We are Brokering these vintage Arp instruments for and on behalf of our UK client.

Service Status: 

A full service was carried out by Jim McKenna of Singing Cat Services in May 2023.

www.singingcatservices.co.uk

Remarks: 

We present a fabulous opportunity to own a stunning condition late production version Arp 2600 that comes partnered with its companion keyboard controller, the 3620. In addition, this beautiful 2600 is complete with the 1621 Sequencer. This iteration of 2600 represent the final production version, often referred to as the ‘Black & Orange,’ or 2601 v2.0 (possible v3.0)

This production version contains the post-lawsuit Moog 4072 style filter. This instrument is at least 43 years old (likely built in 1979).

Background:

Our client purchased this Arp 2600/3602 and 1621 Sequencer together brand new from Chase Music in Manchester on 16th January 1980 – we have the original sales receipt, although will not publish this as it contains personal data, but it will be provided to the buyer of this Arp combo. The provenance is therefore perfect for this 43+ year old equipment. 

Our client had assembled a modest & much valued vintage synth collection over the years, all of which we have the honour for selling for him as he has made the difficult decision to let these instruments pass to new owners/custodians. These beauty vintage Arp instruments have all been cherished, played & enjoyed only ever at home, during his 43 years of ownership.

Servicing:

As mentioned in the introduction, the Arp 2600 Synth, 3602 Keyboard and 1621 Sequencer, all went through a complete professional service by Jim McKenna Singing Cat Services in April/May 2023, as part of the pre-sale diligence in getting it ready for sale and be in top operational condition for the new owner. We have been provided with a service report against the works carried out at Singing Cat Services, so please clock the link below so you can open up the PDF:

Singing Cat Services Service Report – Arp 2600 & 3620 #2602/0208 PDF.

Singing Cat Services Service Report – Arp 1621 Sequencer #1621-01121 PDF.

Also, our client had James Walker at Synth Repair Services carry out a minor service service on the 2600 on 18th April 2016. We have the original receipt so will provide this to the new owner pos-sale but again, we will not publish this online as it contains personal data,

Condition:

We consider all three instructs to be in outstanding condition, stunning, but you can decide yourself by looking at the pictures below. As province goes it does not get any better than a single owner instruments, and they are all 100% completely original machines, so no mods, so true survivors and highly collectable like this.

The Tolex covering on both the synth and keyboard is in exception condition with only some tine blemishes in places, and the nick plated fixtures and fitting are all present and have the expect patine for an instrument of this age. The console surfaces for both instruments is exemplary and all the original control knobs and slider caps are present.

The 1621 Sequencer is also in absolutely top cosmetic condition, probably the very best example we have seen, and is also equipped with all it’s original slider caps and program buttons, which are so bright and white they look like new!

Documents:

Our client had retained all the original documents since he purchased the Arp in 1980, so the following documents will be provided with the synth post-sale (see picture below):

For 2600 & 3620:

Arp 2600 Owners Manual (dated 1971) 

Arp 3620 Keyboard Owners Manual (dated 1977) 

Chase Musicians – Original Sales Receipt from 6th January 1981 (held off-line)

Magazine article/review on the 2600

For 1621 Sequencer:

Arp Sequencer Owners Manual (dated 1975)

Arp Promotional Colour Brochure (period produced)

Chase Musicians – Original Sales Receipt from 6th January 1981 (held off-line)

Synth Repair Services – Service receipt from 18th April 2016 (held off-line)

Accessories Included:

Included with the sale of the Arp 2600 & 1621 Sequencer is an assortment of cables, 12 in all of differing lengths, which will get you started with you patching. The only proviso on these OE cables are that they are at least 43years old so may not be reliable. We do not cover these parts under any warranty against defects, so we would recommend you purchase some new 3.5mm cables for a more reliable operation as we consider these parts as consumables in real terms.

In addition to the patching cables,  there are 2 foot-pedals included, one is an OE Arp pedal and the other is a third-party device. As with the cables, we do not cover these items under warranty but they are included within the sale as a courtesy.

Health-Check:

As this Arp 2600 3260 & 1621 Sequencer were serviced in May this year, so all items does not need any further attention, but as part of our post-sale process, we will ask Kent Spong at KSR to carry out a health-check on the Arps once the sale has completed.  This will add a couple of weeks to the post-sale timeline.

Both the Arp 2600 & 1621 Sequencer operate on EU220V~UK240V. The 2600 comes with a proprietary power-cable that has a UK type plug fitted to it and the sequencer is supplied with a UK tyre IEC cable.  

Packing & Shipping: 

We can ship this Arp combo worldwide, although the packing, shipping & insurance costs are not included in the sale price below, so are subject to quotation.  There may be some short delays in getting the packaging materials produced for shipping as they are custom ordered for the specific dimensions of each instrument.  You are also welcome to collect the equipment from us in Reading.

We are happy to discuss your requirements so please email us if you have any questions on the logistics and/or need a quote.

