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 A cup noodle is an instant ramen product in a disposable cup, first developed in 1971 and manufactured by the Japanese food company Nissin Foods. The product was first introduced in the United States as "Cup O' Noodles" in 1972, before being ren ...

Suzuki is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a va ...

Omnichord The Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument introduced in 1981 by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It allows users to play distinctive harp-like arpeggios produced through an electronic strum plate, simulating the experience of ...

" and " QChord", electronic chord instruments inspired by

Oscar Schmidt Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt (born February 16, 1958), nicknamed ''Mão Santa'' (Holy Hand), is a Brazilian retired professional basketball player. Schmidt primarily played the power forward and small forward position, was 2.06 m (6 ft 9 i ...

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 t ...

:* "Zen Riffer", used most notably by

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

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Dream Theat ...

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 alphabetical 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 ro ...

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 30- ...

'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. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

's custom made keytar during

The Monster Ball Tour The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her first EP, ''The Fame Monster'' (2009), the concert largely comprised songs from that recording as well as Gaga's debu ...

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, co ...

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, accompan ...

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

Matthew Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, songwriter and producer. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and lyricist for the English rock band Muse (band), Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona, wid ...

'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. The ...

'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 (musician), Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991 to 1996. Career Barbarella also played on Miley Cyrus's album ''Breakou ...

:* "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 (April 26, 1943 – September 4, 2023) was an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs " Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive". Wright's breakthrough album, '' The Dream Weaver'' (1975), came after he h ...

and

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

around 1976. :* Cruder,

Jan Hammer Jan Hammer () (born 17 April 1948) is a Czech-American musician, composer, and record producer. He rose to prominence while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra during the early 1970s, as well as with his film scores for television an ...

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

George Duke George Martin 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 ...

;Based on Yamaha KX series :*

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

Lights Poxleitner Lights Valerie Anne Poxleitner-Bokan (born Valerie Anne Poxleitner; April 11, 1987), known mononymously as Lights (previously stylized in all caps), is a Canadian musician, singer, comic book author and artist, and songwriter. Her debut album, ...

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

DragonForce DragonForce are a British power metal band from London, formed in 1999. They are known for their long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-themed lyrics and retro video game-influenced sound. The band themselves refer to their music as "extreme po ...

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 c ...

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

uses ''custom Roland AX-1'') :* Christopher Bowes of

Alestorm Alestorm are a Scottish heavy metal band formed in Perth in 2004. Their music is characterised by a pirate theme, and as a result, they have been dubbed a "pirate metal" band by many critics and their fanbase. The group currently consists of ...

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 The orphica is a portable piano invented by Carl Leopold Röllig in the late 18th century. Like a guitar, the orphica could be held on a shoulder strap, thus being an early forerunner of the modern keytar. Only a few orphicas were made in Vien ...

(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 The SynthAxe is a fretted, guitar-like MIDI controller, created by Bill Aitken, Mike Dixon, and Tony Sedivy and manufactured in England in 1985. It is a musical instrument that uses electronic synthesizers to produce sound and is controlled throu ...

(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 Jean Pageau (

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'' *Mystery, a seahorse that SpongeBob SquarePants adopts in the episode " My Pre ...

) in 2019

References

{{Reflist Keytars