Genos in Canada

[Lee Batchelor]

This topic is specific to Canadians - although our friends from other countries are more than welcome to chime in .

I spoke with Long and McQuade in Oshawa, Ontario yesterday (October 12, 2017) and they expect the Genos to be available in their stores across Canada the beginning of January. They anticipate the price to be $5,999. That is straight from their Yamaha rep in Toronto. Just a heads up for you.

For those outside Canada, Long and McQuade is the largest music store chain in Canada, with 50 stores. Their business model is among the best I've ever seen.

[alans]

Thats dissapointing for Genos buyers in Canada,is there any specific reason why you can't  get them sooner,apart from high demand in other countries ??
How does the price compare to US prices ?

Alan

[Lee Batchelor]

Hi Alan,

It seems three quarters of the world wants to live here, but so often we are last on the list to receive goods. I have know idea why that is, other than most companies favor the more populated countries. It really pisses me off to see a picture of 50 or 100 Genos keyboards sitting in an empty classroom somewhere in Asia, while we have to wait. Typically, all new Yamaha products reach us about 4 to 6 months after the rest of the world's users have scratch marks all over their keyboards. When I bought my T5 in 2014, the other countries had received them 6 months earlier, and I have it on pretty good faith that the day I picked mine up, there were only 6 in Canada!!!!!! Ridiculous!!! And of course, our wonderful government makes it impossible for us to buy from a U.S. dealer - mainly because of outrageous duty tax. We can't even buy a car in the U.S. without jumping through a billion legal hoops. Very sad...

The price is comparable to the U.S. as far as I know.

[Marcus]

My Yamaha dealer here in the Niagara area also mentioned January, but said it could be sooner. US delivery was early, so maybe Canada isn't that far behind, typically a month. I keep clear of my local Long & McQuade store for large purchases, because they won't move or do a better price than their listed price. Maybe the larger Long & McQuade stores might negotiate if manager is present. I was given that $5,999 CAD($4,800 USD) quote as well, but can do a lot better.

Marcus

[Lee Batchelor]

Hopefully, you're right regarding the timing Marcus. I have spent so much money with Long and McQuade over the past 25 years, they will price match anyone out there. I far prefer them to the smaller stores because they give me great trade-in value. It saves me wasting hours and days with "tire kickers" on a private sale . Plus, we only pay the outrageous HST (13%) on the difference. Wow, a break from the Canadian government and their wasteful ways - whoo-hoo - how rare!!!!!!!

[alans]

In the western hemisphere it seems be US buyers will get theirs first,then mainland Europe and hopefully Uk buyers late OCT or very early NOV .
I sincerely hope Canadian buyers can get theirs ASAP.

Alan

[Marcus]

Hopefully, you're right regarding the timing Marcus. I have spent so much money with Long and McQuade over the past 25 years, they will price match anyone out there. I far prefer them to the smaller stores because they give me great trade-in value. It saves me wasting hours and days with "tire kickers" on a private sale . Plus, we only pay the outrageous HST (13%) on the difference. Wow, a break from the Canadian government and their wasteful ways - whoo-hoo - how rare!!!!!!!

I always done well with local classified ads selling my previous keyboards. Large population pool in the GTA area and southern Ontario. A Toronto Recording Studio bought my Tyros 4 from my Kijiji ad. Potential buyers just meet me in my garage (not in my home) with the board setup and deal only in cash. Kijji online service works great and can get a better difference than trading your board in. Smaller music stores won't even touch a TOTL arranger in a trade in, at least in my smaller city and area.

Marcus

[Lee Batchelor]

Good for you, Marcus. I live in a small town and am the only one with these levels of keyboards. The GTA is far away. I'm compelled to go the path of lesser resistance .

[mark fernando]

Hi,

It is a sad story when getting latest electronics in Canada. Couple of years ago I lived & worked in Asia, Gulf countries and getting the latest technology is not an issue at all. After I migrated to Canada I had to spend about 30% more to get the same keyboards which I used earlier.

tks

Mark   

[Lee Batchelor]

Hi Mark,

We are taxed to death in Canada, but I also realize we have some of the finest social programs anywhere in the world, hence, why people like to come here. I'm certainly not complaining, other than the fact the Canadian government wastes so much money and considers the public purse a bottomless pit. I'd wager much of that 30 percent price difference you saw was because of taxes at all levels of government.

