Super info thanks very much! My Oberheim vs Gibson dilemma is not so much a
quest for quality but more a quest for authenticity. Even if a Matrix-1000 was manufactured
by Hammond Suzuki in Japan, I'd want my next Matrix to be a black-face "Oberheim Matrix-1000"
not a white-face "Gibson Matrix-1000".
Should I consider any Matrix's manufactured after Gibson bought Oberheim not to be an
Oberheim instrument
I guess I was trying to confirm the change in face color as the change from Oberheim to Gibson.
It's symbolic.
Thanks very much Paul!

     =Opcode Studio Vision Pro User=

--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "Paul J. White" <pjwhite@...> wrote:
>
> No idea on the serial numbers. However, I'm pretty sure that all the
> Matrix 1000s were made in Japan by Hammond Suzuki, including the
> pre-Gibson ones. I doubt there is any difference in quality.
> By the mid '80s Oberheim was looking to cut production costs in order
> to compete with the Japanese synth manufacturers. Later DX drum
> machines (DXa), the Matrix-6 and -6R, Matrix 1000, Prommer, Xk,
> DPX-1, and later designs were all designed and distributed in the US
> by Oberheim, but manufactured by Hammond Suzuki in Japan.
>
> -- Paul White
>
> At 02:12 PM 4/23/09, you wrote:
>
> >Thanks, Paul, for that good info.
> >It makes me wonder what might be the general serial number range
> >for the Matrix-1000s produced by Oberheim. Any guesses
> >I'm just wondering because If and when I buy a Matrix-1000 again, I
> >want it to be one of the ones made by Oberheim, not Gibson.
> >
> >--- In <mailto:oberheim%40yahoogroups.com>oberheim@yahoogroups.com,
> >"Paul J. White" pjwhite@ wrote:
> > >
> > > I can't really help with Oberheim's history beyond when I left
> > > Oberheim in July 1986, but I remember they were starting to produce
> > > black-face Matrix-1000s around that time. So there would have been
> > > about 6 months of production going on before 1987.
> > >
> > > -- Paul White
> >
> > > At 09:11 PM 4/22/09, you wrote:
> > > >Hi, I would like to know if this is correct...
> > > >When Oberheim was still in business, they made the Matrix-1000 with
> > > >the black face.
> > > >Then Gibson Guitar bought Oberheim in 1986 and from then on all
> > > >Matrix-1000 had the white face.
> > > >It was Gibson's idea to make the face white and any white
> > > >Matrix-1000 were manufactured by Gibson Guitar.
> > > >Is this correct
> > > >
> > > >I have checked wikipedia and vintagesynth.com and there seems to be some
> > > >date errors like, if Oberheim closed in 1986 when gibson bought them
> > > >(wiki) and vintagesynth.com
> > > >sates matrix-1000 production was from 1987 to
> > > >1994 then there would be never any black face units.
> > > >
> > > >If any one could help to know when the white face started I'd really
> > > >appreciate it.
> >
> >
>