Stepp Guitar Synthesizer

[yatah]

I want one.

[zibbybone]

:40 kinda sounds like the beginning of "Let it Whip".

[s3pharoth]

watching this whilst drunk makes it so much awsomer

[BullToTheShit]

Did this Stepp Guitar Synthesizer become the SynthAxe later on? Or is he a different inventor?

[hughjarrse]

@BullToTheShit It's different from the Synthaxe, this guy is Stephen Randall, the Synthaxe was Bill Aitkin, both British though

[BullToTheShit]

@hughjarrse Thanks.

[lentzell59]

Is that Woody Allen (circa Boris Grushenko era) playing the guitar?

[Mr4000killer]

hehe looks and sound´s like jeremy clarkson from top gear:)

[petemk1966]

like a knob there!

cheers huge arse.

[petemk1966]

like a know there!

sheers huge arse.

[mootbooxle]

I played one of these once!

[andrewlittley]

there is actually a company in the UK that serviced and repairs the Stepp DG! and DGX, and can even sell you a new one, but they are pricey, and according to those that played one, the only real difficulty is that the neck strings felt funny when you were bending them, and the semi conductor frets were, I believe prone to wear.. yet another fine idea consigned to the scrapheap ..

[andree1991]

I'm looking for a song (just music) that goes like....cua cua cua cua cua cuararan cua cua (with an electric guitar) and then the drums went like...tum tum tum tururrum and then the guitar again....shit i've been looking ffor this song for 8 years and no luck :( can someone help me? it kinda sounded like trance or techno music or like a synthetizer please help me!!

[StupidHatMatt]

this and also "this is your brain on drugs" are my two fav's from the 80's

[hackinracist]

wow, that is probably my favorite informational video from the 80's

[dog219191919]

little knob? thats not very nice..

[rezalini]

i'll take six please!

[boibad12]

did anyone else notice this video has an ear peircing sound throughout it

[PippoBlues93]

the beginning of the end in music...

[hughjarrse]

@PippoBlues93 "the beginning of the end in music... "

That's what Segovia said about the electric guitar!!

[timhx1138]

@PippoBlues93 or....the expansion of music...?

[9al9ola]

@PippoBlues93 ignorant

[thunderheart530]

@PippoBlues93 How is this the end of music? I thought music was about sound and how it makes you feel.

[mickmos]

@PippoBlues93 you.... . . .are fucking dumb

[rogerthehat]

honkado

[PL54414]

I used to have one, it was awful and then it was stolen.

What ever happened to Steve?

[BLACKSYNTH]

Thats Maynard James Keenan... it just is. 

[hughjarrse]

@BLACKSYNTH "Thats Maynard James Keenan... it just is."

There is a striking likeness I have to admit!

[diegomaderal]

i prefer my gr 20 with gk 3 roland

[SimulacronX]

Sounds great!

[garty22]

That just left me wanting to see Les Dawson...

[kingcroak]

@garty22 Yeah, he totally rocked. Him and Steven Randall did a duet and totally redefined music as an artform. Pity all tapes were destroyed.

[KevinFL]

I had the Avatar system in 1981. It was shaky at best & it cost $2,000 in 1981.

[fister69]

my brother used to make the cases for these, hes got one at home somewhere

wouldent mind a working one tho

[NBAXXX]

can you still buy these today?

[hughjarrse]

@NBAXXX "can you still buy these today?" No they stopped in the 80's, Harvey at starrlabs is introducing some interesting affordable stuff at the end of the year, and the yourock guitar seems to be more than just a guitar hero toy, might be worth a look

[fran86beta]

@NBAXXX I saw one of these in my city, in a used guitar store

[0110Mikey]

thank god that shit never caught on.

[hughjarrse]

@0110Mikey I don't think there was any plans to make the purchase of a Stepp compulsory.

[0110Mikey]

@hughjarrse Still guitar is not a synthesizer so it's not a guitar.

[hughjarrse]

@0110Mikey "Still guitar is not a synthesizer so it's not a guitar"

And a Moog is not a piano, I don't get your point

[tehbackmaskr]

holy shit.... HOLY SHIT!

this IS THE technology which will create REAL GUITAR HERO the game.

