ARP SOLOIST vintage analog mono synth

via this auction
via the listing:
"This is the original arp soloist. A very rare and interesting synth by arp. It came out around the time of the 2600's because of this shares two of its great modules, the 4027 vco and the 4012 filter!. There is definitely some arp 2600 'vibe' going on in the sounds (I have a 2600 as well) its bright and juicy sounding. The basic tones it makes are way richer than the dgx I've used in the past.. but..

There are 2 issues with this synth:
- Sadly the aftertouch on this synth DOES NOT work. These used conductive foam for the resistance of the aftertouch circuit so finding the replacement foam would be needed to get the aftertouch working again. Im sure most soloists sold on ebay have non-working aftertouch, but then again these are so rare Its hard to say.
I have a couple ideas on where you might be able to send it to have it serviced, to get this feature back but you could still use the synth as it is.

- Three of the keys like to stay stuck down, this is easier to remedy than the aftertouch issue, you just have to remove the keybed and lube or re-align the bushings. The other minor thing is that two of the slider caps are broken off, you can still move them with you're finger however.

The good news is all the sounds, sliders and switches work. cosmetically its great, except the right panel could use a respray of black paint, that would be very easy to do and the synth would look pretty great for how old it is.

Im a fan of all soloists, but these are really interesting; they are really lightweight, Im not sure how heavy it is but I can easily carry it under one arm. The construction is cool.. its all held together inside by an aluminium frame, which the boards are bolted to. It also has a knob for overall tuning which is something the other soloists lack. I'll probably regret selling this synth later on, having a simplified, lightweight, arp 2600- sounding synth specifically designed for leads is kindof a dream."