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Description
The Yamaha GX-1, first released as Electone GX-707, is an analog polyphonic synthesizer organ developed by Yamaha as a test bed for later consumer synths and Electone series organs for stage and home use. The GX-1 has four synthesizer "ranks" or three manuals, called Solo, Upper, and Lower, plus Pedal, and an analog rhythm machine.
The GX-1 cost $60,000 (equivalent to $396,000 today) and premiered in the US at the 1973 NAMM Convention. The exact production number is unknown, but thought to total fewer than 100. At least 13 GX-1s are known to exist outside Japan, the remainder are presumed to have stayed in Japan.
The GX-1 is also well known as the synthesizer of choice for Keith Emerson and Stevie Wonder, and was acclaimed as a "dream machine."
Videos
Polyphonic
The Dream Machine: How Yamaha's GX-1 Got Its Nickname
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Yamaha GX-1.
Build quality
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The GX-1's handmade construction and use of bleeding-edge 1974 technology can lead to reliability issues, as noted by owners familiar with vintage synths.
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Setup and maintenance
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Owners frequently report that servicing a CS-80, a descendant of the GX-1, can be extremely challenging and costly due to its complexity.
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User experience
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It's been noted that the GX-1 typically requires professional intervention for maintenance due to the scarcity of technicians skilled in analog synth repair.
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There are believed to be only about a dozen GX-1s left in existence, with few in full working order, making it a rare and sought-after piece.
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Use cases and applications
Comparisons
Value and pricing
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Originally priced at $60k, accounting for inflation, the GX-1's value today is approximately $425k, highlighting its rarity and historical significance.
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Critic Reviews
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Artist usage
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On the comment section, Richard David James (under the name of user18081971) mentions that he used the Yamaha GX-1 for a few tracks. "i did quite a few with it, looking very forward to having it fully midified. Trouble is though id rather Colin make more o.s updates to Cirklon!"
Jones states in this interview that he used a Yamaha GX-1 with Led Zeppelin and then sold it to Keith Emerson.
In the case of 'Pastime Paradise', a Yamaha GX1 served as the starting point. A huge and powerful polyphonic analogue synthesizer, with chrome pedestals and a curved metallic body, the GX1 — introduced in 1973 as a forerunner to the CS80 — housed three keyboards, a pedal-board, a ribbon controller that produced modulation changes, two swell pedals and a spring-loaded knee controller, along with a variety of buttons and switches to program, store and recall sounds. The top three-quarter-scale, three-octave, 37-note keyboard had half-size keys and offered unprecedented touch control; the other two five-octave, 61-note standard-size keyboards were equally functional, with horizontal position control enabling the player to achieve effects such as vibrato by moving the keys side-to-side.
"There had been the Yamaha GX1 before that, which Emmo and Stevie Wonder had got, which was supposed to be worth over twice that, but I don't know if they ever paid for them or whether they got them on some sort of endorsement deal. It was funny, when we were in Japan a few years ago - we saw quite a few of them stuck in resorts and hotels and places like that."
At 2:06, it appears that Minoru appears to have a Yamaha GX-1 on his right side. It's really chunky and has the three tiers of keys so it would appear to be a GX-1.
One of the last GX-1s manufactured was the one acquired by Benny Andersson in early 1979. This particular instrument was from then on used on many of the songs that were recorded by ABBA during 1979-1982, on the album musical “Chess” from 1983-1984 as well as on numerous other recordings from that era. It has also toured the world with ABBA in 1979 as well as being used on the concert version of “Chess” in 1984.
In the liner notes of the New Triumvirat album "Pompeii," Jürgen Fritz is credited with playing the Yamaha GX-1, as documented on Discogs.
Album Usage
The Yamaha GX-1 has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Yamaha GX-1, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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