The popular pocket synthesizer Stylophone and Stylophone Beatbox are now exclusively distributed by JHS.

Stylophone

Invented in 1967, the Stylophone is a compact stylus operated synthesizer. This seemingly simple, affordable and portable synth went on to become a unique instrument that captured the imagination of musicians world over.

Fast forward to the present, the Stylophone is now upgraded with modern features that include the ability to pick between Classic, Synth or Bass sounds, optional vibrato enhancement and the ability to jam along to an MP3 player. It also comes with a headphone socket for quiet practice, a volume control, and it now has a tuning control for accessing multiple octaves.

A cool variation of the Stylophone that came out late 2009 is the Stylophone Beatbox, retaining all the retro vibe of its big brother, while incorporating modern and electronic percussion audio samples. It features three sounds - Beatbox, bass and percussion - with samples from UK Beatbox champion MC Zani. The Stylophone Beatbox also comes with a new record function that works as a looper. Like the original Stylophone, this portable percussive synth has generated quite a buzz.

Stylophone Beatbox

Ben Jarvis, head of Dubreq and son of the Stylophone's inventor, Brian Jarvis, was quoted saying: "Dubreq began working with JHS in 2012, and they proved very quickly to be enthusiastic and committed to the brand and clearly shared Dubreq's vision for the Stylophone in the MI market. Dubreq realized that this enthusiasm could help push the brand into other global markets too and have therefore appointed JHS as global distributor for the Stylophone brand. Dubreq are very excited about working alongside JHS in 2013 and beyond to take the Stylophone to the wider world."

Dennis Drumm, JHS's Managing Director had this to say: "I remember, as a music store salesman in my twenties, over thirty years ago, having such fun selling Stylophones. We used to get a quartet together on a Saturday, and play outside the store, drawing the crowds in (mainly to ask us to STOP!). The Stylophone was always such fun, and in those intervening years has become an icon, and a British one to boot."

Drumm continues: "When you look at the serious musicians who have used the instrument – David Bowie and Jean Michel Jarre, to name but two – on instantly recognizable tracks like Space Oddity, it’s easy to see why. Solo, in a group, in private, in public, serious or light hearted, the Stylophone is suitable to play any music on, and always raises a smile. Now, the Stylophone be-strides the world again, brought to you by JHS. How much more fun do you need?"

Now it is JHS responsibility to bring the Stylophone's combination of retro and modern sounds to a wider audience, after getting exclusive rights to distribute the portable synthesizers. The creator, Dubreq, has recently released a limited production Stylophone S2, the latest incarnation of the portable synth. It is not yet clear if JHS will be carrying production models of this new model.

Related Articles:
Cheap Drum Machine Roundup
Boss RC-505 Loop Station
MiniNova - Compact Performance Synth
Kinsman Headphones from JHS