My geek son (who is my technical guy at work) just showed me a site for geek-stuff (the place that had the Kaossilator months before anyone else) that had a Stylophone. Evidently, this little toy was invented 40 years ago last year in England. Original units are collected, probably by gear nuts like me.

According to what I've read, everyone from Marilyn Manson to other, say, more mainstream people have ued them. There's a new one available for $19.95. It has a line out, a vibrato button and a button or two to change octaves.

If you have a minute, Google them. Not sure it's a real instrument, but it's been used in lots of recordings and is a quirky piece of music history.

Pretty cool! I'm ordering one as soon as I finish this (they're backordered).

Russ "latent, aging "Geek" Lay

I've heard of them, even had one many years ago (a special edition white one).
Eventually just stopped working one day.

One of David Bowie's first hit's "Space Oddity" features a stylophone. Can't think of any one else using one.



------------------
The Sonic Energy Authority - a sound investment

Hi Russ,
I had one. We even had them here in Aust.
Can't remember much about it though, too long ago. I doubt it would be considered a real instrument.Round about the same period I was collecting chord organs.haahaa
best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by captain Russ:
[B]M

I used to have one back in the late sixties and early seventies...

Really nasty nasal sound, would cut through anything! I used to patch it into a Sound City 100 watt guitar amp and terrorize guitar players for fun! Bit of Echoplex, it was quite cool!

Main hit with it was Bowie's "A Space Oddity' where it did a memorable solo...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubreq_Stylophone

By the way, for fans of marsupial bondage, Rolf Harris was it's spokesman in England!

Synth Zone has links to Stylophone websites, so I'll include them here.

Rolf Harris used to use one back in Australia.

A brief history http://web.archive.org/web/20020314060850/members.aol.com/normleete/keyspage/dubreq.htm

You can still buy them here http://www.stylophone.com/

A free VST Stylophone plugin http://www.kvraudio.com/get/68.html

And what is wrong with marsupial bondage anyway ???? You have heard the song "Tie My Kangaroo Down" ????


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 09-26-2008).]

God, those ads were never off the telly when I was a kid.

Amusingly, Wersi's great rival in the Fatherland, Böhm, used to sell a Stylophone kit, designed to convince you that anyone could solder together their own Heimorgel. I wonder how many of those are still around. :lol:

And on sale here in the UK at my local spares warehouse: http://cpc.farnell.com/DP30095/audio-video-tv/product.us0?sku=unbranded-stylophone&_requestid=84194

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Stylophone&search_type=&aq=-1&oq=

Diki, still have an Echoplex in the back and a few tapes. Of course, haven't turned it on for years, but what a piece of history. Remember when the whole sound system for a 6 piece Motown band was a 6 channel hi impedance Shure Vocalmaster with the two tall columns, no monitors and an Echoplex.

My friend Bob Burrus made a reproduction of the Scotty Moore amp with on-board tape echo. It's my understanding that one of them went to Scotty himself.

Man, by today's standards, that was really primitive.

"Sentimental old" Russ

Got my Stylophone about three minutes ago...popped three AA batteries in it and have been having a BALL!. $19.95 and a real BLAST. Made in England...about 7"x5"x1". Tremolo on-off switch-line in and out, a volume, a wierd tone switch and a modulator knob underneath. As soon as you touch it, you recall hearing the thing in old recordings. Copy says "The Original Pocket Electronic Organ".

Who needs a damn T3 when you have one of these BABIES? (And no, Mason, Fran , Donnie and others, you can't trade me out of it)!

So THERE!


R.




[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 10-06-2008).]