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Vintage synths & drum machines
Vintage Synthesizers

Yamaha · Analog polysynth · Pre-MIDI classics

Yamaha CS-60

The CS-60 came out in 1977 alongside the CS-80 and the four-voice CS-50, and it sits in the middle of that family. It has the same eight-voice polyphony as the CS-80 but one oscillator per voice, so you get a single layer where the big one has two. Vintage Synth Explorer calls it a scaled-down CS-80, yet it keeps plenty of the character, with a ring modulator, a long ribbon for pitch bends, and aftertouch. That aftertouch responds to the whole keyboard at once. It's the big expressive difference from the CS-80, where each key has its own. Memory is 12 presets plus one user patch, so you'll set most sounds by hand. Yamaha lists it at 46 kg, a bit over half the CS-80's weight, which makes it far easier to move and ship. Air, Jean-Michel Jarre and Bob Marley and the Wailers all used one. If you want the CS sound and can live without per-key aftertouch, it's the practical choice.

Spec at a glance

Brand
Yamaha
Type
Analog polysynth
Voices
8-voice polyphonic
Keys
61 keys
MIDI
No (pre-MIDI)

What to check before you buy

Vintage Synth Explorer lists overheating and unstable tuning as the usual complaints. Many survivors are also in rough shape after decades on the road, so a full service matters more than looks.

  1. 01Service history: Ask the seller when it was last serviced and calibrated. A recent service by a tech who knows the CS range is what you want.
  2. 02Every voice: Ask for a video playing each of the eight voices alone. They should match in pitch, tone and volume.
  3. 03Warm-up: Ask whether it has been played for an hour or more recently. It should stay in tune and keep working as it warms up.
  4. 04Ribbon: Ask for a video sliding a finger along the whole ribbon. The pitch should glide smoothly with no jumps or dead spots.
  5. 05Aftertouch: Ask for a clip pressing down into a held chord. The sound should change smoothly as the pressure builds.
  6. 06Presets: Ask for a clip stepping through the 12 presets and the user patch. Each should recall cleanly and sound different.
  7. 07Tuning: On arrival, let it warm up and check every voice against a tuner. Small drift is normal, but voices far apart mean it needs calibrating.

Find one on eBay

We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay for it and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for a video of every voice and a note of anything that’s been serviced or replaced.

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