Cyber Week might be over, but if you’ve still got budget – considerable budget, that is – an original 1981 Roland Jupiter-8 is currently available on Reverb at 20% off. That price drop slashes $7,000 off of its usual price tag.
The synth is reportedly in “perfect working condition,” and the photos seem to back this up. “I have never seen another in time capsule condition,” the listing reads. “The absolute holy of holiest grails. For the serious collector.”
The 61-key analogue synth helped define the sound of the 80s. Its distinctive rainbow-coloured switches and 4 voice polyphony were loved by Thomas Dolby, Jean-Michel Jarre and Howard Jones. You can hear the synth on the main theme of the 1982 film Blade Runner, while the synth’s random arpeggiator is in action on Duran Duran’s Rio.
Many regard the flagship Roland to be the Rolls-Royce of Polyphonic Synths. MusicTech has penned its own love-letter to the Jupiter-8 in the past.
While $27,996 is a pretty penny, a near-mint JP-8 is a rare find. And the seller is willing to ship the synth worldwide, so collectors across the globe are in with a chance of owning this pivotal piece of synth history.
The Roland Jupiter 8 is currently available for £27,996 on Reverb.
