Vintage Yamaha Keytar. In good working condition. Midi out, strap & original box. Wear-and-tear markings.

The Yamaha SHS-10, known in Japan as the Yamaha Sholky (a name derived from “Shoulder Keyboard”), is a keytar—a portable keyboard designed to be worn like a guitar—produced by Yamaha and launched in 1987.

It features a compact 32-key mini keyboard along with performance controls like a pitch-bend wheel, vibrato and sustain buttons. The SHS-10 houses an internal FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesizer that offers 25 different sounds, supports six-note polyphony, and uses two operators. A built-in speaker allows for standalone play, and a simple chord sequencer adds to its functionality.

The keytar includes MIDI support through a MIDI Out port, enabling it to control external MIDI devices. While it lacks a MIDI In port, the SHS-10’s MIDI capabilities are surprisingly advanced for a consumer-grade instrument. It transmits drum patterns and accompaniment parts on separate MIDI channels, making it compatible with external drum machines, samplers, and other MIDI gear. Specifically, drums are sent on channel 16, bass on 15, and chord harmonies across channels 12 to 14. It also transmits MIDI clock signals, including start/stop and tempo sync, allowing integration with external sequencers.