http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/01/celebrity-invention-princes-custom-keytar/70000/

The good old Purpleaxxe. Nice to see it get some love.

BartVanHemelen said:

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/01/celebrity-invention-princes-custom-keytar/70000/

FTA:

It's a custom-designed keytar -- that's keyboard-guitar -- which Prince dubbed the Purpleaxxe. Prince's then-keyboardist Tommy Barbarella -- who now plays with Justin Beiber's band! -- donned the portable purple keyboard, to both enhance Prince's '90s jams and his glittery '90s fashions.

Does he only play with short singers? I wonder if Beebs makes him pretend to be a sex symbol. "Oh no, Tommy, those clothes make you look coooool."

Good Lawd.

Chas

Don't know about you guys in the states but I haven't seen footage of him playing it since the ' Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic' concert dvd in 1999/2000.

Has anybody seen him play it since then, if so are there any pics?

I loved Tommy Barbarella on the Purpleaxxe

here is the patent form

http://www.google.com/pat...mp;f=false

[Edited 1/24/11 4:46am]

Militant said:

The good old Purpleaxxe. Nice to see it get some love.

Hi Militant, hope all is well with you.

I'm not sure it is getting some love in that apparent "article". What a weak piece of work it is, with no insight and plenty of swipes and hyperbole (playing on the "20-year-feud with Madonna" that seems popular with the rags at the moment!).The overall vibe of the piece is not positive and seems to consign the Keytar to the dustbin.

Also, its hardly a "celebrity invention" - Prince didn't invent the Keytar, he just had one custom made. As you will certainly know, Militant, lots of top musicians have already well established instruments custom-made - are they going to feature every Ibanez Signature that Steve Vai has and call it "his invention"?!

Mindflux said:

The overall vibe of the piece is not positive and seems to consign the Keytar to the dustbin.

I didn't pick up any negative tones regarding the instrument on that article.

Rationale Behind Invention: Bopping across the stage with a keyboard that almost looks like a guitar, especially a purple one, is just a lot more rock-n-roll than crouching over a slab of keys.

Totally agree with this.

And the Axxe is a lot more original than any custom-made guitar. Prince did design every aspect of this, that's why he owns the patent on it. Steve Vai doesn't own a patent on a "guitar", they are just regular guitars that he has chosen what kind of pickups they have and what color they are, etc.

Prince did not invent keytars but the Purpleaxxe is pretty different from your average keytar. It doesn't look like any other keytar for a start. It may not be a world of difference but it's enough, and certainly more than any custom guitar I've ever seen.