Aphex Twin's Rare Yamaha GX 1 Synth Starts at $125,000 USD
The historic piece of equipment was one of the most advanced professional synthesizers when it was made in 1975.
Musical auction platform VEMIA quietly launched an auction for a rare Yamaha GX1 owned by famed electronic producer and artist Aphex Twin. In addition to being passed through the hands of one of the most prolific experimental electronic artists, the product itself is quite rare (and expensive) to begin with. In full working order, the site is offering the piece starting at the hefty price of $127,784 USD ( £99,950) and closes the auction on April 12.
Officially launched by the Japanese corporation in 1975, it’s believed that only about 100 were ever made. The three-manual polyphonic synth was the predecessor to foundational synthesizers that followed. According to VEMIA’s auction page, Aphex Twin purchased the synth from Mickie Most’s studio “many years ago,” without specifying what exact year. During the time it was in his possession, the artist tapped Colin Fraser, known as Sequentix, to modify it with advanced capabilities.
“It spent some years in his studio, until it was transported to Colin and eventually to his studio in Berlin, with the principal aim of getting it 100% working again and installing MIDI. It is complete, with the main console, bench, pedals, two massive speakers, two programmers, and all cabling,” VEMIA continued.
Though the price may sound exorbitant, the original product’s price point offers some clarity. According to Gear News, the Yamaha GX-1 sold for the equivalent of $60,000 (roughly $430,000 today), due to the advanced technology and additional speakers, bench, pedals, and programmer.
