# Ray Manzarek's little organ **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231 "2006-01-09T23:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/1 "2006-01-09T23:14:28Z")
No, not that, ya pervs. In videos I’ve seen of the Doors performing, Ray Manzarek has a small synthesizer sitting on top of a regular keyboard. It appears to have about a dozen keys. Any idea what it was? I’ve also seen a similar device in the hilariously cheesy video “Boogie Nights” by Heatwave. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/2 "2006-01-09T23:18:50Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > In videos I’ve seen of the Doors performing, Ray Manzarek has a small synthesizer sitting on top of a regular keyboard. It appears to have about a dozen keys. I’ve seen the same thing, but don’t know what it was. I do remember thinking he was playing the bass lines on it, though. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/3 "2006-01-09T23:26:05Z")
A [Rhodes piano bass](http://newhaven.craigslist.org/msg/120916216.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/4 "2006-01-10T00:00:16Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > A [Rhodes piano bass](http://newhaven.craigslist.org/msg/120916216.html)? That’s the one. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/5 "2006-01-10T00:10:22Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > A [Rhodes piano bass](http://newhaven.craigslist.org/msg/120916216.html)? Nope. It’s much smaller. Look at [this](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/IM001311.JPG). It’s a similar keyboard from the aformentioned Heatwave video. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/6 "2006-01-10T00:55:47Z")
From [here](http://www.raymanzarek.com/features_keyboard77.html), Manzarek insists that he used a Rhodes piano bass because “[The Wurlitzer] was the perfect instrument to put the Rhodes piano bass on because it was as flat as a pancake.” ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/7 "2006-01-10T00:58:55Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Nope. It’s much smaller. > > Look at [this](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/IM001311.JPG). > > It’s a similar keyboard from the aformentioned Heatwave video. Hmm - that picture is not a Rhodes piano bass. You’re right. My vote is for it being a [Paia OZ](http://www.synthmuseum.com/paia/paioz01.html), which dates to the late-seventies. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-manzareks-little-organ/339231/8 "2006-01-10T01:03:40Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Look at [this](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/IM001311.JPG). I don’t know what that one is. [Here’s](http://www.jfkmontreal.com/john_lennon/graphics/Doors.jpg) a shot where you can clearly see the Rhodes.