I saw over at their site they have Casio PX-700's selling for $599 for free shipping, too. Pretty good deal for a console style piano that is brand new.

Thought some may be interested. They have a list of other stuff that's on sale, but not too much DP items.

Musician's Friend has sales all the time. I like their Stupid Deal of the Day gimmick--it keeps me coming back, but it's almost always junk--just like a garage sale.

Check the closeouts or damaged, returned items. There's a special tab on the site.

If you do decide to buy from them, call them. Talk to someone. You can often get a better deal on the phone on a standard item, unless it is already marked way down.

There are also 3 or more other sites that compete directly with MF, like Sweetwater, Sameday, ZZSounds, GuitarCenter, etc.etc., as well as a hoard of others who want to be a big guy, like Novamusik and others. Look to Ebay for these folks.

Sometimes you can get one to outbid the other. It all depends on luck, the phase of the moon, the particular salesperson's monthly 'book', their inventory, special deals, etc.etc.

Many people just hate to haggle. I learned haggling for musical gear at an early age from my father, who would walk into Manny's and tell them exactly what he would pay for this or that, no matter what the price tag read.

And you know, he usually got what he wanted. It often required an extra trip and much theatrics, but the salesmen back then expected to haggle.

But also, in those days, instruments were marked up 40 to 60 percent, so there was room to haggle. That's not the case anymore, but the internet is a great tool for discovering what the price really is, and who's marking up what.

The little guys, like Nova, Kraft, Florida Music, and others often cut the margins tight, while the big stores have agreements with the big 4 manufacturers, Korg, Kurz, Roland, and Yamaha, to offer only the MAP, or Minimum Advertised Price.

That's why you have to call. They can quote you something lower over the phone, but can't post it on the website.

So, if you want to save a few bucks, you've got to take an extra shot of moxie with your morning Latte, and pick up the phone. Good things come to those who ask.

OK, that said, if you are going to buy a big-ticket item, try to buy locally. If we don't keep the local shop in business, even if it is a big chain store with a head office in Chicago, we'll have no place left to and try out the instruments before buying--and that leaves us at the mercy of reviewers. In this business, reviewers and the magazines they write for seem to be in the pockets of the advertisers. I hardly ever read a bad review about any piece of gear, no matter how dumb it might be.

Case in point: the new Fab Four samples out of California. Can someone explain why?

I digress. Sometimes you pay a little more locally. You have to pay sales tax (after all, taxation is theft--Karl Marx said so), but, no shipping. Often, they cancel.

The local store overhead is higher, so you pay a little more. But if you think, as I do, that the local store offers a valuable service in having the gear out on the floor so you can play it, then ask yourself if that's not worth a few percent more. I believe it is.

Happy shopping.