From gabru@comsec.net Mon Jan 23 17:06:29 2012
Subject:RE: Are you guys able to demo this stuff before you buy...and where?

The stores stock what moves....hence: "The Guitar Center" and not "The Keyboard Center". It'd just
demographics and the marketplace. The bottom line is buy from a place that will take a return if you
are uncertain. Most any clone in the last 5 or so years is going to sound good and being subjective, there
is no "best" it's just someone's personal opinion and that's it. I have an XK-3c and a Vent. It sounds great
to me and I have not heard anything that would compel me to replace it with anything newer. Let "your"
ears be your guide. All of this discussion is fun but at the end of the day it means little in the real world.
I have owned several Hammonds and Leslies and they all sounded different....not necessarily better or worse.
Find something that works for you and don't stress over having the latest thing....a few of these latest things
seem to be very troubled with dependability issues and who care what a keyboard sounds like if you can't depend
on it. (This is one of the reasons Mellotrons disappeared as a viable touring instrument.) I used to own a music store
in the 80's and I can tell you first hand that the keyboard section is small in proportion of the rear of the store for a
reason.....and it's a good one....there is very little money in profit in proportion to the rest of the store...it's that simple.
People will come into your store and play a keyboard then buy it online for 10% less. They are not like guitars that
have so many variables from one to the next (same make & model) that it is important that you play the one want
before you buy it then you buy that guitar you just played to ensure you get one you like. Guitar players will understand
what I mean.

From: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of raisindot
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 9:48 AM
To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CWSG] Are you guys able to demo this stuff before you buy...and where?

With all this talk about all these great clonewheels out there, I'm itching to get my hands on some of 'em to try out. Problem is, there's no place anywhere near me (suburban Boston) that has any decent collection of keyboards.

The closest Guitar Center to me is pathetic. It hasn't changed its stock of mainly Korg, Roland and Yamaha EPs in years. It has one Hammond XK1 that's been sitting there for what seems like years and one Nord synth. No Nord Stage, EM2, or C2s. No other Hammonds. No Numbas. No Kurzweils. I ended up buying my Kurzweil PC3 purely on reviews online. Thank goodness I like it because it would been a pain to return.

But how is one supposed to make an intelligent decision about what could be a substantial investment when there's nowhere where you can try these things out? Youtube videos can take you so far (and for some rigs, such as the Numa, they do them a great disservice since it doesn't sound all that good to my ears).

It's really a shame that today's music stores will have a hundred different guitars for teen threshers to ruin but their keyboard departments are the poor orphaned children.

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