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SynthAxe

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Page last updated Aug 10, 2025

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Videos

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magicaldog

SynthAxe Demo from the 80's

magicaldog

Allan Holdsworth playing his SynthAxe

magicaldog

Synthaxe

aliendough

Allan Holdsworth on Rockschool 1987

SpiritNirvana

Allan Holdsworth with his SynthAxe at a rehearsal playing Pud Wud

magicaldog

Holdsworth Synthaxe cover Spokes

Steve Powell

Allan Holdsworth - Endomorph (I bought a SynthAxe)

TurrigenousOfficial

Allan Holdsworth plays Synthaxe

holdsyfan

Synthaxe Fun with SWAM alto sax

Corrado Rustici

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Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about SynthAxe.

Comparisons

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The SynthAxe's lack of pitch tracking avoids lag issues found in Roland GR 707/700, making it superior for seamless performance.
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The Boss SY-3000 is praised for flawless polyphonic tracking without a special pickup, contrasting with SynthAxe's unique non-MIDI approach.
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Features and functionality

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The SynthAxe, unlike MIDI pickups, provides saxophone-like phrasing without false notes, enhancing its utility for expressive playing.
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Use cases and applications

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Allan Holdsworth's use of the SynthAxe on the album "Atavachron" highlights its capability to generate unique musical expressions.
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Value and pricing

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Originally priced at around $12,000 USD, the SynthAxe's inflation-adjusted cost would be approximately $40,000 today, reflecting its premium status.
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Critic Reviews

From Holy Grail to dodo: how the legendary SynthAxe went from being "the future of the electric guitar" to "way beyond what most guitarists could comprehend" | MusicRadar

musicradar.com

The SynthAxe, once hailed as a revolutionary fusion of guitar and synth, epitomizes ambitious innovation but also highlights the pitfalls of overreach. While its design promised unparalleled expressive capabilities by combining traditional guitar play with advanced MIDI controls, its steep learning curve and exorbitant price—initially over £10,000—made it inaccessible to the average musician. Despite endorsements from notable artists like Gary Moore and Allan Holdsworth, only about 100 units were ever made, marking it as a rare collector's item today. Ultimately, the SynthAxe stands as a testament to visionary design that outpaced practical musician needs and market readiness.

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Artist usage

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Gary Moore

Guitarist, Singer

Thin Lizzy

Verified via YouTube

here´s an interview with Phill Lynot explaining what the sybthaxe is and confirming that gary moore used it in the song "Out in the Fields"

Video

And here's a quote from Vintage Guitar Magazine: "Moore had finally shaken off the Deep Purple clichés that bogged down his early ‘80s material and created a slick hard-rock style that was polished like a Def Leppard radio hit, but still kicked like a Thin Lizzy record. Playing a solidbody Ibanez Roadstar RS1000 in this video (along with that ‘80s relic, the SynthAxe), he executes a wonderfully blitzkrieg guitar solo. Dig especially the “axe cam” that captures the lead from a fingerboard perspective."

Allan Holdsworth

Guitarist

Level 42

Verified via YouTube

In a YouTube video by magicaldog, Allan Holdsworth is seen playing his SynthAxe, expressing that it was something he had been waiting for all his life.

Lee Ritenour

Guitarist

Sparks

Verified via YouTube

Lee Ritenour can be seen playing the SynthAxe at 11:38 in the video.

Roy Hay

Guitarist

Culture Club

Verified via Muzines

"I really liked the SynthAxe but I think that, to do it justice, you have to learn to play it properly using the keyboard part as well as the guitar. If I were just a guitarist then I think I'd have had to learn it, but because I'm an adequate keyboard player, I don't need to. I can play all my synthesisers without having to resort to a guitar interface."

Christopher Currell

Keyboardist

Michael Jackson (band)