Custom Keytar

[Myka Guitars]

Ok, time for something a little different. I was contacted by a local musician in the Seattle area that has a decent keytar collection and wanted to, and I quote, "own the world's only custom keytar collection". Well there's something to be said for setting attainable goals. I think he'll do just fine!

Keep in mind that this is just a prototype. The next one will have some nicer woods, wood binding, and some cool key details. But for a proof of concept this is pretty cool. My client is coming tomorrow to decide the finish. Once it's done he'll give it some play time and see if it works or not.

Here it is so far:

For more pictures: keytar progress gallery.

Enjoy!~

~David

[j. pierce]

Sweet!

My bass player quit recently. We replaced him with a friend of mine that plays the Rhodes. Of course, now the cheeky value of the two of us playing the matching bass and guitars I built is gone. So I keep threatening to build the key player a matching keytar. (When he complains, I tell him that I'll just make it the Rhodes on a strap.) I was kidding, but it's nice to see it can be done!

[Quarter]

Cool project What guts did you use?

[SwedishLuthier]

When he complains, I tell him that I'll just make it the Rhodes on a strap

Outch! Have you ever tried to lift a Rhodes? Í own a Rhodes and for a while I played it in a band. But that was also the only decent keys I had at home so I had to disassemble it for every rehearsal, lift it into the car, drive it to the rehearsal place, lift it inside, assemble it and finally I was ready to play. And after every rehearsal I had to do it all again. It was heavy...

[Marcovis]

This is awesome!

[Xanthus]

Dave, you are insane.

On a related note, to see this with better wood, binding, and stained/oiled, would be fantastic! This is a cool build just in the novelty aspect of it, but really, I'd rather have a wood keytar. Them things feel like they're going to break every time I pick one up.

I can't tell you how long my roommate spent tracking down an AX-7 on Ebay, only to buy it and have it sit in his closet. It's still there to this day.

Edited February 3, 2009 by Xanthus

[Myka Guitars]

Haha! Glad you all like this one. Thanks for the comments.

This was built from a Roland AX-1.

~David

[j. pierce]

When he complains, I tell him that I'll just make it the Rhodes on a strap

Outch! Have you ever tried to lift a Rhodes? Í own a Rhodes and for a while I played it in a band. But that was also the only decent keys I had at home so I had to disassemble it for every rehearsal, lift it into the car, drive it to the rehearsal place, lift it inside, assemble it and finally I was ready to play. And after every rehearsal I had to do it all again. It was heavy...

Oh, I know. We help him move it (and the Traynor head that ways more than my cab) every gig and practice. That's the joke, I guess.

Rather than jerking around with the screw in- legs, he somehow found an industrial strength keyboard stand that will hold the whole thing, so that helps.