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Black Eyed Peas | Printz Board Stage-Played Korg MS2000B Analog Synthesizer/Vocoder (1998-2011)

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Music Memorabilia Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 2,500.00 USD
Black Eyed Peas | Printz Board Stage-Played Korg MS2000B Analog Synthesizer/Vocoder (1998-2011)
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A stage-played Korg MS2000B analog modeling synthesizer and vocoder (serial #0001776) used by Printz Board — musical director of the Black Eyed Peas — as the primary bass keyboard throughout the band's touring career from 1998 to 2011, spanning over a decade of live performance. The instrument is referenced in Keyboard Magazine's August 2010 cover story and in the "World of a Music Director" video feature.

Video Documentation

[YouTube] The E.N.D. World Tour · Full Concert · Staples Center, Los Angeles (March 30, 2010)

[YouTube] "The World of a Music Director" with Printz Board · Black Eyed Peas (EQ Magazine / Lennon Bus)

Historical Context

The Black Eyed Peas — comprising will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie — were among the most commercially dominant acts in the world during the 2009-2011 period, driven by The E.N.D. (2009) and The Beginning (2010). Their touring and broadcast appearances during this era included the 2011 Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (December 31, 2009), the 2010 American Music Awards, the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and numerous major international festival and arena performances. The E.N.D. World Tour ran from 2009 through 2011 and was one of the most technically elaborate production tours of its era.

Unlike most instruments in this collection which are specifically documented to The E.N.D. World Tour era, this Korg MS2000B represents the longest-tenured instrument in Printz Board's documented touring rig — used across the full span of the Black Eyed Peas' touring career from 1998 through 2011.

Stage & Performance Use

According to George Pajon Jr. in the Techno Empire listing: "This Korg Keyboard was the main Keyboard used for all the Bass onstage. It was played by Printz Board throughout every single tour from 1998 until 2011." This places the instrument at the center of the band's live production across their entire rise from underground hip-hop act to one of the most commercially successful acts in the world — spanning the eras of Behind the Front (1998), Bridging the Gap (2000), Elephunk (2003), Monkey Business (2005), The E.N.D. (2009), and The Beginning (2010).

This is corroborated by an independent 2005 source: the October 2005 issue of Keyboard magazine profiled Printz Board and identified the MS2000B as his primary analog instrument during the Monkey Business era, featuring a labeled photograph of his complete live rig with the MS2000B prominently identified. Printz is quoted directly describing it as central to his analog approach. This contemporaneous published documentation predates the Techno Empire acquisition by 15 years and independently confirms the instrument's consistent role in his touring rig.

By The E.N.D. World Tour era, the MS2000B continued in the rig alongside the Moog Little Phatty (Lot 37) — which Printz Board described in Keyboard Magazine as his dedicated bass instrument for that tour — while the MS2000B served an additional documented function: in the August 2010 cover story, Board stated of the Roland AX-Synth keytar (Lot 33): "I use a Roland AX-Synth when we're performing 'Out of My Head.' I run it through MIDI to a Korg MS2000 and it triggers those sounds as well."

The instrument also features a notable production modification: the mod wheel was reversed at some point during its touring life — tape labels remain on the unit indicating this modification — reflecting the kind of hands-on customization typical of long-term professional touring instruments adapted to specific performer preferences over many years.

Specifications

· Manufacturer: Korg
· Model: MS2000B
· Type: Analog modeling synthesizer / vocoder
· Keys: 44
· Serial: 0001776

Condition

Very Good. Light wear from normal use consistent with extensive touring. Two crew labels remain affixed next to the mod wheel: a red tape strip bearing a hand-drawn upward arrow, and a yellow label in orange marker reading "MOD WHEEL REVERSED" — production reminders indicating the wheel's polarity had been inverted from its factory default to suit Printz Board's performance preferences. Per Techno Empire at time of original sale, the mod wheel does not currently appear to affect the sound. All other keys, buttons, and control knobs are in perfect working order. The instrument sounds excellent.

Included Items

Gooseneck microphone; power supply; 4 x 1/4" instrument cables.

Original issue of Keyboard magazine (October 2005, Vol. 31, No. 10), featuring a full-page Printz Board profile by Peter Kirn titled "The Secret Keys Behind the Black Eyed Peas." The article's "Dream Rig" section identifies the Korg MS2000B as Printz's primary analog instrument, quoting him directly: "I'm an analog guy. I like the MS, it comes from an analog place. It's got the knobs that make me feel at home." An accompanying labeled gear photograph in the article identifies the MS2000B by name in the context of his full live rig. This 2005 publication provides independent documentation of the instrument's central role in Printz Board's rig during the Monkey Business era — three albums prior to The E.N.D., and consistent with George Pajon Jr.'s statement that this specific instrument was used across every tour from 1998 to 2011.

Provenance

Acquired from Techno Empire (North Hollywood, CA) as part of the official Black Eyed Peas Collection launched on Reverb on July 23, 2020. Documented by George Pajon Jr. as used across every Black Eyed Peas tour from 1998 to 2011. Referenced in Keyboard Magazine August 2010 cover story in connection with the AX-Synth keytar (Lot 33) and documented stage use during "Out of My Head." Visible in the [YouTube] "The World of a Music Director" with Printz Board · EQ Magazine video feature. Additionally documented in Keyboard magazine's October 2005 Printz Board profile as his primary analog instrument during the Monkey Business era — an independent contemporaneous source confirming the MS2000B's long-running central role in his live rig.

Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance

This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit's principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item's documented history.

Shipping & Measurements

THIRD PARTY SHIPPING ONLY. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com

» Item: 29 x 14.5 x 6" · 15.60 lbs.
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