[hughjarrse]

check out the "Re: You Rock Guitar" controller, it might be what you're looking for

[tehbackmaskr]

No, I'm taking real guitar hero.

it wouldn't be much of a commercial hit, but more of a learn to play guitar piece of software.

lessons in game, and rehearsal full play-though songs....

It wouldn't be flying 5 notes you gotta press in time, it would be playing the real notes on a simi real guitar. MIDI would be perfect because it will always be in tune, and the midi notes would act like 144 different keyboard buttons....

They need to make this

[hughjarrse]

@tehbackmaskr @tehbackmaskr I might be wrong but I get the impression Harvey Starr may have been working on something try typing GAMBRIDGE into google, but you're really going to struggle if you're looking for a guitar hero controller with strings, take it easy

[tehbackmaskr]

ok, forget everything you know about guitar hero the game....

using a midi guitar similar to the one in this video, create a piece of software that goes through each verse thoroughly and teaches you the songs straight out of the albums songbook.

as a bonus, it could include a play though mode once u think u got it down.

[ragingtortoise]

i want this thing!

[TheMinusBlindfold]

I blame drugs for this!

[haveyouseenhim89]

@TheMinusBlindfold cocain's a hell of a drug

[colashanacogh]

is there a newer modern version of this?

[hughjarrse]

not really, the DGX is newer but only by a few months

[LittleEmoBoy001]

yes the yamaha ez-ag

[colashanacogh]

cheers! replied within 1 minute ehh :D

[TheMichaelCollazo]

Awesome guitar, does anyone know where I can still buy one. Someone wanna help me on ebay and craigslsit, etc? I'd greatly appreciate it!!!

[queensryche8723]

You wont find one just like this, Roland make an amazing syth guitar pedal, blows this away.

[DuhJeffmeister]

i didn't know Andy Dick played guitar

[kvajsvem2]

can someone tell me which model is this???

[DeathWishHalo]

This is a Stepp DG1

[lidesnowi]

Poor mans Synthaxe !

[wacax]

lo que un cientifico y un dorgadicto pueden llegar a hacer

[TheMinusBlindfold]

jajajajajaja que pasado de vergaas xD

[yngwiemalmsteen8]

jajjajajajajajajajajajajajajaj­ajajajajajajajajajajaajjaajjaj­jajaaj

[emmalovesbuffy]

Woah that is so cool!

[gabrieldov]

Nice narration, very polite and precise.

[Ercarnar]

His voice is similar to Andreas Katsuas's one...he is an actor. I don't think he's this man anyway

[KillaSamos]

Isnt this like the bass that the bassist from pandulem uses?

[sakumanabana]

OMG *O*

[Radwalls]

kids not very good.

[apazeia]

Yo, thats Flock of Seagulls dude....

[utacctcs]

I have some jams on a Casio DG posted

Take listen

[Lovrowolf]

Wow! I love it. And i hate it when Gibson talks about Dark Fire, like it`s something completely new.

[cashforchaos]

It's like the original kaoss mod guitar

[ferkinskin]

I want one....now!! And what was that guy's name?

[hughjarrse]

Ebay is your best bet (not seen one for about a year, the guys name is Steve Randall (I assume you didn't mean Chris Searl, or Les Dawson!)

[greenwanx]

That's one hell of a toy

[WarpxD]

so 80s

[freako1234]

i want one...

[charlezurich]

This reminds me of a Look Around You episode LOL

[sukkyatlife]

the HOst guy looks like the the host from TOP GEAR

[chrisfxwolf]

He looks like Bill Gates

[Chadfish]

THat player has quite the hair style and pair of glasses.

[megabenlinksonicman]

This is awesome.

[joshlawler7]

woooooooooooahhhhh

this video is a trip dude

[odedharth]

ha ha

[mellowmark1]

I didn't know Andy Dick could play a Guitar Synthesizer. Hmm.

[MarioK20]

Amazing, I think I would rather have this than a Les Paul, a Frankenstrat or anyother guitar.

[awesomeninja12]

Very neat

[HLDang]

lol that one synthed wind sound made me think of an RPG game.

[bhfam]

i would kill for something like that.

[TokaCola]

too many buttons but cool

[Firefret30003]

AWW DAWG!!! That is AMAZING! I gotta get me one of those!

[iShAtBuL]

i want one!!!

[Ruiner878]

Can you still buy these? Like, that exact same one? xD? That's so neat...

