Synthfind

“this is a very rare piece. unfortunately this one is a little beat up, but still works. 4 keys broken. (i moved 3 of them from the lower octave so i could use the top 2 octaves) some screws missing, and case in rough shape but still plays and holds together.
i am not sure if the patch recall buttons work because i only used it on a synth that is not compatible with those commands.
pitch bend ribbon, volume, and modulation all work. best reasonable offer takes it! i have no use for this so gimme what you can! ” Link

” Hate to sell this, but holidays are coming up and it’s time to offload some gear. This Yamaha KX5 MIDI Controller Keytar has been sitting in my SMOKEFREE studio for the past year with about less than 3 hours of use on it. This is still VERY NEW and doesn’t even have one scratch or dent on it. The original product sticker is still on the back! Not bad for 27 years! I slaved this unit with my Micro Korg and EXS, and it was TONS of fun. The ribbon cable appegiator is probably the best this about this, besides the fact that it’s an 80’s KEYTAR! It even has a VOCODER input for your robot voices! Everything works as it should. I would refer to your synths manual to whatever you planning on slaving this to for instructions on how to program it. Instructions for this actual KX5 unit can be found via google search. FREE GUITAR STRAP WITH LOCKING NUTS!!” Link

“Up for action is my Yamaha KX5 MIDI Remote Keytar Keyboard. All original, excellent condition. It has no problems and works great. It comes with the original soft case, MIDI cord and a new battery holder. Great for a musician or a collector. ” Link

“Yamaha KX5 Keytar Everything works as should,light scratches due to age,includes ultra rare Official Yamaha Hardshell Case,Good Luck Bidding!!” Link

” Up for auction is a Yamaha KX5 Keytar. It is in great clean shape. As you can see a few of the keys need repaired but it appears as if everything else is in tact. ” Link

“Up for auction is this very nice black Yamaha KX5 “Keytar” remote MIDI keyboard with strap. This item frequently lists on eBay for $599, but this is an opportunity for you to purchase one for a great price. Overall I’d say this keyboard is in very nice condition, but for two exceptions. First, it is missing its battery compartment cover, which is still readily available on line. More importantly, two of the black keys are damaged, the low Eflat and the high Csharp. If you are at all handy, the unit is very simple to open up and service. All you need is a phillips screwdriver and you can replace them yourself. I’ve included a few pics to show you the portion of the keys that has broken off. It is a little tab on the underside of the keys that you can see in the palm of my hand. The keys still play, but they don’t spring back, which to me makes them unusable. For these reasons I’ve listed the condition of this item as “for parts or not working”. If you’ve always wanted a Keytar and didn’t want to pay the six bills, here’s your chance to get a good deal on one. ” Link

“Genuine vintage Yamaha KX5 80′s keytar MIDI controller for sale. Professional build quality with a solid metal housing for the neck and very responsive keys that’s a league above all the toy keytars often found on ebay.
100% working order with just a few light scuffs and very small dent at the base (see pics) but overall in very good condition for a keyboard made in 1984! The battery compartment is also immaculate.

Comes in the original box with a photocopied manual and I’ll throw in a long 5m MIDI lead too! ” Link

” have played keyboard most of my life but am a midi dummy! found this at estate sale and brought it home as i had an old shs-10 keytar and thought this would sound cool. trouble is, i cannot hook this up to my amp! only midi output. also has a jack that says breath cont.? whatever that is. there is no battery cover and i saw on internet where you need a case to hold 6 AA batteries and plug in looks like a 9 volt battery. would love to hear this but rather than burn the insides out will list this as is a project to fix or use for parts. seems these are pretty rare but the lettering on board etc. seems in good shape. not worn off. 3 keys may need a spring under them replaced as they are lower than others as seen in pictures. the eight and fifteenth black key from left and the white one near end of board. also a screw for cover on bottom is missing. anyways as with most electronics i am sure the right person could probably fix it. cool wall hanger if nothing else for the collector!” Link

“Here’s a Yamaha KX5 in very good condition. Strap and cable not included” Link

“The KX5 was one of the first lightweight, remote-keyboards (KEYTAR) that allows the keyboard player to move around like a guitar player. The KX-5 is a 37-note remote MIDI controller with velocity and aftertouch sensitivity. A ribbon controller is used for pitch and mod effects. There’s also unison, sustain, portamento buttons and a breath controller input. Up to 64 patches can be accessed via 8 buttons, 4 bank buttons and the sustain button. With 2 switchable MIDI channels you can control 2 synths on the fly. None of the buttons or the ribbon control are user-assignable. The battery holder has been fixed by me and works just fine, however if that bothers you I know new ones are available for about $7 out there including here on eBay. I also have PDF files of the user manuals.” Link

“The unit is in pretty good shape, it does not have a lot of use. I covered the big Yamaha logo with a piece of black electrical tape as you can see on the top photo – I haven’t removed it because after all this time I was concerned about the paint coming off. Also one of the keys is chipped on the underside – it looks fine on the top as you can see and does not affect playing.

