Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-1

Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-1 drum machine from the late 60s for sale serviced and in good working order.

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.

See below for a quick demo we made with various pieces of Ace Tone gear including another FR-1.

Serviced, checked for electrical safety and a 3-core mains cable fitted. Working well – one button (Slow Rock) pops out in front of the others sometimes but this does not affect the functioning.

Condition is a little scruffy but nothing that affects the operation. There are chips to the corners of the unit and discolouration of the tolex. The handle is missing. Click on the photos to zoom in and see more detailed shots.

For sales in UK/EU the price will include VAT. VAT-free sales are possible to businesses and individuals in the EU (outside the UK) with a valid VAT Number – please get in touch if you wish to buy this way.