On a less depressing note, I emailed my rep at Long and McQuade (L&M) to ask whether the delay on the Genos is really a Yamaha issue or an L&M issue. I think it's possible L&M is waiting on some verbal commitments from its loyal customers before purchasing a few Genos keyboards. I'll let you know what he says.

Thanks to all who are contributing to this discussion ! I'm reasonably sure I'll be trading my T5. I'll just be "relatively" a little older than the same person who managed to get theirs first (LOL). Lucky you!

[porterma]

Hi Lee,
Here in Vancouver we have both Tom Lee Music and Long and McQuade Music as the major retailers for guitars and keyboards.
Tom Lee has been stronger in carrying Yamaha Tyros keyboards in the past and they are who I purchased my Tyros 4 from.
All the information they have been able to tell me regarding "Genos" is that they have been promised that in November some time their keyboard sales staff will get to demo the new Genos.
No word on when they would be available for public purchase or what the cost will be.
However, I would be very surprised if they were not available sometime in December, before Christmas - January and February are not good months to try and sell a new product.
Do you have Tom Lee Music in the Toronto area

Thanks,

Mark

[Lee Batchelor]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for chiming in. The only reference to Tom Lee Music is their Steinway stores in the Toronto area. So, I suppose not. However, what you say makes sense - L&M would be wise to push all keyboards, including Genos BEFORE Xmas. As mentioned, I sent that email into my rep at L&M Oshawa. I'll see if that pushes the Genos availability. Crap, we're the second largest country in the friggin' world. Why would Yamaha drag their feet to our market?? I'm really starting to suspect the delay is more at the music store level and their desire to NOT lay out the big bucks on the Genos. Why would they (even L&M) when their bread and butter market is the cheaper PSR pianos?

[Roland]

Same here Lee - my L&M dealer in Calgary said that January he "might" see the Genos. I'll try to sell my Tyros 3 meantime on Kijii :-)  And don't get me started with this government and taxes -  I might just loose it - hehe    Cheers, Roland

[Lee Batchelor]

Good stuff, Roland.

I still don't know why Canada is treated like the bottom of the toilet by Yamaha. It has been this way for EVERY new release keyboard I've bought in the past 25 years. We're always last. If the Canadian market is "so small," as the Yamaha rep from Toronto mentioned, then why the hell can't Yamaha spare 50 or so?? That would keep people like you and I happy. It's not like we want a product run of 5,000 - or maybe Canada has that many sales?? If Yamaha didn't have such a good product, I'd be looking elsewhere in a big hurry!

[Roland]

Hello Lee,

I can well understand your frustration - same here. But my thinking is that it's just typical Big Corporate thinking: They prioritize where they can get the "biggest bang for the buck" - it's just business - never mind priority one; "A happy customer - no matter where" :-) So what can we do about that in Canada? We go camping and fishing meantime - hehe.

Cheers, Roland

[Marcus]

The wait isn't really bothering me, I got a good price and I am preparing my Christmas material for the upcoming Holiday season on my Tyros 5. I am learning a lot before hand from this fine forum and other demos and reading through the manuals.

I just got a new PC with Windows 10 and I can start fresh in the new year setting up the YEM for my Genos expected in January. Meanwhile I can still wait for the ongoing Expansion Pack upgrades, which are due within the coming weeks, and a shorter wait for the usual major firmware update that works out most of the startup bugs.

Once I get my Genos, I'll be busy (and happy) for years. Real exciting times in this modern era with the constant technological changes. Truly amazing times to be alive and thankful for what we got. Hopefully, and I pray things and conflicts around the world improve in the coming year. You can really sense polarizing forces around the world building towards something...I hope better than worse.

Marcus   

[Lee Batchelor]

Truly wise words, Roland and Marcus.

Roland - Big Corporate thinking =  corporate greed.

Marcus - me waiting on fresh technology pales in comparison to the crap that's going on all over the world...agreed...I can wait. The Genos is full of bugs anyway !

[digriz67]

I'll add to the thread that I have just received my Genos today, from Long & McQuade in New Brunswick. I was told it would not arrive before the middle of January, but Santa came early this time!

I was very happy I ordered it. It's as good as I hoped it would be. Now if only I could play as nicely as this keyboard deserves...

Best,

Luigi

[Lee Batchelor]

Thanks for chiming in, Luigi.

