OT - Elka Rhapsody 490

[Terry Michaels]

Message text written by INTERNET:BonoVox9 at aol.com
>    Hello,

I am writing to ask if anyone has ever heard of the Elka Rhapsody. I guess 
Elka made the Synthex, which was a pretty impressive keyboard, and the 
Rhapsody is a string keyboard. I'd like to know how they stand up to 
something like a Crumar Performer or Arp Solina. Would it be worth buying
one 
in mint condition for 100 dollars? I haven't heard the Rhapsody yet, and
I'm 
curious if it's just a real bad piece, or if it's something. It's Italian, 
and from what I gather, the people from crumar and elka were brothers or 
something. Maybe they sound similar? Or totally different?

If anyone has any info, I would appredciate it, as always.

Thank you
Jason.<

Hi Jason:

The Elka Rhapsody is the first string synth I ever heard, and the first one
I bought.  When it first came out we all thought it had a remarkable sound,
after all, here was a small, affordable keyboard instrument that duplicated
the sound of violins. Later though, other manufactures came out with
similar products, I remember the ARP Solina sounded better to me than the
Elka, it had a smoother, more realistic string sound.  So, my recollection
is, going back about 25 years, the Elka had the distinction of being the
first string synth, but later instruments made by others probably sounded
better.  

Terry Michaels