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The Cure | Porl Thompson Stage-Played & Studio-Used Roland JX-3P Synthesizer Keyboard (1983-1987)

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Music Memorabilia Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD
The Cure | Porl Thompson Stage-Played & Studio-Used Roland JX-3P Synthesizer Keyboard (1983-1987)
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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2026 Jun 06 @ 10:00 (UTC-07:00 : PDT/MST)
A Roland JX-3P programmable polyphonic synthesizer keyboard (serial #360907) from the personal collection of Porl Thompson of The Cure, used on television performances, studio recordings, and live touring across The Cure's most commercially and artistically significant period. Documented in the original Omega Auctions catalog as used on "television promo shows, the Head on the Door album and tour, The Top and 'Beach Party' tours," and independently confirmed in multiple filmed performances and published gear documentation. The instrument retains its original Bulldog Cases flight case bearing Porl Thompson's name in large orange stencil, his personal logo symbol on the lid, road crew identification markings, original UK power cable, and — preserved inside the case lid — two handwritten crew notes listing recording and stage equipment assignments from active use.

Video Documentation

[YouTube] The Cure — "Play for Today" / "A Forest" — Live in Munich (Broadcast, 01/30/1984)

[YouTube] The Cure — "Bananafishbones" / "Piggy in the Mirror" / "The Top" — The Tube with Jools Holland (UK Broadcast, 04/12/1984)

[YouTube] The Cure — "The Walk" — BBC "Rock Around the Clock '84," Glasgow, Scotland (08/25/1984)

[YouTube] Omega Auctions — The Porl Thompson Collection Promo (Shows Keyboard and Flight Case)

Historical Context

The Cure — formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976 — moved through a period of austere post-punk minimalism into a transitional phase of sonic expansion in the early 1980s. The Roland JX-3P, introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, arrived precisely at this inflection point: its DCO-based architecture, onboard sequencer, and broad preset library made it an ideal instrument for the layered, synthesizer-integrated sound The Cure developed across Japanese Whispers (1983), The Top (1984), The Head on the Door (1985), and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987). The JX-3P became central to The Cure's live and studio setup across this period, used by multiple band members on recordings. Porl Thompson served as lead guitarist across multiple Cure eras, most prominently the The Top, Head on the Door, and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me periods; his personal collection of instruments and equipment was offered in its entirety at Omega Auctions on May 19, 2012.

Stage & Television Use

This JX-3P is documented in multiple filmed Cure performances from 1984 onward, including the Munich broadcast of January 30, 1984 ("Play for Today" / "A Forest"), The Tube with Jools Holland on April 12, 1984 ("Bananafishbones" / "Piggy in the Mirror" / "The Top"), and the BBC "Rock Around the Clock '84" broadcast in Glasgow on August 25, 1984 ("The Walk"). The Omega Auctions catalog documents its use on "television promo shows, the Head on the Door album and tour, The Top and 'Beach Party' tours." The Beach Party Tour's independently published gear list (1986–87) confirms "Roland JX-3P synth" among Porl Thompson's stage equipment for that tour. Note: The original Omega catalog description additionally cited use in the Cure DVD [i]The Cure in Orange (1987); independent review of the concert film's footage indicates the instrument visible is a different model, and that claim is not reproduced here.[/i]

Recording Use

The Omega Auctions catalog documents this instrument's use on The Head on the Door album (1985) and its supporting tour — The Cure's commercial breakthrough, featuring "In Between Days," "Close to Me," and "A Night Like This." The Roland JX-3P was manufactured in November 1983, placing it among the earliest production examples of the model and confirming it was a new instrument when it first appeared in Porl Thompson's rig for The Cure's early 1984 television performances. The Beach Party Tour's independently published gear list (1986–87) confirms "Roland JX-3P synth" among Porl Thompson's stage equipment for that tour, providing independent corroboration of the Omega catalog's documentation.

The Roland serial number dating system — six-digit format standard to Roland's 1980s production, counting months from a November 1980 base — places manufacture at November 1983, the 36th month in the sequence. The last four digits (0907) indicate this was approximately the 907th JX-3P produced, confirming it as an early production example from the model's first year of manufacture. The short window between production (November 1983) and first documented on-stage use (January 30, 1984, Munich broadcast) is consistent with a professional musician acquiring new Roland gear immediately upon release during the early MIDI era.

The Flight Case

The original Bulldog Cases flight case (Bulldog Cases, 2-4 Canfield Place, London NW6) is a period-correct UK professional touring road case carrying substantial road history. The front face bears Porl Thompson's name — "PORL" — stenciled in large orange letters; the lid bears Porl Thompson's personal logo symbol — an Om-style mark in orange paint within a white circle, used as his identifying mark across his equipment; the end bears road number "67" in white stencil; and the side carries yellow spray-painted crew markings and an Anglo Pacific International plc freight label (ref. 491-201 / 905388), confirming international transit of the instrument. The carry handle has deteriorated significantly, consistent with decades of active use. Partially deteriorated international airfreight labels remain on the case exterior.

Inside the case lid, two handwritten notes on ruled paper remain taped in their original positions — crew documentation from active touring and/or recording use, never removed. The first lists equipment: Headphone Amp, Splitter Box, Mic Phantom PWR Amp, Guitar Effects (Chorus, Storm). The second is a mic assignment sheet: channels 1–3 (overheads), 4–5 (guitar), 6 (Bass DI12), 7–8 (condensers).

Specifications

· Roland JX-3P Programmable Preset Polyphonic Synthesizer, manufactured November 1983
· 61 keys
· DCO-based dual-oscillator architecture per voice
· Built-in digital sequencer
· MIDI In/Out/Thru
· Pitch bender
· Black and red chassis
· Roland Corporation, Made in Japan
· Serial number 360907
· AC 240V, 50/60Hz, 26W — UK-spec instrument; original UK 3-pin power cable included
· Unit has not been tested on US current

Condition

The instrument exhibits wear consistent with professional touring and studio use. All keys present. Control panel legible. Unit untested — offered as-is. The flight case exhibits extensive exterior wear including scuffed panels, corroded aluminum hardware, and a heavily deteriorated carry handle; all exterior markings, labels, and interior crew notes are original and intact.

Provenance

From the personal collection of Porl Thompson. Sold as Lot 27 from The Porl Thompson Collection: Historic Equipment, Artwork & Memorabilia Auction (Omega Auctions, Stockport, UK, May 19, 2012). Accompanied by a signed letter from Porl Thompson confirming the item was part of his personal collection used during his time with The Cure, sold via Omega Auctions on May 19, 2012. Original Omega Auctions catalog included.

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: 36 x 12.5 x 4.0" · 20.10 lbs.
» Case: 39.5 x 16.25 x 7.5" · 48.52 lbs.
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