incomparable emulation of classic 60's keyboards that provided the signature sounds of the era, right through to today's hit music...great classic instruments, such as Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos, the Farfisa and Vox Combo Organs (by the way, he also owns a vintage red & black Farfisa Combo Compact) and pristine acoustic pianos (the Hamilton is WAY TOO HEAVY to carry along on a gig!).  The EX-5 also allows him to produce authentic emulations of vintage analog synths (such as the Mini Moog and Arp 2600), brass, strings, woodwinds and many other acoustic instruments, utilizing its excellent physical modeling processes.  The EX-5 is an extremely utile instrument, sporting five distinct synthesis methods.  It's a great axe to gig with!  On stage, Fox is a multi-keyboardist, generally carting at least four keyboards to the gig to help phatten up the band's sound...you'll find at least three of the keyboards mentioned above on stage at every Blues Factory performance.  The fourth?  Well, much to his chagrin (and his chiropractor's assurance that he will indeed be able to vacation in the Caribbean again this year), despite the technology, nothing under 425 lbs truly emulates the sound of a Hammond B-3 through a Leslie cabinet.  That's why you'll also see Fox's B-3 (vintage 1965) on stage at every performance.  He also owns a vintage C-3 (1955), preferred by most of the great British rockers of the 60s and 70s.  At 550lbs, this beast continually keeps company with the Hamilton,  never leaving Fox's home studio.  Fox also restores classic Hammond organs as a hobby,  and currently has 5 other classic Hammond organs, some of which are currently FOR SALE!  Contact him for details. 

 

Rick Fox is an absolute keyboard junkie who is obsessed with any instrument with an octave of keys and the sounds they allow him to create!  Fox owns more than 2 dozen instruments ranging from a 19th century vintage (read "beat up") Hamilton upright grand piano he rescued from a Bay Area Baptist Church to a Korg Karma, representing the current state of the art in synthesizer hardware.  Fox is admittedly biased toward Korg gear and owns, in addition to the Karma, a Triton Pro X, a Z-1, a Prophesy, an SG Pro X, an i-3, an O1W/fd, a T-1 and a vintage CX-3 ( circa 1979, Korg's first Hammond B-3 emulator).  There's one non-Korg synth in this formidable keyboard arsenal...a Yamaha EX-5, which Fox added for its