Seeburg Rhythm Prince - Ultra Rare Vintage Analog Drum Machine

This listing is for an extremely rare Seeburg Rhythm Prince, vintage analog drum machine in excellent cosmetic and working condition. It is from the 1960s and was Seeburg/Gulbransen’s first drum machine collaboration, featuring a rotating mechanical triggering system that generates the drum patterns. (It’s quite interesting and worth checking out on YouTube.)

This unit has some minor blemishes from age and normal use, but is in great shape overall for a machine over 50 years old. Please see the pictures in this listing for full cosmetic details. The pattern buttons, on/off switch, power light and flashing tempo light all work. In addition, the knobs are not scratchy at all. The audio output on this unit is an attached cable, and at the end of it is an old RCA plug with an extra long tip and some oxidization on it. When playing, make sure this plug is making a good connection or the audio may buzz.

Otherwise, the audio output is surprisingly clean and quiet. The output level requires some extra gain in comparison to modern machines, but still manages to not get noisy… At least it’s not noisy electronically, but it does get noisy mechanically. The rotating mechanism that triggers the drum patterns does generate some audible motor sounds. Part of its unique vintage character…

This drum machine was designed with an audio mute circuit that’s active until you pull the volume knob out (toward you). This really threw me at first because the machine looks like it’s on and running, but not making any sound. Be sure to pull the volume knob out until you hear its switch click (and the beats)! Conversely, you can push the knob in if you need to mute the Rhythm Prince’s output.

Like another early Gulbransen I’ve owned, this machine seems to take a few seconds to warm up when you switch it on. It’s a minor annoyance, but should be noted.

For me, the attraction of this machine has been mainly as a collector’s piece. It’s quite a rarity. The drum sounds themselves are pretty primitive, but consistent with other analog machines of this era. It also supports combination button presses for creating hybrid patterns from two different presets. But now that I’ve had the pleasure of photographing and sampling the Rhythm Prince, it’s time for me to release it back into the wild.

Thanks for checking out my listing! This vintage drum machine is still in great shape and would certainly make a unique addition to your classic instrument collection.

SHIPPING

Shipping and handling cost for this item is $24.99. Shipped via UPS Ground inside the continental USA only. The item will be extremely well-packed for safe arrival.

Will ship within 3 business days of receiving cleared payment.

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