[hughjarrse]

They sometimes turn up on ebay,... but I haven't seen one for a while

[ljguitar91]

thats proper coooooool

[stairway2000]

RETRO!

[hughjarrse]

"RETRO!"

Yup! ..... but cutting edge at the time

[stairway2000]

I love Retro! check out the new "moog Guitar" WOW!

[chatelet55]

that guitarist is smooth and silky like george benson

[hughjarrse]

It's called technology my friend, it makes little difference if it's successful or not, the important thing is that there are people prepared to try, Segovia said the electric guitar was a "travesty" Mr Benson I suggest would disagree, the cascade switching system utilised in this instrument has a direct line to "guitar hero" market analysts agree that guitar hero has shown to be a portal to users buying "real" guitars, and maybe one will be the next JB (listen to Pat McCarthy on youtube) :o)

[defenderofgaia]

Weird.

[enyajustice]

this looks better than the synthaxe both and comfort and functionality.

[skaf008]

WHY?????

THAT`S AMAZING!

[hughjarrse]

Just never caught on, if you type YOU WIN AGAIN BEEGEES TOTP you will see one of these guitars in action

[skaf008]

how much thise guitar

[hughjarrse]

"how much thise guitar"

They stopped making them about 20 years ago, they sometimes turn up on ebay

[Desimodontidae]

I want one!!!!!!

[Armyfractal]

is this a parody?

[electricbumblebee]

these guys make synthaxes so same, no wait, they already were, good job guys

Im outta here

later, losers

[agonaces]

looks like the guitar player for a flock of seagulls...LOL I really do think its him.

[hopeforsalvation]

Lol, it is so lovely to review any stuff from the 80s.

[omgsolzar]

it's like guitar, synthesizer, and theremin all in one. i wish they still made these.

[iShAtBuL]

wow! Amazing! it was pretty unknown...but it sounds great!but i think producers will never do a "common - low price" version of it... -_-

[afatchild]

Yamaha EZ AG cheapest version go ebay for one its what i did

[flashmaster1990]

Mini Moog for guitar ^^

[CeMRuLZ]

no whammy bar !!!!!!!!

[ChocloManx]

omg magic

[nomnom56]

Where can I buy one??

[EmailEunuch]

ebay had a few last year

[zebopper]

The guy sounds like the host for masterpiece..."...so up and up until it reaches the it reaches beyond human hearing, thank you very much for joining us, an now back to the grat

[ofirharlev]

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHA!!!

the guitar player looks so funny!

80's at its best :D

[an1ma7ion]

LOL.

I still have one... o.0

[attffgg]

wow! things evolved! i mean, i bet this monster was very expensive back then...

[DeadSeaPedestrians]

a lot cheaper than the synthax, about £2000 I seem to remember

[joeab09]

Create your own Whhhhhhhheird

[unisynthxg]

I have a Unisynth midi guitar for sale that is somewhat similar to this. Check out my video if anyone is interested.

[therimgreaper]

I want one!!!!

[timerider2]

looks like a controller for guitar hero on the nes

retro

[PKTO92]

tru dat! lol

[MangoZombie]

I bet that little monster cost a small fortune when it came out.

[jakaput]

steve roland : )

[satomi79]

What kind of perm has this man?

[flashmaster1990]

where the f*** i can get those of them...

i want it.... i love this sound

[blacklightsociety]

I need one of those and a key-tar!

[oozt]

fook

[69SAWYER69]

omg look at the guy who's holding the guitar

ROFLCOPTER

[MegadethONline]

CRAZY!!!

[LAGuy800]

i bet that guy eats children

[bloodbrother44]

What the fuck?

[Timmydaggerownz]

roflamo

why the fok would u think that lol??

kinda random

[Bach54321]

LA guy your not funny

[m074h3u5]

i did not know steve wozniak used to play the guitar...

[tsubasawingsrox]

I WANT ONE!!!!

[tricro]

haha i was kind of thinking the tom baker thing, lol

[enyajustice]

i don't know if someone asked, but how hard is it to get one of these bad boys. I checked ebay for "Stepp Guitar Synthesizer" and it was a no go...was it called something else?

[BrianShaneRushton]

That was so righteous.

[rufiao]

Synthesizer Patel

[shredurfingersoff]

lmao synthesizer patel xD i love look around you!! It's one of my favorite shows with dark place and brass eye lol

[comedyskatemusic]

i wonder if it does a normal acoustic guitar sound, or distortion, or a wahh...i heard a mod on it tho.

