Product: Kustom 88
Price Paid: US $1,000.00
Submitted
04/24/2003
at
09:24pm
by
mowntin lyon
Ease of Use
:
No Opinion
Nope - no software was designed for this big mama - she wasn't even geared for midi.
Features
:
3
Kustom gave this baby the full 88 key range, which was something to consider in an electronic piano back in about 80-81. The action was the big attraction to this instrument, it was one of the first to have true velocity sensitivity applied to the full range of its' keys,
with careful weighting engineered so as to get it a very nice "soft, deliberate exertion" to the feel. I have no clue as to why the machine
came with tremelo/speed/intensity, as this never seemed to enhance anything piano like, but, then, I guess Kustom felt compelled to offer SOMETHING extra besides the optional bass/treble sliders. The really diggity thing was the "bounce" the weighted keys could achieve with a little practice, making for some expressive trills, to speak of the least(ok- it probably was more the most rather than the least)
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
6
Strictly piano, strong timbre gifts for it's day, which of course is long since retired. I remember being attracted to some advertising for this piano that compared it's abilities to something that Jerry Lee Lewis would find desirable - or something like that. I agreed, and spent an awful lot of sessions muddying up the tinklies with my toe prints. It was also touted as having a natural "grand" sound. Uh-Uh. But it was alright after pumping it up with a simple DOD Bass Stereo Chorus. I even tried using an MXR phase shifter, but you know how that goes - pianos may be true percussion instruments, but they sure get old as a rhythm guitar substitute. Personally, I loved banging on this old girl. Doors, Seger, E.J.,Joel - you know the types-plenty of big chords and this baby started earning her upkeep.
Reliability
:
5
I used this keyboard way into the dawning days of midi-controllers. I got invited back after crashing some important sessions(How often do you pro-tinklers dare exercise your gall that way? Aww, c'mon, admit it, we all take advantage one time or another of those jealous box-bangers). I had to open the lid a couple of times to repair some lose wires, along with installing a pretty good size computer fan to cool the circuits down. This was because the machine developed a really weird feedback-loop after staying on for an hour or so. I couldn't trace the cause in the components, so after examining the pattern of occurance, I thought that the fan was at least worth trying as a last ditch desperate attempt to squeeze a little more life out of my baby. It worked.
Customer Support
:
5
I'm not even sure they're around today(Kustom). I hope so. Somehow they were under the direction of Baldwin-Gretsch. Anybody remember this? Boy, am I getting old! The electronics were arranged with impeccable neatness/orderliness. I guess this probably reflected the attitude of the company's concern to give the customer a reliable instrument, hopefully needing little or no assistance. They were right in my case.The thing still plays the same after 22 years of ownership up and down the eastern seacoast of the USA.
Overall Rating
:
2
I've been playing for near 30 years, on and off. I keep up to date as much as possible with no frills packages, yet I love using vintage equipment. I currently use a Yamaha S80, Kawai K1 and a Juno-106(get back-get back I tell you!!)Also Moog Taurus II Bass Pedals. WHY?!? Don't ask me, it just feels good!!
The Kustom 88 was a good piano for me. It was durable and road worthy. It was also heavy - well over 100 lbs! It was worth the price,
for it's day.
