New vs. B-Stock Kronos

[vin52ny]

Is there anyway to tell the difference between a new and a b-stock Kronos? Is there an indication on the keyboard, the box, or the serial number?
Thanks

[GregC]

Is there anyway to tell the difference between a new and a b-stock Kronos? Is there an indication on the keyboard, the box, or the serial number?
Thanks

U are in the US ?

the dealer at retail creates the B stock. Not korg

[vin52ny]

OK, got it. I thought they came from Korg with minor physical imperfections. Thanks for the quick reply. And yes, I am in the US, Brooklyn NY.

[GregC]

OK, got it. I thought they came from Korg with minor physical imperfections. Thanks for the quick reply. And yes, I am in the US, Brooklyn NY.

no way Korg would do that, I think

I am wary of B stock. For a $3000 instrument you need the exact details and history. You can't go by what some music store salesperson tells you.

YMWV

[Schmooster]

There's really nothing wrong with B-stock items, they still have to conform to a set standard in quality. You can save a lot of money depending on the reason.
A B-Stock resaleable item is defined as being:
"A product which has been returned by a customer within their 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee or replaced under guarantee and can no longer be sold as "A-Stock". These products are offered at a special, reduced price, are fully functional and come with a full 3 year warranty and 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee." - it's up to you to ask for the exact details and ensure they are recorded on the receipt if you wish, but it's really no different to buying it off a friend who has decided it's not for him for some reason and up to you whether or not the price warrants the 'issue' for which it listed as "B" and not "A".

[geoelectro]

I bought my Kronos 61 as a refurbished model from Guitar Center over 4 years ago. ($2250) It looked brand new and had the film on the screen. I added more memory and a second 120gb SSD and haven't had any problems with it. I use it every week at church.

Geo

[GregC]

i think its great if you can find a B stock in perfect operating condition at GC.

However, my local experience and observation with local GC's is quite poor.
Young children romp around the keyboard dept, every Saturday morning, unsupervised. They are very rough on the dials, buttons, keys , LCD. Components that are not designed for prying/pulling/rough handling.
These Kronos keyboards become 'demo ' or B stock.

In addition, keyboards like the Kronos get returned to GC. They become B stock. A new buyer has no clue if the $3000 Kronos has been dropped or if the 1st owner was careless in using the OS/file mgmt. We have no idea if the store took the time to fully inspect the Kronos before offering it on the floor as quality B stock.

It is a case of buyer beware. It is difficult to detect the history of a used Kronos when returned to a store. The salesperson is not going to know or dig in to find out whats what. GC and other retailers have a generous no questions asked return policy. The salesperson simply wants to make a sale to you. I don't believe any of this is surprising.

I have much less concerns on B stock with less complex items, less expensive devices and devices that have been thoroughly examined/vetted by the manufacturer ( Apple is a good example of a reliable B stock seller).

Like I said YMWV. This is not black and white.

Both answers are equally true.

[Kronos2ison]

I bought a brand new sealed Kronos 2 61key from Guitar Center for $2150. 5 weeks ago. Pretty easy just talked to the manager over the phone.

[Jogger]

I got my Kronos 2 88 during the black friday sale from an online store in Brooklyn for $2520. It was advertised as new though the store also sells B stock. I told them up front I wanted a brand new one. It had to be dropshipped across the country. It had something loose in it from the transit I imagine, so I returned it. The store got more in and I was sent a new one from Brooklyn. As far as I could tell the package was never opened and it was brand new. Not a scratch and works perfect. I'm very happy with it.

[Kronos2ison]

A New Kronos 2 box will have large staples holding the box together with 1 clean piece of tape. B-STOCK is clearly labeled with limited warranty.

[tomto66]

I got my KX-88 just over 2 years ago, just when the K2 got announced. It was one of the last KXs and it was a demo machine. It came in perfect condition, except it had some programs in the U-GG banks that were clearly for demonstration purposes. Got a GREAT price and been very happy with it. And oh the DVDs were missing; my dealer found me a new set. Have never needed them...

As a previous poster said - buyer beware. Check out the goods carefully upon delivery and return if anything suspicious is seen.

I've purchased a lot of synths 2nd hand or demo models, never had a problem.

[AudioProCT]

B-Stock can mean anything from a keyboard being on display, or just a box that has been opened and the keyboard taken out

[vin52ny]

Well, I wound up buying a new Kronos 2-88 from my local authorized dealer in Brooklyn. Got a great price, I was not able to pass up. This is my second Kronos 88, my last one I bought in 2011 and sold it a couple of years later. Then of course I wound up missing it.
I ran in to Rich Formidoni at a synth expo a few months ago, then started watching the videos on YouTube again. I decided I had to have another Kronos. I really love the new Keybed you can tell it's different. The keys don't feel like my older Kronos, they are really solid and not bouncy. I guess just a personal observation. All in all, I'm glad I did it.

[slowtrain]

I got my X 61 from B&H Photo as a scratch & dent for $1999 a year or two before the 2 came out. The only thing that was wrong with it was the shipping box had some damage. The keyboard itself didn't have a scratch on it. I also added an SSD and quiet fan. I'm happy with it except for the useless editor