Keyboard

[Darth Florist]

I know this is the wrong place for this, but it's the nearest! I'm trying to get hold of a bare 37-key keyboard (G to G or F to F), comprising the keys sitting in a frame with electric make or break contacts for each key. 30 years ago, it was called a "Keyboard Carcass", but I can't find any reference to it on the 'net. Do they have another name (or names), and where can I get my hands on one in the U.K?

[R.G.]

Best thing to do is to look in the local classified adverts for a free electronic organ. Folks have been giving those away over here for about 20 years now, and they're still around. Remove the keyboard, toss the rest in the trash.

Over here at least they're called "AGO keyboards", standing for "American Guild of Organists", but I'm sure they're called other things other places.

[Enzo]

Agree, take one out of something. Buying a new one would be stupid expensive.

Old home organ or any dead synth.

I call it a keybed, myself.

[J M Fahey]

HEYYYYY !!!!
GLAD to see you around

Hope moving went smoothly (never easy) and you and Ms Wenzo are happily installed by now.

A big hug to her

[Mick Bailey]

A couple of years ago I was looking for this type of keyboard to complete my modular synth. I did find one new, though I can't recall who was selling them. But anyhow the price was £hundreds.

I eventually bought a scrap 70s electric piano which had three contact rails - easy to cut down and remove the rails I didn't need (I'd already built Ray Wilson's keyboard controller) and installed resistors for 1v/oct.

Later keyboards are scanned, or diode-matrix, use rubber keypads and are more difficult to adapt. Depends what you want to use it for. Some people install reed switches and magnets, stripping out the electronics just to leave the keys. Casio, Yamaha and many other keybeds can be adapted.