I did some calculating with the exchange rates I found on the net.
£2199 is about 3295 Euro, or 3900 Dollar like Scott already mentioned.

The suggested retail price for the G-70 is 3495 Euro in Holland, but the price in the stores varies from 2995 Euro to 2775 Euro (I did some checking around). If you take an average of 2900 it would be £ 1933 or USD 3476.

This all seems very unfair to the customer and I wonder how the dealership handles the pricing on your trade-in, or part exchange as the British call it... This is the only way they can give you a discount.

But what if you have nothing to trade in? Maybe buy a very old run-down keyboard in a garage sale for a few bucks, just for the trade-in? ;-)

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Tom NL

Obviously prices vary in different country's
UK Retail Prices are TYROS £2550. G70 £2199 Difference £350 UK Pounds.
A 76 Note Tyros Pro if ever it showed a face would be much higher than the G70's. £2199.

It is possible that it is just only Roland UK that this type of selling policy will take place


[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 11-14-2004).]

By the way, at about 2900 Euro the G-70 is priced exactly the same as the Tyros and the PA1X(PRO) in Holland, which to my opinion is what Roland's marketing department wants. If the price in the UK is significantly higher than for the PA1 and the Tyros, things won't work out for them in that market to my humble opinion. Even if this one most likely is the better buy.

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Tom NL

Do UK prices include VAT?

Yes Alex ...It does.

I wouldn't pay $4,000 for a Tyros III!

in regards to uk prices,you can get the tyros for less than £1800 (i doubt if none of our members would pay the rec/retail price unless it was bought on finance)this subject has come up many times,they are priced to a country to what they can (will) afford to pay,the best way is to go to a country for a holiday where you can buy at low prices,possibly taiwan? but if anything goes wrong then you will have to fork out for repairs,personally i would prefer it if i had a george kay or a dano etc shop locally and deal with them,their prices are fair and the aftersales service is second to none, mike

OK, This makes some sense. The US prices are usually quoted before sales tax, so subtract 17% (?) from the $4000 ($2100), and the US price becomes $3300 - this is in line with PA1X.

However, I believe that PA1X are selling rather poorly, mostly due to their high price.

I think Roland is trying to circumvent the problems that Yamaha had with the 9000 Pro: many typical Yamaha pro-line dealers wouldn't carry the 9000 Pro so a lot of potential customers never saw or heard it. Roland's direct-to-customer idea with the G70 seems like an interesting concept that at least may get demo models of the G70 onto the dealer floors. This concept also helps eliminate some of the problems that dealers have with being used as "try but not buy" places where customers try out the instruments but then buy from the web at cheaper prices and without sales tax. Same with customer help-desk issues. It also assures customers of getting new instruments and not a unit that has been demo'd to death and then repackaged (unless you buy the floor model of course, assuming you can at some point). And it takes the financial load off of dealers who often have to buy floor models only to watch them be destroyed by careless customers.

Except for the no-discount price thing and the inability to take a G70 home the same day you try it, I see this as a smart marketing strategy on Roland's part, particularly for local dealers. I know from being a former keyboard salesperson that I hated trying to sell keyboards to people only to have them buy it cheaper from an out of state dealer and then call me for help on how to use it. I couldn't blame them for trying to save money but I couldn't give away my time either and I often just wound up in a no-win situation. Like it or not, I'll bet we see other keyboard manufacturers adopt similar sales tactics.

I was waiting to see a post similar The Pro's. I agree. I think Roland is trying to facilitate the retailers by letting them order only what they sell. Roland will handle the shipping, eliminating the warehousing costs of the middleman. Can I get the G70 the same day I try it; probably, if the retaler is optimistic enough to order 2-3 himself, but for the smaller retailer it's simpler to take the order and let Roland ship it. I suspect that in the US, Roland will give the retailer a SRP and a wholesale price. Therefore, my store could sell for a few bucks more or less than another. Follow?