Shout out to ProAudioStar

[MathOfInsects]

These guys are the bomb-diggity and I just wanted to share this story.

 

Short backstory is that I sold my NS3C and purchased an "open box," "Used - Mint" NS4 on Ebay. It showed up damaged and unusable, not from shipping. (Gouges/dents in the front and a bent/non-functioning drawbar.) I sent it back but can't afford a replacement from somewhere until the sale is refunded. This put me in a bind because I did the whole thing during a period when I wouldn't need the Nord, and now I have three days of recording sessions starting on Weds that I want/need that particular board for. I was either going to have to rent a board (adding $ to the price of any replacement) or use VI's, which I do all the time for stemming but have never tracked with. 

 

In the mean time, I found a used board on ProAudioStar, and saw that they had an overnight shipping option for extra $$. I decided to go on faith that the refund would happen as it should and stick the board on my credit card.

 

Something weird happened when I tried to complete the transaction, and I ended up having to call. I figured if I was calling anyway I would also ask if there was a discount code I could use, since now the whole thing had gotten away from me $$$-wise.

They guy who answered, Trey, said they don't usually have discount codes for used boards, especially brands like Nord, but he'd see what he could do. He asked why I wanted the overnight shipping and I told him the whole saga, including that it was cheaper to just buy the board and pay for overnight shipping than to rent a board for the session and then buy afterward. I heard him click-click-click, and he said, "Let me ask you something. I can sell you that board, that's fine. But if I could swing a new board for either the same price as that used one or close to it, and make sure that it ships from our Nevada Warehouse so it gets to you in time, would you have any interest in that?" I said, "Brand new? Not open-box or gently used but looks like new?" He said, "Brand new, unopened in the box--new stock." I said, "Heck yes." I may have said a different word in there. 

 

He click-click-clicked and said, "Ok, yeah, looks like I can make it happen for [a price ridiculously close to the cheaper used board]. We are a volume seller and I can't always do it but sometimes we are able to match the price of our open box stock with a new product. I'll ship a new board from our Nevada warehouse, and I am sending them a message right now to make sure it goes out with today's FedEx."

 

So F'n ProAudioStar is sending me a brand new bouncing Swedish baby Nord Stage 4 Compact for the price of the cheapest used board you can currently find on Reverb or Ebay (which is their own open-box board), and it's being delivered within minutes of me posting this thread, and it was all at their own suggestion/initiation. I was perfectly willing to take my chances on their "used" board from their website. As I told him on the phone: customer for life now, here. 

By the way, there is a used NS4C at a very nice price on their website (only, not on the reseller sites), if you're in the market for such a thing. 

 

Just wanted to share. There is still great service out there. I asked Trey why he was offering that deal and he said he just likes to solve problems, was sorry to hear about my "ordeal" with Ebay and wanted to make sure I was set for my sessions. 

 

Awesome, right?

 

[cphollis]

FWIW, I've bought all my Nords (and other pricey gear) from them for years.  Always a positive experience with regards to service and price.

 

Enjoy your NS4C!

[Stokely]

I've bought some stuff from them, never had any issues and the price has been great.  Same with a friend who has used them.   He received what he swears was a brand new keyboard when he bought a b-stock item as well.

Lately, I've gotten similar deals from SW so I go that direction mainly due to the 2-year warranty--which I have used a couple times well after the normal return period, both times they replaced the unit (caveat, these were smaller items and not a big Nord).   Whoever you use, don't be afraid to ask for a deal, they'll do it if they can!

[JoJoB3]

Same here, ProAudioStar has always been fantastic.  There's no old candy in a box but minimal email bombardment, simplicity, and service is the Golden Ticket.

[J.F.N.]

Beautiful!!!

 

Enjoy your new baby!

[ProfD]

@MathOfInsects, excellent deal mayne. 

 

As we often brag about our brick and mortar spot here on the east coast, I know what it's like to have great consumer service from my gear pusher.   

 

Glad to read that wonderful salespeople and customer serivce still exists especially when it comes to telephone and online tranactions. 

 

Here's to that brand new shiny NS4C showing up on point and ready to debut and be played on your upcoming studio sessions.😎

[MathOfInsects]

Board's here. 

