I've never owned a Yamaha (I went straight from a Hammond to a Korg i30) and from what I've heard so far, with the exception of their high-end boards, I'm not overly impressed by Yamaha. That said, I might, just out of curiosity, shell out for a basic PSR board just to get an idea of Yamaha's modus operandi re. arrangers. I see that Best Buy here in the Great White North are selling the Yamaha PSR172 for $179.

What do you Yamaheads think? Would this be a fair introduction to Yamaha's world?

In my music store, the PSR172 is the only Yamaha I choose not to sell. The keys are not touch sensitive and I don't think that any keyboard out there should be without touch sensitivity as an option. Also, if you plan to hear the same sounds on this board as say the DGX300 or PSR2100, you will not. I would suggest at least the PSR292, which sells here for $229.00 with the survival kit (AC adapter, sustain pedal, headphones, and 2 year extended warranty) as a starting keyboard.
George Kaye
Kaye's Music Scene
Reseda, California
818-881-5566