European prices: Korg shouldn't wait until Frankfurt

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:13 pm

As far as I see discussions in German and some European music forums, the first prices named or rumored in € by very few shops or places are EXTREMELY high:

- 4000 €(!!!) for the 61
- 4700,- € 73
- 5200,- € 88

These are probably no street prices, and may be fantasy altogether, but anyway it is a very bad idea to keep such bad rumors running until Frankfurt.

The Nord Stage 2 (the only other positive keyboard surprise at Namm 2011) will appear before the Kronos in March, and I guess that quite some people will opt for it, even if it is not comparable with a full blown workstation, soon as the Kronos will seem get out of financial reach for many European musicians. The Nord Stage 2 is highly regarded as first class practical device for gigging musicians over here.

The fact that American trade can name prices and accept pre-orders for the Kronos, while Europe is treated like second row, does not quite raise sympathies over here anyway. Europeans regard themselves as sharing first row meanwhile, when it comes to technical skills, industry power and ability to spend money, and they have a growing dislike not to be treated accordingly, as I hear from many talks.

From my view Korg should reconsider this strategy and help European resellers to get in touch with their customers about the Kronos early enough not to lose some of them, anyway singificantly before Musikmesse Frankfurt!

It's no good idea at all to have European customers hanging around without price tags and preorder opportunities until then!

Just my two ...

mwiik · Post by **mwiik** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:03 am

Nord Stage 2. Well, that depends what you are looking after.

You can't compare those keyboards because they are really very different.
Nord keyboards are really aiming for a specific purpose like a live organ or a live piano. The Kronos is much more than that.

In my opinion the Kronos is very cheap if you consider the power of it.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:33 am

Completely agree.

But if European prices will differ significantly from US-prices (adding tax etc. is of course accepted) and be any higher in € than American in $ (at the present currency relations), this will not be accepted by many Europeans.
THIS is the crucial point, not the US price, which is in fact lower than I (and many) had thought.

If Europeans are confronted with high prices compared to US, as I know from talking with friends, there would definitely be a reaction, believe me. And I know which instrument will profit from that: the Nord stage 2, despite being no multi-engine beast, but rather a Stage Keyboard with Piano/EP, B3, Synth and basic 1-velocity sampling in Flash-RAM.

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:44 am

Irrespective of the price, it's a mistake by Korg to leave people guessing like on this thread - it causes frustration and unhelpful guessing. They should release their prices as soon as possible.

IMO, the Kronos should cost one dollar less than the Motif. That'd seal the deal for them.

dokido · Post by **dokido** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:33 pm

Yes it's very boring, all the hype they created diseapre in the wind. I find it extremely boring reading all the facts about how good the kronos will be when I dont know if I can afford it.

afr · Post by **afr** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:05 pm

as far as i know, in italy will get kronos 61 for 3200 euro, 73 version for
3600 and about 4000 for the 88

but there may be some difference in the order of 100/150 €

In whole Europe should exist street price

orpheus2006 · Post by **orpheus2006** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:18 pm

Folks, relax!
You can import a Kronos 88 for 3500€, shipping, tax and toll fee, all included. So that will be the max price here in Europe. Be assured, european retailers are interested to sell the Kronos until the next big thing comes from Roland or Yamaha. With high prices they face a period of customer absence. All waiting for lower Kronos prices, and no one buying Roland or Motif workstations, either.
These are normal market rules!

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:17 pm

You are probably right:

the questionable Google price tags from "Rock Palace" (Netherlands) and "Key Music" (Belgium), ranging at grotesque 3999 (61), 4719 (73) and 5129 (88 version) Euros have meanhwile disappeared. Now both ask for phone/email checking. I still have a jpg with those googled results here for proof.

Seems both were just seeking attention with fantasy prices.

Anyway: it's no good at all, and I see reason from a European perspective, if European prices are only allowed to be named about three months after US price tags. This is just completely unacceptable and really ridiculous, and very annoying for anyone deciding about their budget plans. I politely ask for a correction of this absurd, user-unfriendly strategy.

@afr: can you name italian sources? I just want to have an approximate reliable European price tag. If I sell old gear, I must be sure with what target price for new gear in mind.

dokido · Post by **dokido** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:30 pm

I have tryed to import from korg before from us, but korg dont allowed that, so I dont think so.

ozy · Post by **ozy** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:40 pm

jimknopf wrote: If I sell old gear, I must be sure with what target price for new gear in mind.

...er... does waiting for the new gear to be real, on sale, before selling the old one...

... sound too far fetched?

jimknopf wrote:, if European prices are only allowed to be named about three months after US price tags. This is just completely unacceptable .

come on...

Europe got color TV 20 years after the USA, what's a three month delay?

dokido · Post by **dokido** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:11 pm

korg has not sad the date yet, perhaps it will take 20 years

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:15 pm

Yes, selling old gear only after arrival of new gear on the whole world market is not exactly what I would call a too intelligent strategy

And concerning coloured TV:
some people obviously seem to think we are still living in that age

That's exactly my point.

So come along with the European price tags!
Anything else is plain ridiculous.

afr · Post by **afr** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:15 pm

jimknopf wrote:

@afr: can you name italian sources? I just want to have an approximate reliable European price tag. If I sell old gear, I must be sure with what target price for new gear in mind.

I had the information from my dealer ( and of course he had from Italian
distributor or agent for my region )

I hope to have soon the definitive price

regards

Afr

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:45 pm

And here comes another completely crazy price tag once more, compared to US price tags, from a German reseller:

http://www.musik-service.de/korg-synthe ... 701de.aspx
4719 Euro (!!!) for a Kronos 73
Of course news like that stir discussions and negative reactions in German newsgroups, as you can imagine.

From my view Korg should really clarify as soon as possible. Namm is over, and everybody (not just US citizens) should be informed what to expect approximately. Anything else just doesn't make sense in internet times.

GiantSonicRobot · Post by **GiantSonicRobot** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:49 pm

jimknopf wrote:And here comes another completely crazy price tag once more, compared to US price tags, from a German reseller:

http://www.musik-service.de/korg-synthe ... 701de.aspx
4719 Euro (!!!) for a Kronos 73
Of course news like that stir discussions and negative reactions in German newsgroups, as you can imagine.

I wouldn't worry. As I understand, KORG haven't released official MSRPs for Europe yet. So any dealer who already has the KRONOS on offer is probably trying to take advantage of the situation, ripping of those who are impatient enough to already pre-order.

In the end it usually comes down to the same routine anyway: Every dealer will just be looking at what prices Thomann offers and then adjust accordingly.