 

Definitely not B stock.

 

I don't think I've owned a board where I was the first guy to open the box in maybe 20 years! Next I'm buying a yacht. 

[CHarrell]

Congratulations! My two takeaways:

 

1. ProAudioStar is indeed awesome. And their prices on some keyboards can be absolutely insane. 

 

2. It can be really important sometimes to express and share our stories with other people, as you did with the customer service rep. As a man I was sharing a hostel room with eight years ago once said, "Closed mouths don't get fed."

[J.F.N.]

1 hour ago, MathOfInsects said:

Board's here. 

 

Definitely not B stock.

 

I don't think I've owned a board where I was the first guy to open the box in maybe 20 years! Next I'm buying a yacht. 

 

See if you can find a used Yacht at a good price, rinse and repeat... 🤣

[Irena]

Wow--solid endorsement that will have me looking their way in the future. Thanks for sharing.

[ElmerJFudd]

Very nice to hear.  Thanks for the share.  

[Delaware Dave]

When i bought my first ev elx112p monitor it was from proaudiostar.  I was buying a b-stock speaker. During the transaction they offered an upgrade to a brand new speaker for $21. So i bit and bought the new speaker. It was indeed brand new and below the advertised brand new price. I later traded that speaker for another piece of equipment a friend of mine was parting with.  Some time later i decided to repurchase the same monitor, again b-stock from proaudiostar.  Same exact thing happened, $21 extra got me the brand new speaker.  This sounds like their modus operandi.

[NewImprov]

13 minutes ago, Delaware Dave said:

When i bought my first ev elx112p monitor it was from proaudiostar.  I was buying a b-stock speaker. During the transaction they offered an upgrade to a brand new speaker for $21. So i bit and bought the new speaker. It was indeed brand new and below the advertised brand new price. I later traded that speaker for another piece of equipment a friend of mine was parting with.  Some time later i decided to repurchase the same monitor, again b-stock from proaudiostar.  Same exact thing happened, $21 extra got me the brand new speaker.  This sounds like their modus operandi.

I had exactly the same thing happen with both of the EV 112p's I bought from them, seperately.

[ProfD]

3 hours ago, MathOfInsects said:

I don't think I've owned a board where I was the first guy to open the box in maybe 20 years! 

D8mn...it just keep getting better.  Styrofoam bumpers.  Wrapped in polyethylene foam.  No fingerprints.  Enjoy the new car, er, keyboard smell.😁😎

[FatFingers]

Same recommendation from me as well.  They don't carry all brands, but I can never find a lower price or better service elsewhere on the brands they do carry.

[Shamanzarek]

I got my Casio PX-5S there when it first came out and they gave me a great discount. Also got a Traynor K4 for less than any other dealer. Also at the time there was no sales tax if you lived in a different state. At the time I lived in NJ and they were in Brooklyn, NY.

[eric]

It has been a while, maybe close to 10 years ago. I was using a NS2 88 that was a review unit for when I wrote the review of this for Keyboard Magazine in 2011. When they came out with the NS2 EX, I thought I wanted to get the 76 HP and/or Compact version of this, as touring with the 88 was heavy. I ended up having all three for a while.

 

I cannot remember which one I ended up getting from Pro Audio Star, though it was a similar scenario. I ordered a B-stock (pretty sure it was the Compact). They reached out to me and said that the last B-stock item had just sold out from under me, but would I be interested in a BRAND NEW ONE for THE SAME PRICE. I was like hell to the yes on that and so that's a similar story to this one!

 

It kinda makes me wonder if the dealer margins are strong enough that they can sell new items at B-stock prices (upon request or under duress). Might be something to test in the future.  

[KeyMoe]

+1 on ProaudioStar. Many great translations over the years. They rock!! 

[HammondDave]

Love ProAudioStar. Make sure you call them as they will beat just about any price out there. 

[Mark Schmieder]

Yep, I buy from them now and then, good gear at the right price and fast shipping. Just tonight I ordered an offset guitar case for my new Italia Modena Sitar that is such a challenge due to 19" body length and 14" lower bout, but I had already deleted my recent emails so don't know if I missed a holiday discount code, which may not apply to open box orders anyway.