Buying guides
Before you buy an old synth
The model pages cover one instrument each. These cover the decisions that span them: which polysynth to start with, what service an old synth needs, and how to read a listing.
Your First Vintage Analog Polysynth: Juno, Polysix, Prophet-600 or OB-8
Choosing a first vintage analog polysynth? What the Juno-60, Juno-106, Polysix, Prophet-600 and OB-8 trade off in MIDI, memory, voices and faults.
The Juno-106 Voice Chip: What Fails, How to Spot It, and What Replaces It
Why Juno-106 voice chips fail, the symptoms to hear in a seller's video, the replacement chips made today, and how to test a used Juno-106 listing.
TR-808 or TR-909? How Roland's Classic Drum Machines Differ, and What to Check
TR-808 or TR-909? How each makes its sounds, how they sync, the sequencers, known faults, and the reissues and clones to spot in used listings.
What an Old Synth Needs from a Tech, and What "Serviced" Should Mean
Capacitors, backup batteries, key contacts, pots, calibration and voice chips. What a vintage synth usually needs, and what a serviced listing should show.
100V, 120V or 240V? Vintage Synth Voltage and Shipping
Japanese 100V, US 120V and European 230V synths, which models have voltage selectors, step-down transformers, and how to ship a heavy synth safely.
eBay Red Flags for Vintage Synths and Drum Machines
How to read an eBay listing for a vintage synth. Powers on vs tested, stock photos, clones and plug-ins using famous names, wrong voltage, packing.