What's the better idea?

[Intheether]

With all the blow out deals at on-line retailers and stuff...what, based on personal experience please, would be better:

 

To buy a top of the line product (more features, keys, etc...) that's either used, b-stock, demo, refurb

 

OR

 

Buy a brand, spanking, out of the box product, that has less features, but will only touch your paws?

 

I really want an analog modeling keyboard/module, but can only go below 1000. Some retailers are offering 'demos' and the like for around there - it makes me a little nervous though. With all those knobs, how many have snapped off and been replaced, what guarantees do you get etc...

Thanks in advance. ~nel

[Botch.]

I've bought several pieces "demo", and have generally had good luck. Play every key on the board, push every button and turn every knob and make sure they all work; a bent knob shaft will have a definite drag that you can feel. One thing I insist on is making sure they have the manuals, A/C adapters, and all accessories (check against the parts list in the manual). The only thing I ever bought without a manual was a Roland keyboard amp, anyone would be better off WITHOUT a Roland manual.

 

I have NOT had such good luck buying used gear through the mail. I bought a Carver power amp once, and since I was buying my home studio piecemeal, didn't have the speakers to go with it and couldn't check it out right away. Well, once I got the speakers the amp was deader 'n a doornail, and I had gone over the 30 days guarantee from Sweetwater and they wouldn't have anything to do with it. I tried to have it repaired locally but the repairman said so many things were burnt out it would be cheaper to buy a new one. Ouch. Another time I got an Alesis Midiverb III, but the AC adapter was the wrong one. Didn't worry about it, thought I'd pick up a replacement at Radio Shack, but then learned the Alesis adapter puts out 9V AC, not DC, and to this day have not been able to find a replacement (and now Alesis has ceas-ed, so I'm fully out of luck).

[RABid]

I would only buy B stock from a dealer I trust to be competent enough to service the unit. I would also want to see it before buying the item. The last time I went into a Guitar Center (2 weeks ago when I wanted to see a Supernova II keyboard) it was shocking. Half of the keyboards on display were damaged beyond the point that I would consider buying. They had a B stock K2600XS for $100 off the regular price and I could not see the damage. The new floor model had a broken key. An 88 note weighted controller that I wanted was on sale for $499 and I started to buy it, then noticed the entire upper octave was broken, literally. The Waldorf Q keyboard had knobs missing and broken. The Yamaha DX200 had a knob missing. When I wanted to demo a keyboard no one could figure out why the sound system was not working. They finally brought me one of those headphones with only one earpiece. I kept wondering if I was only hearing half of the sound, or if the keyboard really sounded that bad. No matter. It also had a knob missing and they never had another in stock. I left that store totally depressed.

 

Look around. You frequently find new items at close out pricing that is cheaper than B stock items from another dealer. For analog modeling you might consider the Novation A Station if you do not need keys. I did get to listen to one and the sound is nice. Plenty of knobs packed close together.

 

Robert

[Intheether]

For analog modeling you might consider the Novation A Station

 

I think that's where I'm headed. Based on your experinces as well as my inner voice, b-stock, demos etc... may be bad news (esp. from on-line stock). Any one else have good/bad experience with demos? Robert, have you played the an200, how does it compare sound wise to the a-station? Anyone?

[Mark Zeger]

There's a big difference between "used/demo" and "refurb/b-stock". I pass on anything used that is more technologically advanced than the average electronic repair shop or instrument dealer can handle (guitars/amps/mics - OK, synths/outboard effects - no). I'd have a hard time buying a floor demo piece from a high traffic store like GC (I can't imagine how badly man-handled a Karma, Triton, or Fantom gets in 6 months on a GC floor). I have no problem with a boxed, refurbished, warranteed item. I bought my K2500RS as B-stock from Sweetwater, and there's no way to tell it from a new unit.

[Rod S]

Originally posted by mzeger:

I bought my K2500RS as B-stock from Sweetwater, and there's no way to tell it from a new unit.

 

Ditto here. I bought both my kurz pc88mx (from Sam Ash in White Plains, NY) and K2000R (From MF) as B-stock. They were new, all wrapped, all acessories.

 

I would never buy a floor model from a store. I've seen the kind of abuse this things go thru.

 

I also generally against buying keyboards used. I've bought rack modules before, but they can usually handle the abuse a bit better (less mechanical parts), and usually the only blemist are some 'rack rashes'.