West Coast has held up keyboards coming here to the US...

Squeak

With the keyboards being amnufactured overseas, it stands to reason they would get them first. Doesn't it? Italy and Japan seem to be the two biggies on manufacturing them.
Terry

I reckon its because they charge more for them here in the UK compared to USA so they are happy to meet demand. If its 1000 dollars in America its usually 1000 pounds in UK.

You know this is a good topic.. Were in the world are the American made keyboards??? Why are all the keyboards made in Japan, China, and other countries? It's time an American company stood up and started producing top quality keyboards both synths and arrangers for the US market.. It's not like we don't have the technology...

Squeak

HI:
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed !!!!!!!!!
But I think if we had a American made KB
we wouldn't be able to afford one anyway.
Just my 1 cent worth.
But it is to bad we don't have a good KB
company in the USA, & sold them for a reasonable
price.
Denny

squeak_D,
Just my opinion, and I'm not trying to open a can of worms but.... I believe the USA is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and any product that will sell and is of decent quality will be here for us to have. If it's not here then maybe it isn't going to be lucrative enough to bother with the import. As far as US production...what can I say.... again, just my opinion.
Lou


[This message has been edited by Lou Y (edited 10-14-2002).]

it just wouldnt compete well IMO. the market is very crowded as it is with some other manufacturers perhaps not getting the recognition they deserve as a result anyway, eg, GeneralMusic. with another brand about, i think it would totally be ignored, especially in Europe and Japan where the biggies are already established and wont be moved... IMO of course...

We get arranger keyboards after Europe because we don't buy as many as they do. So, who do you want to upset? those who buy the most or those that buy the least? Our US dealers don't order the numbers the European dealers buy. We have to wait!
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California

No American made keyboards?

Lou Y Quote: “I'm not trying to open a can of worms. As far as US production...what can I say”---

I don’t have any canned worms to open, just to let out a couple of bugs that are bugging me.

Quality.
Pride in workmanship.
Morals.
Motivation to excel.
Excellent educational system.
Trust.
One’s word is as good as gold.

All these qualities plus many more I can think of are suffering corruption. Why? GREED? I think greed is the basic root of our problems in this country.

No American made keyboards? Greed! Have them made in another country, suck the blood from cheap labor and make big bucks. Quality? Use the cheapest stuff and let’s make more money. Workmanship? Crap, need more money, more benefits, more time off, etcetera, etcetera and etcetera. Morals? Forget it, lets do what’s necessary to make more money. Motivation? Easy! More and more money to feed our greed, that’s motivating!! Excellent education? First things first, lets raise taxes to raise our salaries, our benefits and more time off to spend it. Just lower the standards and the kids will pass and the parents will be happy. Besides, they cant fire us! Trust?? Ha, Ha and Ha Ha. Tell them anything to get their money. Word good as gold? What is that? I can’t even remember what I said so how can I keep my word! Besides I went to the Chicago school system and passed. Believe me, take my word for it!! Look! I’m a success!! Got a few bucks in my pocket besides my thirteen credit cards, and two of them are not even maxed out yet. Greedy? Not me!!!

Why can’t I find an American made keyboard??? Better quit before I get greedy and use up all the space on this forum. I think Ruthie is getting a bit greedy. She wants to use more of my time so she can spend it with me. She has all my money, now she wants more of my time. How greedy can you get?

Grandpa Doug

Isn't Ensonig made in America? (Not a great asset to our credit)Never liked that stuff, and never really cared WHERE something was made as long as it works right. Try to find a watch or TV or radio made in America. I saw a "Tommy Hilfiger" shirt that was an American flag last month .... I looked the lable, and it said "Made in India" go figure.

I'm very proud of my nation and the work we are capable of, but I will never buy a "lable" over quality. When we were kids in the 60's "Made in Japan" used to mean junk (not the SHIPS) .... now it's a plus to find such an item.

Unk, you are so right!!!!!

Grandpa Doug

On top of which we have become a global community inter-dependant on each other. A sort of financial symbiosis. In the US, we have moved from a manufacturing base to a technology base and sent the manufacturing abroad where the EPA does not apply....yet. I was speaking to a tool manufacturer about that at one point and he said they can go to Taiwan and 30 days later have the product from start to finish. He went on to say in the US it was not uncommon to spend 3 years trying to get through all the EPA and other red tape at 4x's the price for the same product, before they could ever produce 1 of them.
Terry

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 10-14-2002).]

why Europe first?....
because they grant us the esteemed priviledge and honour to discover all the bugs before anyone else.

Now why would they do that? OK OK so Holmes would say, 'Elementary my dear Watson'. You Englishman are so methodic.

