VINTAGE KEYBOARDS, ANYONE?

[johnallg]

A really great thread. Thoroughly enjoying this.

A few months ago (about the time I contacted you, Paul) I missed a Hammond M3 for $50 because I was too polite. I found the ad in our paper at 10:30 pm and figured it was too late to call. When I called early in the morning, this nice old lady answered and said the organ was being picked up as we spoke by the man who called at 11 pm the night before. So much for Mr. Nice Guy....

[digam11]

I have a `68 or `69 Thomas organ w/ the Leslie built in that I have to move soon. this is when Thomas owned Vox which was a big plus for me in grabbing it. I got it for free from a Craigslist ad. The old couple who owned had a divorced child w/ 2 kids of her own returning the nest so the room they had it in was being transformed to a bedroom for those kids. This couple was not happy about losing the organ.

I`ve had it for about 6 or 7 months and just have not found the time to put into it. I have a Vox Berkeley rig and Cambridge Reverb on the way and my wife says something has to go. Sounds cool and looks great.

I`ve been asking a few friends w/ have keyboard buddies if they want it so I hope it goes to a good home.

If anyone here is in MA / RI area of New England and are interested send me a note. Free to me... free to you.

Mike

Well I`m happy to say that I gave the Thomas to 2 young guys that answered my Craigslist ad almost immediatly. They came w/ a truck and rope and couldn`t thank me enough for it. They said they had been looking for one for some time. They have a band in a city about 30 miles from me. They were thrilled w/ it. It was funny to see them both light right up when the lights went on in the basement and there it was. It was like, "yup, that`s what we`ve been looking for". My good deed for the day

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Cool!

Mark, are you aware that North Coast Music manufactures new chrome "Z" stands that fit both the Jaguar and the Continental? They are actually better quality than the original. I have them on both my VOXes.

I wish...

That Jaguar came and went when I was in high school. It had the chrome stand too. The pics I posted were not my own--I just found them on the net. The Moog Rogue no longer makes any noise, and the foam they used inside has deteriorated into a toxic sludge...which is probably responsible for the sound no longer working. I loved that Rogue...you really could manipulate any sound you wanted.

[blue330]

Would anybody like a *free* non-working CDX organ? It used to work, but no sound last time I turned it on, but it's probably just dirty connections. This thing was left at my studio about 25 years ago and I just don't think the owner is ever going to pick it up!
Single manual, lights up, built-in speaker, and most importantly: Astro Sound! Let me know, and this impressive item will be on its way to a featured position in your home or studio!

Also if anybody is interested I can post pictures of a:

Chamberlin (the later Model 101 or something like that, the small one)
Clavioline (crazy ancient French mono synth sold here by Gibson w/matching amp)
Yamaha YC-45 (interesting super deluxe late-period dual-manual combo organ)

if somebody can tell me how to do it. Last time I tried the pictures were too big or something, although maybe this doesn't apply with the new and improved version of the Forum.

[admin]

MItch: You should not have any trouble uploading photos.

Just use the upload atachment link at the bottom of the window where you normally type the text to post and follow the links from there to the location of your photos on your computer.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

How can I resist Astro sound? We wantsss it.

What must I do, Mitch?

-Mark

[rkbsound]

I don't play keys, but it would be cool to have my boys learn on such a cool little keyboard (they started lessons and stopped -- I'd like to get them going since they really like the Yamaha synth they have now). If there are no takers, I'd gladly take it and get it cleaned up for them.

On a guitar note, Mitch, I'm always on the lookout for cool guitars, which I think you're into. If you ever have any for sale, I'd love a shot at one! -- Jeff Phelps.

[blue330]

My goodness! There has been a thoroughly unexpected flurry of activity around the old CDX and I'm afraid I must report that she was snapped up instantly by (a celebrity whose identity we will keep secret!)- so thanks for all the interest, and if I come across any more such relics I'll make the announcement here!

[jingle_jangle]

Oh, well, ya snooze ya looze...I was working and offline when Mitch's CDX offer came up...still looking for one, though, if anybody's got one or knows of one!

Mitch, that clavioline must be similar to my old Hammond Solovox, and one of them is the world's first electronic monophonic synth. I suspect they are very similar. The Solovox was made with short keys, to fasten underneath the right-hand side of a piano keyboard in order to play lead lines with the right hand. It came with a amp/speaker unit that looked very much like a piece of furniture, and the two pieces were connected with a thick umbilical cable wrapped in brown rayon. Alan Young of Hammond designed the item, and it went on the market in 1940. I bought one (a model J) in 1967 for $110.00--more than they are apparently worth today.

I built the keyboard of mine into a cabinet that was styled after a VOX Continental, with a bright red-orange Tolex top panel. Never got the cab for the amp completed before I traded it off for something...

[dogload]

Hi-

I had a Vox Jaguar once but it didn't work properly- the 'D's all played at the same pich (not good when most of your songs are in D!) I inherited an ex-working men's club tranny Hammond organ but that packed in and had to go (also took up too much room in my then- small flat)> I also had a Korg MS10 (which was a brilliant bubble-synth) but that went the journey when times got tough...

... nowadays I have a Mellotron, Hammond organ, Vox Continental, various electric pianos and a whole raft of synths and string machines coveniently stored in software form to use in Cubase! So much easier to vacuum around. Would love a real Mellotron though...

[jingle_jangle]

This debate continues to involve people, and is a metaphor for the usual real life/virtual (second) life debate.

Virtual is so sanitized; only fails when you want or allow it to, is easy to bend to one's desires, uses less energy, etc.

Real smells like Tolex glue, hot glass tubes, old plywood, and spider **** (at least that's what I think it is). It can be unpredictable and seems to present a challenge everytime that switch is flicked to "ON".

I've got both: digital (virtual) and analog (real and weighty...). It's impossible to get obsessed with Cubase; you can't hug it or pop the cover and look at miles of varicolored wiring installed nearly a half-century ago by people named Antonio and Rosa. Cubase and its ilk don't have a rich history, narrated in fits and starts by cigarette burns on the keys and a sad beerish smell when the weather turns damp.

I feel a spike of nostalgic triumph everytime I turn on the Connie and play a chord...When I do so digitally, I find myself thinking, "gosh, this patch sounds like the real thing". Then my glance wanders over to the real thing, sitting six feet away in the corner.

Gee, Dobe, I'm getting misty...*

* Maynard G. Krebs, 1961, the year the VOX Continental saw the light of day commercially.

[kryan5732]

I bought this package last Friday from the original owner:

[admin]

Kevin, what a stunning look. Well done.

[jdogric12]

Sorry I'm late to the party. I dig them s***s. I have a Conn organ that I got for free; the local Egypt Temple Shrine bar was going to throw it in the trash when a friend of mine got wind of it and called me to come over quick so we could load it up and I could keep it! That plus a recent Kurzweil SP88, 2 "vintage" Yamaha DX7's, and a Silvio Soprani accordion round out the bunch (Thanks TC!)

[jingle_jangle]

I bought this package last Friday from the original owner:

Fabulous, Kevin! My rig is virtually the same! Is that a USA Continental?