Studio: Solina String Ensemble

Before restoration

After restoration

The Solina started life as a string synthesiser section built into the model 310 organ made by Dutch manufacturer Eminent, and famously used by Jean Michel Jarre. The string synthesiser section of the Eminent 310 was eventually repackaged as the Solina String Ensemble. ARP also sold the Solina in the US with an ARP sticker over the Solina logo, although these machines were still built by Eminent. Things came full circle with the Solina String Synthesiser that fused together a String Ensemble and an ARP Axxe synthesiser.

When I bought my Solina, it was fully working but in very poor cosmetic condition. I had a new case made by a local furniture maker, then I waxed it and refinished the wooden panels either side of the keyboard. At some point in the past someone had painted the control panel with thick black paint, so I planned on stripping this down to refinish it and apply new labels. The final step was going to be replacing all the keys, since several of the existing ones had clearly been broken and then glued back together. Unfortunately I ended up selling the Solina before I could do this.