A keytar is a keyboard or synthesizer hung around the neck and shoulders, similar to a guitar.

List of keytars

* o grip — keyboard model without control grip. * pt 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 The Casio SK-1 is a small sampling keyboard made by Casio in 1985. It has 32 small sized piano keys, four-note polyphony, with a sampling bit depth of 8 bit PCM and a sample rate of 9.38 kHz for 1.4 seconds, a built-in microphone and line level ...

, distributed as lottery goods for promoting Nissin

Cup Noodles Cup noodle is a registered trademark of Nissin Foods and is known as precooked instant noodle with flavoring powder and/or seasoning sauce sold in a polystyrene, polyethylene, or paper cup. The flavoring can be in a separate packet or loose in t ...

Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...

Omnichord The Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument introduced in 1981 by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate known as "Sonic Strings", preset rhythms, auto-bass line functionality, and buttons for ma ...

" and " QChord", electronic chord instruments inspired by

Oscar Schmidt Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt (born February 16, 1958) is a retired Brazilian professional basketball player. He is also commonly known as Oscar Schmidt in Spain, where he played for Fórum Valladolid for the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons, ...

Autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of ...

:* "Zen Riffer", used most notably by

Jordan Rudess Jordan Rudess (born Jordan Charles Rudes; November 4, 1956) is an American musician, software developer and composer best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive metal supergroup Liquid Tension Experime ...

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...

Drum/Percussion keytars

:* Dynacord Rhythm Stick (also known as "Jamma" since 1982) — including th
storiesphotographsvideostechnical stuffs
and manuals (see below). :* Tsumura JD21 :*

Drumitar A Zendrum is a hand-crafted MIDI controller that is used as a percussion instrument. The Zendrum was influenced by the "Drumitar," invented by Future Man. There are several Zendrum models that are well-suited for live performances: the Z1, ZX, E ...

Zendrum A Zendrum is a hand-crafted MIDI controller that is used as a percussion instrument. The Zendrum was influenced by the "Drumitar," invented by Future Man. There are several Zendrum models that are well-suited for live performances: the Z1, ZX, E ...

(2008) :* "Riday T91"

Custom made keytars

:''In alphabetically order'' : :* "Alien Guitar Simulator", a selfmade keytar by

Le Orme Le Orme (Italian: "The Footprints") is an Italian progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera, a ''frazione'' of Venice. The band was one of the major groups of the Italian progressive rock scene in the 1970s. They are one of few Italian r ...

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 Jeri Janet Ellsworth (born August 14, 1974) is an American entrepreneur, computer chip designer and inventor. She gained fame in 2004 for creating a complete Commodore 64 emulator system on a chip housed within a joystick, called Commodore ...

's FPGA-based C64 keytar :*

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

's custom made keytar during

The Monster Ball Tour The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her first EP, ''The Fame Monster'' (2009) and comprising a set list of songs from that and her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008 ...

in 2010. :* "

Lag Lag, or similar, may refer to: Lag * Łąg, Poland * Lag (company), a French guitar maker * Lag (cue sports), a brief pre-game competition to determine which player will go first * Latency (engineering), a slower response time in computing, commu ...

Circulaire" made for Jean Michel Jarre :* "Lag Insecte" made for

Jean Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompanie ...

:* "Lag Mad Max" made for Jean Michel Jarre :*

Matthew Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, musician, producer, and songwriter. He is primarily known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and primary songwriter for English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his eccen ...

's "Keytarcaster" Manson, made for playing Undisclosed Desires from Muse's 5th studio album, The Resistance :*

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

's "PurpleAxxe", also played by

Tommy Barbarella Tommy Barbarella (born Thomas Elm) is an American keyboardist. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991 to 1996. Barbarella also played on Miley Cyrus's album, '' Breakout''. In 2010, Barbarella b ...

:* "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 The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

keyboards :* ''Custom minimoog keyboard'' used by

Gary Wright Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs " Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and po ...

and

Steve Porcaro Steven Maxwell Porcaro (born September 2, 1957) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, and film composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother (after the deaths of Jeff in 1992 and M ...

around 1976. :* Cruder,

Jan Hammer Jan Hammer () (born 17 April 1948) is a Czech-American musician, composer, and record producer. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra during the early 1970s, as well as his film scores fo ...

's ''early custom keyboard'' with block shaped controller. :* ''Plexi minimoog keyboard'' used by

George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

;Based on Yamaha KX series :*

's ''custom KX5'', two versions: Houston and Docklands Concerts. :*

Lights Poxleitner Lights Poxleitner-Bokan (born Valerie Anne Poxleitner; April 11, 1987), known mononymously as Lights (previously stylized as LIGHTS), is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. She is known for singles "Drive My Soul", "February Air", " I ...

plays a ''rare Yamaha KX5'' keytar. ;Based on Roland AX series :*

Vadim Pruzhanov DragonForce are a British power metal band from London, England. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, and are known for their long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-themed lyrics and retro video game-influenced s ...

DragonForce DragonForce are a British power metal band from London, England. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, and are known for their long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-themed lyrics and retro video game-influenced ...

and

Henrik Klingenberg Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg (born 21 October 1978) is a Finnish keyboardist, keytarist and singer. He joined the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica in late 2002 and currently resides in Kemi, Finland, when not on tour. Keyboardists he has ...

Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup ...

both use a ''custom Roland AX-7'' (although nowadays

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 fo
MusicLab
plays a custom wooden keytar based around a Roland AX-1.

Gallery

File:Orphica, Museum für Musikinstrumente der Universität Leipzig.jpg, Orphica (18th–19th century) File:Royalex Probe (keytar) operated by Lucy Hosking (Lucyfer) to play the Satan's Calliope, the flaming pipe organ car by him (Burning Man 2006).jpg, Royalex Probe (1977/1980) played by Lucy Hosking File:Syntar inventor George Mattson.jpg, PMS Syntar (1979) by George Mattson File:Moog Liberation.jpg, Moog Liberation (1980) File:Stanley Clarke & George Duke.jpg, Davis Clavitar (1980) played by

File:SynthAxe.jpg, SynthAxe (1985) by Bill Aitken, et al. File:Yamaha KX5 black.png, Yamaha KX-5 (1984) File:Korg RK-100.jpg, Korg RK-100 (1984) File:Yamaha shs-10.jpg, Yamaha SHS-10 (1987) File:Lync LN1000.jpg, Lync LN-1000 (1990) File:Zendrum Laptop in concert (1246x768).jpg,

''series'' (1994) File:Roland AX-7.jpg, Roland AX-7 (2001) File:Dream Theater Live in Argentina 03-03-08.jpg, Zen Riffer Solo Axe (2007) by

Roy Wooten Roy Wilfred Wooten (born October 13, 1957), also known as RoyEl, best known by his stage name Future Man (also written Futureman and known to fans as Futche) is an American musician, inventor and composer. He is best known as a member of jazz ...

File:Rock Band 3 Wireless Pro Keyboard PS3.jpg, Mad Catz Rock Band 3 Wireless Pro Keyboard File:KORG RK-100S keytar - angled left - 2014 NAMM Show (by Matt Vanacoro).jpg, Korg RK-100s (2014) File:Mystery live at Epic Studios, Norwich, UK, 17th October 2019 - 48949262442.jpg, Alesis Vortex Wireless (2014) played by Michel St-Père (

Mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

) in 2019

References

{{Reflist Keytars