[sdiy] Where to get *new* keyboard assemblies?

[Graham Atkins]

Hi Karl,

In the late 70's / early 80's there were 2 companies making good  
keyboards,
Pratt-Read in the US and Kimber-Allen in the UK. Both made good quality
plastic organ / synth types. In the UK Maplin Electronics supplied a  
range of
Kimber-Allen keyboards with traditional key contact blocks for their  
kits. I
suppose the far east manufacturers took away most of the business. I  
see the
Pratt-Read name still exists, but making screwdrivers these days.  
Kimber-Allen
still make traditional organ electrics including wooden keybeds, but  
importantly
still make the contact blocks. Here is a link to their site :-

http://www.kimberallen.8m.net/index.html

I believe Fatar are the only european manufacturer of synth keybeds  
now. I
guess the likes of Roland / Korg / Yamaha etc source their parts in  
the east.
It may be worth asking Moog where they get their  
keyboards.....probably in
the east as well.

The only other way is to watch Ebay for things like Yamaha porta  
keyboards
going cheap but in fair condition, then strip the keyboard out. Bob  
Weigel is
another man to talk to. He has been working on a practical repair  
solution
for used keybeds with bubble contact problems.

Look at the Kimber-Allen contact blocks, they are very nice.

Graham

On 2 Jul 2009, at 05:58, Karl Ekdahl wrote:

>
> Hi list
>
> Does anyone know where to get *new* keyboard assemblies? I'm just  
> wondering, is this something you've got to fabricate to get a hold  
> of - is there no supplier somewhere? I was hoping for something with  
> mini-keys, but anything will do..
>
> Karl
>
>
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