The day no sound came out from my electone

Was chatting away with yt when i decided to play something on the electone.
Switched it on, instead of the regular melodies that come from it as directed by my hand, no sound came out.
Checked the headphone jack. No headphones....

Only one conculsion - speakers were dead.

Oh man... The EL87, when i first bought it was still in its prime, marketed as one of the best electones around, along with the EL90, a cousin model. It was purchased at a sum of about fifteen thousand dollars, hell expensive, i dunno how mum coughed up the money to buy it. Compared with the other electones around, marketed by Yamaha or other brands, it was the flagship model. It had the ability to read information from 3 1/2" floppy disks (those small floppy disks used in the 90s) and produce sounds that are in sequence (i.e. 1st part of the music the instrument produces a strings sound, the 2nd part produces a trumpet sound etc), complete with percussion effects.

Hence with the correct score, the electone could be used to basically perform a piece worthy of being on radio or being recorded.

It accompanied me throughout my secondary school years, where it was the envy of my classmates, throughout JC, and the tough days of army where i would come home to listen to its melodies. It was the instrument of choice for composing due to its sequencer function, for two projects and many other potential ones, my very first one in 1998 and the second with Ken Rhee in 2001.

During the removal of my brain tumour in 1999, the first thing that i did after coming back after two weeks of being incarceated in the hospital was to play "Titanic" on the electone. Despite being advised not to do so. Also used to play it at 6am, sometimes without headphones, to the utmost annoyance of the neighbours living downstairs, before i left for school. It became an addiction.

Can't blame it that it died... it its prime i would almost play with it everyday. When i've got nothing to do, just hit the "start" button and electricity fills up its veins in a second or so, then it's ready to play. Perfect for killing small periods of time.

For so long i've treated as a honoured friend in my home, always there to listen to what i have to say, all my troubles at school, in army or elsewhere, or when i'm happy, to share my joy together. It would always be patient, listening to endless playings of Pachebel's canon in D, to all my silly mistakes.

Deep sigh.

I guess i would call someone to replace the speakers. Thing is, they're inbuilt, and probably no one knows how to do it, it's quite obsolete by now, every since the rise of more sophisticated models after it. Sigh.

Electones. Not many people really play them now. Some pharmacists i know were also hit by the "electone" craze - actually i believe their parents were hit by it, then they wanted their children to play it as a substitute for the piano - Jan, Candice, Jingwen. There's also Jason from sheares hall in my block, which is rather surprising. I'd wish i'd just learn to play the piano.

I think i'd always taken the ability of playing music for granted. When i wanted a middle C, i get one, when i wanted a D7 chord, i get one. Now when i want some music, i go to the computer and play an mp3 file, i have to figure out the chords myself, which is not satisfying. I can't get the sad, lonely feeling of a C Major 7 nor a sharp concluding feeling of a C7. maybe on guitar, maybe.

Maybe now, the house will get a little quieter.