A keytar is a keyboard or synthesizer hung around the neck and shoulders, similar to a guitar.
List of keytars
- [no grip] — keyboard model without control grip.
- [opt grip] — keyboard model with optional control grip.
Custom/rare keytars
Rare keytar products
* Delmar Brown "Illuminator" (illuminating display attached to keytar)
* Guess Musical Instruments "Schizotron", a product which combined keyboard and guitar/bass
* "Nissin C-16", a custom keytar version of Casio SK-1, distributed as lottery goods for promoting Nissin Cup Noodles
* Suzuki "Omnichord" and "QChord", electronic chord instruments inspired by Oscar Schmidt Autoharp
* "Zen Riffer", used most notably by Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater.
Drum/Percussion keytars
* Dynacord Rhythm Stick (also known as "Jamma" since 1982)
* Formanta UDS drum controller
* Tsumura JD21
* Drumitar / Zendrum (2008)
* "Riday T91"
Custom made keytars
In alphabetical order:
* "Alien Guitar Simulator", a selfmade keytar by Le Orme keyboard player Michele Bon.
* "Arcadetar", a keytar-like keyboard controller combined a pitch sensor in 20 inch. (50 cm) long, developed by Italian musician Andrea Lomuscio of Teapot Industries in 2012.
* Jeri Ellsworth's FPGA-based C64 keytar
* Lady Gaga's custom made keytar during The Monster Ball Tour in 2010.
* "Lag Circulaire" made for Jean Michel Jarre
* "Lag Insecte" made for Jean Michel Jarre
* "Lag Mad Max" made for Jean Michel Jarre
* Matthew Bellamy's "Keytarcaster" Manson, made for playing Undisclosed Desires from Muse's 5th studio album, The Resistance
* Prince's "PurpleAxxe", also played by Tommy Barbarella
* "Politrep", a copy of the Zen Riffer keytar made by order at the website space4keys.com
* "Remote" for Jean Michel Jarre's studio by Lag
* "Syblade", a keytar designed to be unique and to inspire.
Customized keytars
Based on minimoog keyboards
* Custom minimoog keyboard used by Gary Wright and Steve Porcaro around 1976.
* Cruder, Jan Hammer's early custom keyboard with block shaped controller.
* Plexi minimoog keyboard used by George Duke
Based on Yamaha KX series
* Jean Michel Jarre's custom KX5, two versions: Houston and Docklands Concerts.
* Lights Poxleitner plays a rare Yamaha KX5 keytar.
Based on Roland AX series
* Vadim Pruzhanov of DragonForce and Henrik Klingenberg of Sonata Arctica both use a custom Roland AX-7 (although nowadays Henrik Klingenberg uses custom Roland AX-1)
* Christopher Bowes of Alestorm owns a Roland AX-7 which he has customised over the years with various stickers of animals.
* Jeff Abbott, long-time keytar player and product demonstrator for MusicLab plays a custom wooden keytar based around a Roland AX-1.
* Lady Gaga's keytar seen during The Fame Ball Tour in 2009 based on a modified Roland AX-Synth.
Gallery
See also
References