|
Vintage Keyboard
Research Update
Since Issue 3, several "new" keyboards have
been identified or cross-referenced.
Among electric pianos, the most interesting discovery has
been the source of the mysterious Maestro electric
piano. You may recall that this is a 61-note instrument
based closely on the Wurlitzer design. It transpires that
the instrument is fairly well-known in its native Japan,
where it was marketed by Columbia as the Elepian
from 1963 to about 1980. Evidently Gibson imported
the console model for use in teaching labs and renamed it
"Maestro". Certainly the portable "Combo
Elepian" model (below) is seldom seen outside Japan.
Hohner's Electra-Piano (the German company's Fender
Rhodes clone) has become a viable alternative to the Rhodes
once again thanks to the on-line manual (pdf format) at
www.clavinet.com.
And on the same subject, the ultra-rare "stage"
version of the Electra-Piano has finally made an appearance.
Known as the Electra-Piano T (below), it uses a completely
different action made from sheet metal and plastics. The
"T" seems to actually be that dream item
- a "Rhodes" that weighs less than a Wurlitzer.
Shame that they're so rare. And ugly.
As usual, a few Fender Rhodes oddities have shown
up. The most interesting has to be the rather cute Piano
49 (below). This appears to be a "Suitcase" version
of the Celeste, but unlike that model it has a sustain pedal.
The speaker cab is suitably scaled down, and is not the
same as the one used with the "Piano 61" shown
in the 1963 Fender catalogue.
Other Rhodes rarities include two unusual versions of the
Student piano, including the "Star Trek" version
(below) and the elusive "twin-pedestal" version
(bottom).
Organ news includes the identification of
what is probably the final version of the single-manual
Vox Continental. Known officially as the "Continental
71" (and apparently dating from that year), the
71 not only has centrally-mounted drawbars but also preset
tabs not unlike those of the Continental 300. Also in the
world of Vox, it has now been established that the Vox
Junior is indeed another version of the Gem Mini,
albeit repackaged with Vox colours and reverse keyboard.
Finally, a certain individual's obsession
with early-70s sitcom "The Partridge Family"
has not only led to the finding of at least three Elka
Panther 2200 organs (formerly thought to be unique)
but also the positive identification of a "mystery
piano" seen on the programme as a Japanese Hillwood
electronic piano. The individual in question now has
one of each, so we hope he's happy. Each to his own...
|
