I'm almost certain I'm going to buy a a very interesting stage piano, the Yamaha p-500. I have a few minor problems though: it's hellishly expensive (about 3300$) for something as electronic and old as this one seems to be; probably made in 1994, can't be sure. The meaningful digits in the serial number (read after the make and morel) are 24, which suggests a very small batch of these digital stage pianos ever made so no-one seems to know anything about these things at all! Yamaha does not even recognise the model, the case is not so with the p-100, p-150 and p-300 models which seem to be p-500's contemporaries, but... After two nights of searching the internet and usenet I found only ONE very short reference to this piano: it went more or less like this: U.S. retail price 9999$, discontinued. That is all.

I can see and feel what I'm (probably) buying, but I have no reference over it nor any comments from anyone who might know the, if any, unobvious shortcomings of this instrument, in the likes of user reviews etc. The importing company, not a very small one by our Finnish standards, know only that it is a veeery pro piece, then again it is the only one in the country and it does not have mch competition so who can tell. It does have a history, and an active one at that (it seems Rolling Stones used it in a gig they did here a few years back) but I'm too small a musician to contact the people whom have used it before.

To make a messy message short(er): Any information on p-500 (excluding brochure specs) especially user comments would be more than gratefully read by me.

Sincerely everyone's: Jon Thompson Coon

The P500 was a VERY pro piece. I can remember seeing Stevie Wonder on stage playing one. The expensive parts of the keyboard were the cabinet (real wood) and stand (super-strong metal). The 500 is also the only modern stage piano I know of made with XLR (balanced) outputs. If all you are after are the SOUNDS and action of the P500, try to source a P300. If only the 500 will do, make sure you get the stand and the keyboard rack, a tubular steel frame that suspends above the keyboard to another, smaller board.

Steve Martin