I was going to start a whole new thread about how poorly Canada is treated by Yamaha, however, I made contact with my keyboard guy at L&M Oshawa, Ontario. He spoke with the L&M purchasing guy and it looks like Yamaha Canada has been given a few Genos keyboards to those who prepaid for a keyboard. My L&M rep said if I were to put down a deposit, it would arrive sooner. I'm starting to think that Yamaha may not be entirely at fault. L&M may not want to float a few Genos keyboards because they are very expensive. At $,6000, their cost is likely around $4,000 or more.

I'm going to place a $500 deposit and see if a "Genos all of a sudden" appears in the L&M Oshawa store. The deposit is completely refundable, so it won't matter should I decide to keep my T5. Interesting mind games these big guys play.

[Marcus]

I'll add to the thread that I have just received my Genos today, from Long & McQuade in New Brunswick. I was told it would not arrive before the middle of January, but Santa came early this time!

I was very happy I ordered it. It's as good as I hoped it would be. Now if only I could play as nicely as this keyboard deserves...

Best,

Luigi

Wow, Luigi, that's exciting news. Congrats and enjoy. I was in Toronto visiting family yesterday and missed the forum. Hope now that I might get my Genos for the holiday season instead of January. Won't matter for my playing schedule because I am set for the Christmas season with my Tyros 5. Maybe the Canadian Genos stock is coming from the east coast instead of the west coast and working it's way across Canada via sleigh dogs as I first thought. 

Anyway, while in Toronto, we were treated to the "The Illusionists - Live from Broadway" show. Great seeing these world class performers live, from the latest Grand Illusionist like Darcy Oak or An Ha Lim or classical vaudevillians like Charlie Frye. Made me think of the comparison to the latest and greatest Genos arranger, with all the bells and whistles, to just a great pianist performing a masterful piano piece on a grand. Like comparing illusionist Darcy Oak with all the grand spectacle of modern digital lighting, effects, professional dancers embellishing the ultimate illusion performance to the TOTL (Top-Of-The-Line) Genos, to old school performers I equally enjoyed in the show compared to a classical pianist or organist playing their classical instrument.

I guess a Genos can give us the best of both worlds, all the fancy bells and whistles embellishing our playing, or play a wonderful solo passage of music to whatever skill level we process. My choice is a TOTL arranger, like the Tyros/Genos to help inspire, arrange, create, tweak and then ultimately perform top quality sound. Looking forward to experiment with REX files and some quality audio records with my new Genos.

Regards, Marcus

[digriz67]

My L&M rep said if I were to put down a deposit, it would arrive sooner. I'm starting to think that Yamaha may not be entirely at fault. L&M may not want to float a few Genos keyboards because they are very expensive. At $,6000, their cost is likely around $4,000 or more.

I'm going to place a $500 deposit and see if a "Genos all of a sudden" appears in the L&M Oshawa store. The deposit is completely refundable, so it won't matter should I decide to keep my T5. Interesting mind games these big guys play.

It's very similar to what happened to me, only I was told that here in NB the only way to get a Genos would be to put a (fully refundable) deposit down. The L&M rep also said that I could purchase the keyboard and return it if I were not fully satisfied... But after hearing the demos online and learning about its potential, I was pretty convinced I would not return it. So, I did not test the theory that I could return it for a full refund; and I hope I will not need to test it anytime soon: I've been waiting for this keyboard since the Tyros 5.

Best,
Luigi

[digriz67]

Wow, Luigi, that's exciting news. Congrats and enjoy. I was in Toronto visiting family yesterday and missed the forum. Hope now that I might get my Genos for the holiday season instead of January. Won't matter for my playing schedule because I am set for the Christmas season with my Tyros 5. Maybe the Canadian Genos stock is coming from the east coast instead of the west coast and working it's way across Canada via sleigh dogs as I first thought. 

Agreed 100%. I don't do gigs (I wish I had the skills) but if I did, I'd be very conservative about introducing the Genos in my routine. I wouldn't do it until I'd have formed the muscle memory and habits that allow me the same confidence I had on my previous keyboard. Practice, practice, practice... Which is a very enjoyable part of making music anyway!

Best,
Luigi

[Lee Batchelor]

Interesting, Luigi. I know L&M has a no quibble policy - even on expensive gear. They're so huge, they can sell it elsewhere. i'm going to put a healthy deposit down to see if that gets me one quicker. I'm playing a jazz Xmas gig tonight, and two on NYE day. After that, I have time to explore!