Let's see, here's a few scraps of info to throw into the discussion. Ensoniq no longer makes keyboards - they were bought out by Emu, another former US synth maker which is now owned by Creative Technologies (makers of the Sound Blaster) of Singapore. Emu is located near San Fransico but I doubt if their new keyboards are made there. Peavey used to make keyboards in the US but never did well in the market (I believe they are affiliated with General Music to some degree now). Former US maker Kurzweil was bought by Young-Chang and their products come from Korea now. Late news is that Bob Moog regained the rights to use his name again and will be making new Moog synthesizers so there's at least one US manufacturer to look to.

Even now as I shop for a new laptop I am finding that famed US makers Dell and Gateway are beginning to import their laptops and relabel them. No worries though - America will still make the best in movies and music plus bombs and Big Macs for a long time to come.

OK... Never dreamed I will have more than a dosen of answers within a single day... Nice to see that...

Douglas Dean have a good point... We can not trust american products... Just look what's going on in the automobile industry... Would you buy Ford, GM, Dodge, or rather Toyota, Honda & Nissan? I could simple not understand why it is that way... Isn't it possible for domestic manufacturer to make the same things in better quality? I think it's time for a change...

Thank you everybody for your time. It's really appriciated!...

We live in a global society. It shouldn't take any longer to get to America then Europe.
No I wouldn't drive a Ford,GM, or Chrysler. I drive a Honda. Main reason: reliability and fantastic fuel economy.
What ever happened to that famous phrase,"good old American know how and ingenuity". Looks like it was adopted by the Japanese. Its a good thing Japan doesn't make fighter jets and sell them to Iraq.

Star,
"What ever happened to that famous phrase,"good old American know how and ingenuity"

Are you kiddin' here? We "know how" to get other countries do the heavy lifting and pollute their side of the world with manufacturing.....and are "ingenious" enough to still make a heck of a profit in the process. God bless America....kinda brings a tear to your eye huh?
Terry

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 10-15-2002).]

Here is my $.02 and that is only my opinion so please read it in the spirit of light entertainment:


I believe that the American Market is a tougher one. First, the American consumer has the mentality of "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back." I have never heard that in Europe. I might be wrong, but my experience was, "if you do not like it, tough luck." So American conusmers complain a lot about quality and features and so on and so forth (and I am one of them. ) So manufacturer role the keyboards in other countries before the US to make sure that bugs are ironed out and that the American market is ready.

Second, American consumers look into specially the best features for the lowest price. In one sense, every person is like that... but that is specially true in American consumers. We ask the question, why should I pay this amount for this list of features. We buy keyboards from different stores to save few bucks. So in order for manufacturers to make profit, they consolidate the selections in the USA.

I have a Ford Aerostar.
DonM

Make sure that bugs are ironed out and that the American market is ready?

Sorry, that is a serious overestimation on the importance of the US market. The entire US sell less high-end portable keyboards than for example Denmark. It is an unimportant market. Like George Kaye said: You have to wait.
Or: Buy more when they arrive and you get them earlier the next time.

Ohrenarzt,
If what you say is true, this means Americans have either less disposable income for keyboards or are less sophisticated then Danes.
Kevin

Neither!!

Most Americans are trying to keep up with the Jones'. Mr. Jones is too busy making money. His wife never has enough so she works. The kids have no direction. When anybody is home they are worn out and want something to entertain them after they go to the restaurant because nobody had the time to get groceries. Therefore the Jones never had the time to learn how to play the keyboard so why should Mr. Jones buy one. Mr. Jones goes to the music store and purchases a shinny new grand piano for the front room to show off his wealth when he throws a party for his wealthy friends hoping to climb the social latter. They invite me over to play their grand piece of furniture. If its real good music they would like to hear, I suggest I might consider bringing my KN over for maybe a little dancing and such. That sheet of plastic with lots of buttons? Forget it, doesn't match the decor. Maybe your sax, that drummer and bass player of yours we had so much fun with over at the so and so's a couple of months ago. That would be nice. We'll go down to the party room after you play our piano. Ya! Lets do it.

The poorer people and the common middle class working stiff? The scenario of maxed out credit cards and watching their forty eight inch super theater surround sound digital ready TV is all they have time for. Give me my beer, my TV and the ball game with a bag of popcorn and I got it made. That's life in the midwest suburban Chicago land area. There are a few of us who have not been trapped and enjoy life to it's fullest. We live among all the life styles but have chosen not to conform. There are others like us in the US who love to entertain rather than be entertained and those are the people who spark the keyboard industry as well as many retired folks who like to experience fulfillment of a life long dream. Also as a fantastic way to relax and have purpose in life. I believe our life style here has a lot to do with the amount of keyboards sold here.

Just a few thoughts of light from an old man who’s light will go out in a few more years.

Grandpa Doug

Just to let you know, I have loved every minute of it!!

Doug,

I am impressed.

God bless

sk,

Thanks much.

Gramps