"Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees...."

Another vintage keyboard ad....

Do you remember back in the 1960s and 1970s those electronic kits you could buy from companies like Heathkit?

Since the late 1960s, Paia(Pie-yuh) has sold keyboard kits you can build yourself. They have always run rather lean, especially in their advertising budget. In more recent years their product lines have shifted away from units with actual keyboards to units that can can interface with MIDI keyboards that customers would already possess. This practice eliminates the most costly part of an electronic keyboard.

Paia has operated out of San Antonio, TX for many years. Their lean business strategies have allowed them to remain in business far beyond most other, better known but long since defunct American synth manufacturers of the period.

For more info, log onto www.paia.com.

Readers of magazines such as Electronic Musician and Keyboard would have recognized Craig Anderton's name, and are probably where this ad appeared.

Among his many accomplishments, Anderton was editor for EM for several years and has continued to be a frequent contributor to these and many other similar kinds of magazines, as well has collaborating with Paia and other manufacturers.

That's not Anderton's likeness in the photo, but I guess he could've been monkeyin' around in the gorilla suit....

More info about Craig Anderton can be found at www.craiganderton.com
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We'll be back on Monday with a continuance of 'The Laurel-Crowned Princess,' which should be concluded by the end of the week. If you're just now joining us, bear in mind that the series does not start with 'Chapter 1', but 'Prologue'.

Have a great weekend.