[whataguy]

Right on Lee, it's all BS! I'm sure you're familiar with the squeaking wheel syndrome. Get on your dealer's ass, he knows you'll buy it WHENEVER he gets around to doing something about getting you one. Use words like 'can you direct me to a dealer that wants a quick sale', or should I call Yamaha on your behalf, or can you arrange a dealer-trade with another dealer? Your dealer has a lot of other products to sell and I'll bet you aren't at the top of his list. I spent the majority of my working days in business for myself and learned real early the phrase 'Money talks and you-know-what walks'. If they delivered them alphabetically by country you'd already have yours. By the way, if you have any friends that want to buy a T5 with stand, speakers and some free flash drives with about a million styles tell them I'll meet them in Windsor, 'cause you know a guy that knows a guy, etc. Go Wings, boo Babcock.  Don in MI

[porterma]

Hi Lee,
Tom Lee Music in Vancouver just received an order of I believe 11 Genos. I am going to try it out tomorrow.

Mark

[tangothomas]

Lee!

I have read all your angry posts - So I think we get it! but stay cool - Jan 2018 is soon here.

Genos has been available in Sweden for a month or so. And we are such a small country.

(And we are also on top of the Northern Hemisphere - like Canada - The Alcohol belt. And sometimes we flatten you in ice-hockey)

[whataguy]

Unfortunately you're right T, but the Leafs are comin' here tomorrow night and I'm pumping laughing gas into their locker room. It's unfair of Yamaha to put out a tease and then not deliver. They should wait 'til they're ready to R & R before they put it out there. I can't even use all the stuff on my T5, why should I have to wait to not be able to use the stuff on the Genos. Any old person will tell you 2018 is a LONG way off, we don't think much passed tomorrow. Did you ever notice how much Ya-ma-ha resembles Ca-na-da?  Don in MI

[Lee Batchelor]

Excellent replies, everyone! It's advice like this that justify a forums existence.

I think whataguy nailed it on the head. If you look at geography, it seems both Canadian coasts are receiving small batches of the Genos. Canada is a huge country where deliveries to the "interior" are expensive and must be justified. By the time everyone gets their share of the delivery price and ridiculous tax grabs along the way, there must be a sale at the other end. If you are willing to slap your coinage down on the table, you'll get a Genos much sooner.

What I detest is the deception and outright lying. The Yamaha rep in Toronto told me flat out, there won't be any Genos keyboards in Canada until probably February. As of October, she had hers and now several Canadians are indicating their arrivals. If she meant "regular stock in the Toronto warehouse," then say just that!!!!!! At the time of our conversation, she also mentioned the U.S. didn't have any either. That was three weeks after some members from upper New York state were providing us with their initial impressions. I called here on that, and all I heard was a bunch of excuses and back-pedaling to save face.

Today's extreme appetite for profit has changed the entire business landscape. When I was in my youth, companies would kill for your business. Today, they still want it but under their own terms. Tangothomas is also correct - January is around the corner. I can wait another few weeks. I just don't like being kicked and insulted by a company with whom I have spent thousands over the past 25 years. (Tangothomas - you're right about the hockey. You folks have had some amazing teams over the years! Besides, our national sport is not hockey, like most people think. It's lacrosse!)

I'll put some coins on the table today and see if that tickles Yamaha's "delivery" bone. Don't you just hate begging companies to take your money?

[midiw]

They anticipate the price to be $5,999.   

Please do not misunderstand me but i just don't believe that price to be net Canadian or on the other hand that price may actually be USA dollars.

As most Canadians reading this forum topic know the conversion rate ( from US to Canadian )  is horrendous these days.

Personally speaking i can make better use of software DAW's and purchase of VST or AU plug-ins   costing me far less.

I also find that in my business of audio/video production there is very little need for keyboards even this glorified keyboard.

My work takes place using computers and computer software.

However if a person having the money and just requires an all in one production type keyboard then a Genos may be their answer.

[Lee Batchelor]

I just ordered my Genos from L&M. The confirmed price is $5,999.99 (CAD). Of course, there is $780 tax on top of that ! I suppose it costs a fortune to finance an idiot Liberal government whose full time job is to see how much money they can waste at the Provincial and Federal levels. Our boys and girls in office have that scam down to a science.

I was told it would likely be February before it's here. I do get priority, having put my money on the table - should one come in a little earlier. Here's hoping that I can become an "official" member of the Genos forum sooner than later.