Stylophone facts for kids
The Stylophone is a small, electronic musical keyboard. You play it by touching its metal keys with a special pen, called a stylus. It was invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis. Production started in 1968 by a company called Dubreq.
This cool instrument has a metal keyboard. It's made from a special circuit board. When you touch a key with the stylus, it makes a sound. Each note connects to a sound maker through a tiny part called a resistor. The first Stylophones had a power switch and a vibrato control. They also had a tuning knob on the back. About three million Stylophones were sold. Most were bought as toys for kids. But some famous musicians, like Rolf Harris and David Bowie, also used them!
The Stylophone came in three main types. There was the standard one, a bass version for lower sounds, and a treble version for higher sounds. The standard Stylophone was the most popular. There was also a bigger model called the 350S. It had more notes and different sounds. It even had a "wah-wah" effect. You could control this effect by moving your hand over a special sensor. This model also came with two styluses.
In the mid-1970s, a new Stylophone model came out. It had a wood-like look on its speaker panel. It also had a volume control. Soon after, in 1975, the Stylophone stopped being made.
The entertainer Rolf Harris was the face of the Stylophone for many years. He appeared in advertisements in the United Kingdom. He also played along on special records sold by the company.
Contents
The Stylophone Returns: 2007 Revival
In October 2007, the Stylophone came back! This was 28 years after it stopped being made. A toy company called Re:creation relaunched it. They worked with Dubreq Ltd, which was reformed by Ben Jarvis, the son of the original inventor. The new model is called the S1. It looks a lot like the old 1960s version. But it's a digital copy. It has a volume control and can play two new sounds. You can also plug other audio into it.
Stylophone S2: A True Analog Synth
In December 2012, Dubreq released the Series 2 Stylophone. This model is a true analog synthesizer. It was made in Britain. It has many features found in more advanced synthesizers.
Stylophone Beat Box: Make Your Own Beats
The Stylophone Beat Box looks different from the usual Stylophone. It has a mostly round shape. It has a circular pad with 13 touch areas. This model offers three different sound banks. It also has a tempo control to change the speed of the beats. You can even record and loop short musical ideas.
Stylophone Gen X-1: Portable Analog Fun
In January 2017, Dubreq shared details about the Stylophone Gen X-1. This is a portable analog synthesizer. Dubreq designed and made it themselves. It was sold for about £59.99 or €69.99.
Stylophone GEN R-8: Limited Edition Powerhouse
In 2019, Dubreq announced the Gen R-8. This is a limited edition Stylophone. It is a full analog synthesizer with a metal case. This version has many features seen on more expensive analog synthesizers. It is also much larger than the standard model. An initial batch of 500 units was released.
See also
In Spanish: Estilófono para niños
