Wiki: Ace Tone - upcScavenger

Ace Electronic Industries Inc., or Ace Tone, was a manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, including , analogue drum machines, and , as well as and effects pedals. Founded in 1960 by Ikutaro Kakehashi with an investment by , Ace Tone can be considered an early incarnation of the Roland Corporation, which was also founded by Kakehashi. "Lifetime-Achievement-Award Mr. Ikutaro Kakehashi" , Musikmesse International Press Award 2002, 2002, retrieved April 2, 2006 Ace Tone began manufacturing amplifiers in 1963.

History

Ikutaro Kakehashi began learning practical mechanical engineering as a teenager, and found there was a demand for electronics repair in Japan following the end of World War II. After recovering from tuberculosis in 1954, he opened a goods store in Osaka and began assembling and repairing radios. He attempted to build an electric organ in the late 1950s from spares, including parts of an old reed organ, telephones and electronic components, and started a business in 1960, initially making amplifiers. He subsequently designed an organ that was sold by Panasonic.

In 1964, Kakehashi designed his first hand playing electronic drum, the R1 Rhythm Ace, constructed from transistor circuitry. It was designed to be attached below the manuals on a home organ, and had six buttons that created a variety of percussion sounds. It was presented at that year's NAMM Show. However, it lacked automatic accompaniment and so was unsuccessful.

In 1965, Ace Tone established a US distribution agreement with Sorkin. In 1967, the company introduced the Rhythm Ace FR-1, which allowed a variety of automatically played popular rhythms with a variable tempo. It was commercially successful and led to partnership with the Hammond Organ, who added Ace Tone's rhythm units to its range of instruments. At the end of the 1960s, Ace Tone began manufacturing guitar effects boxes, such as fuzz which was modelled on an earlier Gibson Brands model.

(2025). 9780634044809, Hal Leonard. ISBN 9780634044809

Products

Electronic Keyboards

Clavioline

Canary S-2 (1962) — Vacuum tube clavioline, exhibited on 1964 NAMM Show, but not released.
Ikutaro Kakehashi (2003). 9780634037832, Hal Leonald Corp. . ISBN 9780634037832

In 1964, Canary S-2 and R-1 Rhythm Ace were exhibited on NAMM Show, but finally not released.

Canary S-3 (Three legs) — Transistor clavioline

Combo Organ

TOP-1 (1968 or 1969)
TOP-3 (Phenix) (1965)
TOP-4 (Phenix)
TOP-5 (c. 1969)
TOP-6 (c. 1972)
TOP-7
TOP-8
TOP-9

(1968 or 1969)

GT-2 (c. 1975) — predecessor of Hammond X-2 (c. 1978) and possibly Hammond B-100W (c. 1983)
GT-5 (c. 1971)

— predecessor of Ace Tone X-3/X-3W (c. 1978) and possibly Hammond B-250W (c. 1983)

GT-7

(1971) — predecessor of Hammond X-5 (c. 1978) and Hammond B-200 (c. 1980).

X-3/X-3W (c. 1978) — although model name evokes Hammond X series, it was shipped under Ace Tone brand.

combo organ accessories

OR-30 Transistorized Bench Amplifier
PK-2 Organ Bass Pedals
Expander/Expression Pedal EXP-4
HP-10 Headphone (for combo organ)
HP-20 Headphone

Home Organ

TO-S1 (c. 1966)
A-122
B-422

B-5
C-422S
Ace 1000 / 2000 / 3000 (c. 1970s) — designed based on Hammond Cadette series. Ace 3000 has built-in cassette recorder on the lower right.

Organs (OEM)

National (Panasonic) SX-601 (1963)
Hammond organ VS-300 Cadette (1973–?) — although early Cadettes was built in Japan by Yamaha/Nippon Gakki, later models in the United Kingdom was built by Ace Tone/Nihon Hammond.
Hammond organ F 1000 / 2000 / 3000 (1970s) — these models built in England in the 1970s, were variations of Ace 1000 / 2000 / 3000 designed & built in Japan, based on Hammond Cadette series.