I’ve been running the keyboard using a 9V battery, you can also use the battery holder (which I don’t have anymore) to fit 6 AA batteries. Also included is a black nylon Guitar Center strap.” Link

“Used – Excellent Working Condition with manual (CD) – Software. Hardcase Optionally Available” Link

“For your consideration today is this Yamaha KX5 Keytar. This one has been tested and is fully functional, also has no cosmetic issues to speak of. ” Link

“You are looking at a very well used and fully functional Yamaha KX-5 controller “key-tar”. This controller comes from the locker of Grammy winning Producer/Keyboardist/Performer Peter Wolf. Peter used this controller when he was playing with and producing Jefferson Starship in the ’80′s. It has seen very little use since and is in very playable condition. We will ship it with batteries installed. Please note that the “Power Light” only comes on if you have a midi device connected to the controller, so don’t panic and think the unit is broken when you take it out of the box, hit the power switch and no light appears.

Every function that I could test works. All keys, switches and the ribbon transmit midi information.

This unit is being sold AS IS . No returns are accepted.” Link

“Yamaha KX5, great condition, includes original battery door, original but broken battery harness, and three brand new replacement battery harnesses. Ships in original box!

Has a few tiny scratches in the black finish, only noticeable on close inspection, and one very shallow belt-buckle dent on the bottom. Someone colored all the non-black buttons black with a marker. Easy to clean off, but looks cool as it is, sort of half-faded. See the pictures for details on these minor imperfections.

Seems to be fully functional (fired it up and tried it out for the first time in years), but given the age of the piece, it’s sold as is with no returns.” Link

“100% Functional and in EXCELLENT physical condition!!! The keytar shows very minor signs of normal use… a few very light surface scratches here and there, but nothing major. Also, it is missing the battery cover plate (please see last photo below). It was gently used in a smoke-free private professional studio… never gigged!” Link

“YAMAHA KX5 KX-5 REMOTE KEYBOARD Midi Keytar w/case

Auction is for 1 Yamaha KX5 controller in very nice condition. This is a personal item I have owned for many years

It has had very little use and there are no issues to disclose. Works perfect, looks terrific, comes with the original

Yamaha strap and a nice padded soft zipper bag by Tough Traveler. Ribbon is very good condition, no wear.” Link

“Nice condition. There are a few scuffs and scrapes but the keys and buttons are in minty condition. Battery cover and all parts are complete.

Comes with strap and a very nice anvil touring case to protect your keytar.” Link

“Yamaha KX-5 Keytar from the 80s. Used by the likes of Chick Corea and Jon Hammer.

This one doesn’t work. Maybe you can fix it, or need spare parts for yours. I bought it with the intention of fixing it but only got as far as taking it apart. I took good digital photos during the dis-assembly and I’ll include those so you know how it goes back together.” Link

“The KX-5 is a vintage and very sought after 37-note remote MIDI controller (“Keytar”) with velocity and aftertouch sensitivity, used to play and control other synthesizers remotely- it has no internal synth of its own. A ribbon controller is used for pitch and mod effects. There’s also unison, sustain, portamento buttons and a breath controller input. Up to 64 patches can be accessed via 8 buttons, 4 bank buttons and the sustain button. With 2 switchable MIDI channels you can control 2 synths on the fly. Powered by 6 AA batteries (not included).

I am the original owner of this unit from 1985. It is fully functional and cosmetically very clean (it does have a small wear spot at the center point of the ribbon controller that does not affect its function or playability).

I’m including a nice gig bag, a 50′ MIDI cable and a copy of the original owners manual. Unit will be carefully packed and shipped as soon as payment clears. ” Link

“This is a vintage Yamaha KX5 “keytar” MIDI controller from the 80′s. It includes an installed hot pink shoulder strap, and I am also throwing in a copy of the owner’s manual.

The cosmetic condition is very good – please see the photos for yourself. It’s not “mint” but for its age it is about what you’d expect it to look like with good treatment. Compared to your average KX-5 seen nowadays, this one is actually very nice. The KX5 is a sturdy instrument with lots of structural metal – unlike some other keytars available here on eBay, this is definitely not a toy, but rather a professional instrument.

The battery compartment accepts a 9V battery or six AA batteries.

Functionally, it works perfectly as far as I can ascertain, having tested it out rather thoroughly. All of the keys play properly with the exception of the first black key on the left (C#/Db) which had a slight chip come off where it hooks into the keybed, causing it to not function properly. The internal contact is fine and the key will produce sound if struck, but it does not spring back up. It could easily be replaced if you have an extra black key available (they are all identical, unlike the white keys), but frankly most people never use this key anyway in practice.” Link

Courtesy of offroad77 on YouTube

Courtesy of Synthasy2000 on YouTube

Courtesy of DanBurton190 on YouTube

“You are bidding on a Vintage Yamaha KX5 Midi Keyboard Controller (Black) – same model used by Beck and Chick Corea. All buttons, keys, controls work like new. Few very minor scratches on bottom. This comes out of the tour warehouse of a very famous entertainer! We are liquidating our tour warehouse. I just had Yamaha service inspect unit. Cleaned unit & replaced battery holder & connection. Runs on 6 AA batteries. “