Farfisa F.A.S.T. 3

We all start somewhere and my first keyboard was this Italian-made Farfisa combo organ.

I was obsessed with getting one the way any 14 year-old can be and then it was in my hands. It was my gateway into high-school garage bands. There I gained status because I could help guitarists figure out chords and help the band coordinate together on the chorus or bridge. The Farfisa F.A.S.T. 3 was pretty much as basic an electronic keyboard as you can think of but it still held enough flexibility in tone: softer sine wave 'Flute' sounds, sharper saw wave 'Brass' sounds. I began my keyboard education here, understanding the concept of "feet" or octave selections, how combining Flute and Brass gave a certain tone. With the aid of a modest Yamaha amp I was able to go where the bands were and hold my own. I was in. I had street cred.