Electronic Piano

AP-100 Electronic Piano

Synthesizers

Multistrings SY-5

PS-1000 Monosynth

(1975) — similar to Roland SH-3/SH-3A (1974)

SY-100 Monosynth

Effects

Analog Delay EH-50
Analog Delay EH-100
Echo Chamber EC-1
Reverb/Echo Chamber EC-10 Professional Echo
Echo Chamber EC-20

FUZZ/BOOSTER
Fuzz Master FM-1 (c. 1966–68)
Fuzz Master FM-2 (c. 1968–)
Fuzz Master FM-3 (c. 1971–)
Graphic Equalizer QH-100
Stereo Phasor LH-100
Twin Ace FW-1 (Fuzz + Wah)

Wah Master WM-1

Drum Machines

R1 Rhythm Ace (push-button electronic drum percussion) (1964)

Precisely, R-1 was not a drum machine, but a hand-operated electronic percussion.

Rhythm Ace R-3 (1966)
Rhythm Ace FR-1 (1967) In 1967, FR-1 was introduced as option of Hammond organ.^AH
Rhythm Ace FR-2L ^AH
Auto Rhythm FR-2D ^SH
Rhythm Ace FR-3 (c. 1967) ^AH,R
Rhythm Ace FR-3S ^M
Rhythm Ace FR-4 ^M
Rhythm Ace FR-6/FR-6P (c. 1972 or 1974) ^AS
Rhythm Ace FR-6M ^M
Rhythm Ace FR-7M
Rhythm Producer FR-7L ^RH
Rhythm Producer FR-8L ^AM
Rhythm Ace FR-13
Rhythm Producer FR-15 (1975) — partly programmable rhythm machine

Rhythm Ace FR-20 (Floor type)
Rhythm Ace FR-30 (Floor type)
Rhythm Ace FR-60 (Floor type)
Rhythm Ace FR-70 (Floor type)
Rhythm FEVER FR-106

^S

Hammond Auto-Vari 64 (AV-64) ^AH

Note: Rhythm Ace series were known to be shipped under multiple brands as follows:

Since 1967, Hammond organ distributed Rhythm Ace under Hammond brand. )]]

:AH Ace Tone model also shipped from Hammond.

:::* Ace Tone FR-2L ⇒ Hammond Auto (1972)

:::* Ace Tone FR-3 ⇒ Hammond Rhythm 2

:RH Hammond shipped far improved model based on Roland's improved model.

:::* Ace Tone FR-7L ⇒ Roland Rhythm 77 (1972) ⇒ Hammond Auto-Vari 64 (1974)

:SH Hammond models manufactured by Nihon Hammond.

In the 1970s, possibly several models were also distributed under Multivox brand by Sorkin Music, an early general agent of Ace Tone in the United States.

On the other hand, late-1970s models such as Multivox FR-3 seem to share several similarities with Korg Minipops.

:M Multivox models

:AM Also shipped from Multivox

In the mid-1970s, "ACE TONE" brand was taken over by Sakata/Nihon Hammond.Nihon Hammond: In the mid-1970s, Ace Electronic Industries Inc. was restructured and "ACE TONE" brand was taken over by Nihon Hammond established circa 1970, a joint enterprise of Hammond Organ in Chicago and Sakata Shokai in Osaka, Japan.

:S Sakata/Nihhon Hammond models

:AS Also shipped from Sakata/Nihhon Hammond.

In 1972, Kakehashi left Ace Electronics and established Roland Corporation.
(based on FR-7L)]]

:R Roland released improved models in 1972:

:::* Ace Tone FR-3L ⇒ Roland Rhythm 33 (1972, TR-33)

:::* Ace Tone FR-7L ⇒ Roland Rhythm 77 (1972, TR-77)

Amplifiers

Guitar Amplifiers