Possible Roland FR-8X purchase

[Mike K]

Ok, I just looked mine up.  Purchased in 2015 brand new in the box.  $5350 delivered. Black, Piano Accordion. This included the 8% State sales tax in California.

Wow, they sure went up in the last 4 years!
I see Roxys lists the MSRP of an 8X at $7999:


Another factor... and I dont know how important that is, is to buy from someone that will introduce the features to you, if you are less technical.  I would consider myself very tech-savvy and the first week with the 8X drove me nuts, but that went away fast after that... but I was very determined at the time to learn all I could and spent an easy 5-6 hours a day that first week just working out the details of it, but that was because I was wanting to perform with it a few weeks later and thats a lot of pressure to get to performance level in a few weeks after not performing for several decades.

The factory manual is just that, and all it does is describe available features, not how to use it, not what the caveats are, absolutely nothing else.  So if you need to learn how to plug it in, the manual is fine, anything else is a tech feature that is described in a straight-forward technical manner, and no clear explanation as to how to use it or where/when.  Basically... read it once, and toss it.  Nothing beats personal experience.

The best thing would be to get together with an experienced 8X user that could walk you through the basics... I am sure that would have saved me a week at the very least!   :s  

Well finding an experienced accordion player in Central VA no less someone that plays a digital is near impossible.   There are very few around.   Welcome to hear from anyone out there that is nearby.   One bayan player I know of in Tidewater area and one person north of Lake Anna.   Most around here are beginner to intermediate and not many of those.   VA is not accordion country.   I am sure there are ones I do not know likely immigrants from another country where the instrument is more popular.