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[gmeredith]

Check this out, and look at the price at the very bottom, in blue writing:

http://www.anti-theory.com/sales/sales_gallery/4/main.html

 

Cheers, Graham

[Circuitbenders]

well i would say that was absolutely outrageous but you have to remember that:

'This instrument is a sonic treasure chest of mysterious pathways and literally endless soundforms to discover. Undoubtedly one of the most intriguing keyboard instruments on the planet.'

or something

$3,500 is just ridiculous

[gmeredith]

You'd think for that price, shipping would be free

Cheers, Graham

[andy_wheels]

that is quite shocking....

maybe glitter spray paint is really expensive these days...

[djsynchro]

The Gibson Les Paul guitar of U2's The Edge fetched $240000 and Bono's sunglasses pulled in $20000 at an auction this week. Has Rheed gone nuts? No. You can bend an SK-1 yourself and you'll be done for around $30 depending how cheap you get it and how much stuff you put on.

And if you're a busy musician you'd be better of buying one from a good circuitbender cause you want to continue writing music. I have seen close ups of Ghazala's stuff and the painting and his crazy hippy handwriting are very special.

My opinion.

[Circuitbenders]

have seen close ups of Ghazala's stuff and the painting and his crazy hippy handwriting are very special.

$3,500 worth of special?

His bent SA-2 is $1800!!!! Who pays this much for these instruments and why haven't i ever met any of them?

http://www.anti-theory.com/sales/sales_gallery/2/main.html

[Signal:Noise]

Hmm, That really is insane, though i imagine people buying these would be collectors rather than hardcore musos

[gmeredith]

his crazy hippy handwriting are very special

Maybe - except that it is straight from the Windows 98 "Jungle theme" desktop theme font. I have it in my computer also, easy enough to make a screen print of it.

Cheers, Graham

[AttDestroyers]

I think we all have to remember that he invented this stuff. We're all lucky that he introduced us to this art and gave us detailed instructions on how to replicate his work. He can't go around selling this stuff for $250 like ya'll do on Ebay. His stuff is obviously better than the stuff on Ebay anyway. How much more would you pay for a superbly crafted SK-1 that was bent by the master himself? Maybe not $3500 , but I think it's worth considerably more simply because he bent it. I think we should all be greatful that we're all given the opportunity to buy one of his pieces if we had the cash and desire. He doesn't have to sell this stuff. We're lucky he does.

[gmeredith]

In a sense, the whole thing is kind of about "art", I guess. It raises the issue of "how much is art worth? In the simple sense, it is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. But when does "art" become an outright "con"? Surely you can't put a ridculous price on anything and have a clear conscience (if integrity and a clear conscience are what you're into)?

I am in an arts community, and I have seen pieces that are called and sold as "art" which really push the boundaries of what you would call art. Take for example, a tin can that someone finds on the side of the road. They look at it and see that it is an interesting shape. If they then go and exhibit it in an art exhibition with some surreal title and commentary, does that make that person an artist? What did they artistically create, seeing that all they did was find it? Or is it the $5000 price tag that makes it art? Where do you draw the line at what is art, and what is nonsense, or palagiarism, or sillyness?

In relation to Reed's pieces, I can kind of see that he is promoting the "artistic" qualities of what he has added to the keyboards, both aesthetically and aurally. Regarding his bends, you could dispute whether or not that that constitutes art. He "found" the bends, rather than create them, just like the tin can. The bends were an inherent capability of the keyboard, one might argue. More to the point, perhaps the true artist should really be considered as Tadao Kashio (the founder of Casio) for designing and creating the keyboard, and all its inherent possibilities, known and unknown. So who should get the true credit for a piece of art, in this situation, and be worthy of the price tag?

Blah blah blah blah blah ..........

Cheers, Graham

[Circuitbenders]

More to the point, perhaps the true artist should really be considered as Tadao Kashio (the founder of Casio) for designing and creating the keyboard, and all its inherent possibilities, known and unknown.

In which case can we consider Tadao Kikumoto to be the artist responsible for techno in that it was plainly beyond his abilities to design the TB303 to actually sound like a bass guitar or to produce a drum machine that actually sounded like a drum kit in the TR909? 

Realistically, who cares? Anything is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it and anything labelled as 'artistic' will always have the most subjective value. Unlike most musical instruments such as guitars, in circuitbending  its not actually possible to really create a better quality instrument than anyone elses as theres only so much you can do with an SK-1 sonically,  so it all comes down to aesthetics. Sure, Reed's stuff is massively overpriced but thats between him and whoever wants to pay a ridiculous amount of money. I'm not entirely sure how this fits in with his hippy ideas but thats none of my business.

I don't think theres anyone here who wouldn't be more than happy to accept $3500 for a bent SK-1. Personally i'd be appalled with myself as i laughed all the way to the bank

[gmeredith]

Realistically, who cares?

Don't let the Arty Farty community hear that!!!! 

Indeed, this is true.

Cheers, Graham

[kb]

Agreed on Mr Kikumoto and Mr Kashio:  I can't see them as artists:  they were businessmen mostly, concerned with making good quality instruments for relatively wide audiences, at which they succeeded.  For that, they deserve a great deal of credit, but AS INTENDED, Casios and TB-303's are usually relatively tepid instruments.

To me, the 'art' of a circuit-bent Casio is in it's modification, and for the TB-303 is in it's unintended use (definitely NOT as a bass guitar).  And these came from the modders and musicians who, mostly by "finding" these methods, gave us sounds and performances that were different and new.  Thanks to Reed and to the early techno artists for their finds.

So let Reed charge what he wants, I don't see it as a con or greed:  in every interview I've ever seen with him, he's still very open source about bending, desiring that each person find their own bends and color their SpeakNSpells in a way of their own choosing. 

Given that stance, maybe his ridiculous prices are a subtle way keeping people from buying his stuff and copying his bends!  Or an incentive for the average bender to dive into his own little Casio in the hopes of getting rich just like Reed!!!

But now I'm being silly.... 

[mrsteve81]

Is that all? I'll have 2.

[hoffy]

Umm...

i paid like 20 bucks for his book and it's got all the same bends in it anyway.

And i prefer to paint things myself.