Sales Price: 

£15,690 GBP

As this is a brokered sale, VAT is not applicable on the sale of this Arp combo to UK buyers, however, packing & shipping/insurance is subject to VAT @ 20% should you need the goods shipped to you.

Availability: 

This Arp 2600, 3260 Keys & 1621 Sequencer are both SOLD.  This listing was updated on 8th November 2023 @ 10:39 GMT.

Click on the thumbnail for a higher resolution photo of the actual vintage Arp instruments for sale.  If you require specific pictures not already featured of the instrument then please contact us so we can try and accommodate your request but there may be a short delay in getting this done for you as the instrument is currently in secure storage.

BUY THIS ARP 2600+SEQ

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our UK customer

Came into stock: August 2016.

Restoration Status: KSR have already fully undertaken a full overhaul of the Arp 2600 + 3604-P Keyboard ( completed in January 2017), so both items are ready for sale now.

Remarks: We have been given a unique opportunity here as this Arp 2600 + 3604-P Keyboard are owned by the son of the late Johnny Arbiter, who many of you will know, was the owner/operator (post 1990) of the famous Turnkey music retail business in London. Johnny died in 2003, and much of the collection of vintage keys that formed part of the Turnkey studio museum passed to his son, Dan Arbiter – our client.

We weren’t given a lot of detailed background information on this Arp 2600 System, but it was certainly in the Turnkey collection for some years (post 1990), although kept in storage since around 2005, hence our client had commissioned KSR to undertake a full systems-wide overhaul of both instruments, to prepare them for sale.

We’re confident that this version is a 2600P V3.0, manufactured between 1972 to 1974.

Features: Semi-normalised – 3 VCOs, 4 pole Lowpass VCF, VCA, Ring Modulator, 2 EGs, sample & hold Noise, Mic Preamp, Spring Reverb, Voltage Processor and Four Octave Keyboard….the list goes on.

Contains (see picture below):
Original Arp (Moog lawsuit) Filter for this model (encapsulated) 4012
VCOs are original (all encapsulated but no markings) will be Arp 4027-1
Ring Mod is 4014
VCA is 4019

Noted Modifications:

The LED modification on each VCO basically tracks the waveform pulse, so you have a visual reference on the speed of the oscillator, although at higher frequencies this LED becomes constant of course, but the lower the frequency then it’s actually quite useful, especially in darkened studio. The 1/4″ jack output modification about the pan-outs is just a mono-out socket, so handy if you want to take a mono signal straight out to a desk or outboard without needing an adaptor from the 3.5mm sockets.

Notes on the cosmetic condition:

The control surfaces/panels on the synth & keyboard are in very good original condition, so it was decided not to have these cosmetically restored, in order to keep them original. The Tolex covering and bright-work was in need of restoration (as is common on the old Arp systems), so KSR have re-covered both units, and replaced all the exterior nickel plated components. The Keys on the 3604-P were in good shape, so again, where kept original to retain that authentic vintage ageing across the key-bed.

Notes on the restoration:

Aside the re-Tolexing and replacement of the exterior bright work mentioned above, the operational restoration on the 2600 is extensive, and mostly all Arp 2600 systems we see these days need this level of attention to be honest. KSR have undertaken a complete ground-up rebuild of the electronics with full test and calibrations and PSU rebuild etc. Each and every slider was split apart, cleaned and rebuilt, every jack cleaned & tested, and a system-wide check of all connectors, and solder joints etc. Where possible, all the original parts were retained to ensure continuity and authenticity but some ageing components like power conditioning caps have been replaced, but only were absolutely necessary.

Around a £2000 GBP has been invested into this restoration, and most certainly worth with every penny, as a fully working Arp 2600 is still one of the best modular synths ever made, and as relevant to making music with today as it was 40+ years ago, with many pro-studios today using one as their ‘go-to synth.’

This vintage work of electronic art is now in fantastic condition throughout. It is supplied with its original paired monophonic 3604-P keyboard. Having the keyboard is useful but it has limited access to the extensive inputs into the main synth, so to get the most out of any Arp 2600 we would recommend using a multi-channel Midi to CV device like the Kenton Pro-2000…which we can supply but is not included in the price (ask us for a quote).

These instruments have become very hard to find in anything approaching even below average condition these days, so here is a rare opportunity to own a superb fully professionally restored example that will only appreciate in value and add something special to your studio. The provenance also adds something special to this system, so it’s genuinely part of synth lore.

This Arp 2600 + 3604-P Keyboard are sold with a 3 month warranty, and runs on EU220V. Both units come with their lids, and CV/Gate & Power cable. We are able to supply a copy of the user manual (PDF).

We can ship world-wide, so please ask us for a packaging & shipping quote for your preferred destination address.

Price: £7500 GBP.

Availability: This Arp 2600 + 3604-P Keyboard are now SOLD as at 6th February 2017.

Picture supplied below are of the actual Arp 2600 + 3604-P keyboard, but more high-res pictures will be available shortly.

 

BUY THIS ARP 2600