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The A-Z of Analogue (Part 7) | |
This month: Farfisa to Fuller.
MT's exclusive guide to every analogue synth made. Included are keyboards, expanders/sound modules and the better known electronic pianos and organs. Not included are drum machines, standalone sequencers and effects units, vocoders and those guitar/wind synths which aren't regularly used as expanders in their own right.
Readers are invited to submit details of little-known instruments which may be of use in compiling the series and also to point out any mistakes and/or omissions if these occur. All contributions will be fully credited. Compiled by Peter Forrest
Italian organ manufacturers (and more recently synthesiser manufacturers) who produced the classic combo organ - the Compact, rivalled only by the Vox range in its day.
Came in a variety of guises. There were four basic models, but quite a number of permutations within them.
Users include (actual model unknown): Barry Andrews, Roma Baron/Laurie Anderson ('O Superman'), Rabbit Bundrick, J-M Jarre ('Oxygene'), John Lennon (in his home studio).
61-note single-manual combo organ. 1964 - c.1970.
Original price: c.£195
Target price: £50 - £200
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
61-note single-manual combo organ, c.1966. Basically a Compact with a few added features.
Original price: c.£235
Target price: £60 - £300
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
dual 49-note double-manual combo organ, c.1965.
Original price: £310
Target price: £100 - £500
Users include: Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets), The Christians, Jimmy Destri (Blondie), Geoff Downes, Philip Glass, Tim Hodgkinson, Simple Minds, Mike Oldfield (Hergest Ridge), Grace Slick, Rick Wright (put through Binson echo).
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★★★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
49-note single-manual combo organ, c.1965 - c.1968. 'The ideal portable for the groups who have to travel a lot" - 1966 ad.
Original price: £156
Target price: £50 - £200
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | |
Collectability: | ★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
61-note multi-instrument keyboard, c.1979.
Original price: Unknown
Target price: £100
Dual 61-note double-manual combo organ, c.1970.
Original price: £1000
Target price: £200
Preset variable mono/poly 61-note keyboard. 1979 - c.1981.
Original price: £1100
Target price: £100-150
37-note piano/brass/string keyboard, c.1976.
Original price: £389
Target price: £40 - £100
49-note piano/brass/string keyboard, c.1979.
Original price: £506
Target price: £40 - £80
One of the great names in electric instrument manufacture. The Strat, the Tele, and the Precision are etched in rock history for all time; but not far behind comes the Fender Rhodes, which just shades the Wurlitzer out as the archetypal electric piano. It was the brainchild of Harold Rhodes, who started designing it in the '40s after experimenting during the war with aluminium tubing salvaged from airplanes. He met up with Leo Fender, and by 1955 had started making electric pianos.
In 1966, with backing from CBS, they set up the production line for the Suitcase 88 model. They also produced a few other keyboard instruments, which (except for the most recent products), are usually rare and highly collectable.
49-note electric celeste. Produced during the late '60s.
Original price: Unknown
Target price: £100 - £400
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
61-note single-manual electric organ, c.1966.
Original price: £262
Target price: £150 - £400
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
Classic touch-sensitive electric pianos. 1955 - '86 (first fully-fledged commercial model: Suitcase 88 in 1966).
Original price: (Suitcase 88) £430
Target price: £140 - £500 plus
Users include: Davy Jones (The Monkees), Ray Manzarek (The Doors), 808 State, Rod Argent, A Certain Ratio, Chick Corea (starting in 1968 with Miles Davis), Barbara Dickson, Thomas Dolby, Geoff Downes, Vic Emerson, The Enid, Roger Eno, Tommy Eyre, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan: 'Babylon Sisters'), Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart's Magic Band), Herbie Hancock, Paul Hardcastle, Tony Hymas, Elton John ('Daniel'), K-Creative, Kahal (Magma), Guy Khalifa, Chuck Leavell, Level 42, Earl Lindo (The Wailers), Lonnie Liston Smith, Stuart Mackillop, Nick Magnus (Steve Hackett), Manfred Mann (Earth Band: 'Blinded By The Light'), Roger Manning (Jellyfish), Patrick Moraz (73 and 88!), David Paich, Billy Preston, Andy Richards, Joe Sample, Bill Sharpe, Mick Talbot (Style Council), Tears For Fears, Richard Tee (Paul Simon: Still Crazy After All These Years), Vangelis, Stevie Wonder, Richard Wright (Pink Floyd), Joe Zawinul.
Bass keyboard, c.1968.
Original price: Unknown
Target price: £100 - £300
Users include: Davy Jones (The Monkees), Ray Manzarek (The Doors: 'When The Music's Over' etc).
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
54-note touch-sensitive electric piano. 1980 - c.1985.
Original price (1980): £735
Target price: £140 - £250
Interface: | |
VFM: | |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
73-note touch-sensitive electric piano. 1968 - c. 1986.
Original price (1977): £818
Target price: £150-£450
Interface: VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
88-note touch-sensitive electric piano. 1968 - c. 1985.
Original price (1977): £981
Target price: £200 - £600
Interface: VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
73-note touch-sensitive electric piano with built-in amplification, c.1966 - c.1981.
Original price (1977): £1255
Target price: £250 - £700
Interface: | |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★ |
Character: | ★★★★ |
Controls: | ★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★ |
88-note touch-sensitive electric piano with built-in amplification. 1965 - c.1981.
Original price (1977): £1420
Target price: £300 - £800
Interface: | |
VFM: | ★ |
Sounds: | ★★ |
Character: | ★★★ |
Controls: | ★★★ |
Collectability: | ★★★★ |
Memories: | |
Ease of use: | ★★★★★ |
A collection of instruments imported into Britain by Chase Musicians in the early '80s.
13-note bass pedal synth. c.1981.
Original price: £299/£199
Target price: £30 - £70
49-note polyphonic string synthesiser. c.1981.
Original price: £699/£599
Target price: £60 - £100
Mono synth and sequencer, c.1981.
Original price: £299/£199
Target price: £40 - £80
Range of modular and semi-modular synthesiser kits based on projects published in Elektor magazine during late '70s.
Original price: £263 (kit)
Target price: £100 - £180 (built)
Users include: Rudiger Lorenz
61-note string synthesiser originally designed by Ken Freeman, to use with his own band Second City Sound. c.1966.
Original price: Unknown
Target price: £40 - £70
49-note simple polyphonic keyboard. c.1983.
Original price: £250
Target price: £30 - £60
Read the next part in this series:
The A-Z of Analogue (Part 8)
Topic:
Series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 (Viewing) | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Feature by Peter Forrest
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