ACE TONE RHYTHM ACE FR-1 - Boxed!

Boxed and in stunning condition with original manual and footswitch, this is a collector-grade Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-1 drum machine from the late 60s.

For sale fully serviced and in excellent working order – 230v model.

We love our vintage beat boxes, but we’ve got a particular soft spot for this one as it is the model J.J. Cale used on his debut (and big office favourite) “Naturally” – good article here about early beatboxes, Sly Stone, and J.J. Cale from Wax Poetics.

Ace Tone was started by Ikutaro Kakehashi who went on to found the Roland Corporation. The build quality and attention to detail is generally great – these machines were built to last. The sounds are rich and full of character and many variations are possible by selecting more than one rhythm at the same time.

Condition is near mint with one dent in the wood on the top of one of the end panels and a few other minor scuffs. This unit has clearly spent almost its entire life in its box; it’s a shame about the ding, however that doesn’t detract from the super-clean look of this classic machine. Click on the photos to zoom in and see more detailed shots. Also comes with the original footswitch in excellent condition, the original manual, and even the box itself is in good order

This is a quick demo we made of another FR-1 along with some other great Ace Tone gear (we try to get both the tape echoes and the fuzz pedals regularly so get in touch if either are of interest):