[paulrichardschuster]

Its Tom Baker!

[DR400]

I want One !!!!!!!!!! , it may be awesome on stage for 90's rock

[bassist4dalord]

jeez, the 80's were a strange time for instruments...

[XxRoycexX]

What a fucking nerd

[hughjarrse]

"What a fucking nerd"

That's what they said about Charles Babbage, Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce

[arfuswrinkledinks]

that's why I've never heard of them lol

[hughjarrse]

"that's why I've never heard of them lol"

Robert Noyce helped pave the way to the silicon transistor and was the co-founder of Intel the company who created the first microchip

Jack St. Clair Kilby was a Nobel Prize laureate in physics in 2000 for his invention of the integrated circuit in 1958

I'll leave Babbage to you

[prasiddha]

lots of 10 year old boys here...

[HammondB200]

i hate it. i hate midi-saxes too. why not play all our one instrument and try not to simulate each others. i only my keyboard use only rhodesses clavinettes synths en piano's.

[cyberwaffles]

man, i want one!!!

[jeffreycollins]

Yeah this was a bit before the synthaxe which Allan Holdsworth brought to popularity by playing it on many of his recordings. Thanks for putting this video online. I didn't know something like this existed for this instrument.

[chrisblythe2006]

I used to work for stepp guitars back along, if memory serves the stepp came after the synthaxe there were only about 200 of these made and it was briefly followed by a midi only version but the investment capital ran out...shame really but it was not a real guitar as well as a midi guitar which is what it needs to be...I am still looking for the guitar synth that really works well..if anyone has the money to put in I have some ideas...Chris Blythe Audio Dimensions Plymouth UK

[sleestack]

what do you mean midi only? Was there CV outs on them?

[malchaps]

@chrisblythe2006 Hi Chris, I know its a long time ago but are you still interested in midi guitars

Mal Chapman

[DeejayLarz2006]

hey for the 1980s this was fresh shit ...if youtube and the internet as we know it today were to have been around then, this would have prolly blown ppl's minds I'm sure. Its not really even 'lame' knowing that this is the 1980s we're talking here, not the 2000s

[jcaff89]

lame

[Wiktorion]

That is just fucking awesome. That is something i want to have owned in my life.

[MrGreenGenes]

that would be INCREDIBLE..Where is this now!!??

[hughjarrse]

I've seen 3 sold on ebay, but as far as I know Steve Randall has moved away from musical instrument design, and the Stepp went the way of the Synthax,

[Tsuekasa]

wow i never buy one of these

[MELanza]

Stevie Randall ...King of The Nerds!!!! Brilliant!!! ..but there is a reason for not seeing too much of this instrument through the years. Can you imagine production on this??? ...and a retail tag??? laughs ...hats off to him, though, for the creativity! ...just not very practical.

[desaviour]

wat a loada bolox...who in there rite mind would play this in a live situation.

[vicchavill]

Is that guitar a Roland model?

[hughjarrse]

No, it was developed by the guy who's playing it in the video he's an English geezer if I'm not mistaken

[tekhamster]

that was wiked!!!

[hughjarrse]

Yep it is you! I just looked at Locamoda.... :o)

[stepploca]

You can also the Stepp guitar on Kate Bush - Experiment IV (Wogan) and Bee Gees - You Win Again

[stepploca]

Oh my god! That's me! (So, yes, it's my cheese!) The Stepp was one of my first high tech adventure. This was a TV appearance where the presenter (a well known personality at the time in UK as he was the "face" of a program called Tomorrow's World) said that as it was his show, I couldn't talk! Check out the Bee Gees video with the Stepp too. Ahh the 80s.

[hughjarrse]

Nice one!, I remember rushing over to my VCR to tape this (that's why the beginning is a bit abrupt) the guy is Chris searl I think, I imagine Americans watching this saying "who's the great Les Dawson?. lol it's almost imperceptible, but you are definitely working the whammy bar with your "guitarists face"

I'm pleased it made you smile, check out the other video I uploaded for the Ztar

[SirNoobs]

I want those kind of features, just not in that kind of form.

[hughjarrse]

If you want to see how to really use one of these beasts type Beegees you win again and select the vid by carolina30