Ensoniq EPS Key Bed - To swap or not swap?

Synth Repair
1

I’m trying to decide on something and thought getting some opinions would be an interesting exercise.

I recently cleaned up and refurbished a classic Ensoniq EPS sampler that belonged to the man who was like a second father to me growing up. He bought it new in 1988, and it’s an earlier production run from May 1988. It contains the keyboard with the felt pads and none of the rubber bushings (like Syntaur sells as retrofit kits.). The keyboard works great although a bit “clacky” as it is.

I have a second EPS, slightly newer from November 1989 that I’ve torn down and cleaned up to be put up for sale. I discovered the key bed assembly on that is near-identical except it already has all the rubber bushings and none of the felt pads. I’m assuming it came from the factory that way? Not sure when they changed the design of the key bed. As expected, the feel of that key bed is nicer.

Part of me wants to leave my EPS all original, and keep the felt pad keys as it shipped originally, and because it belonged to my friend that way.

The other part of me wants to grab that nicer key bed and flip-flop them before I sell the spare EPS. (Assuming they truly are compatible?)

I don’t use the EPS as any main keyboard at all, so I wouldn’t be relying on the older clacky keys very much if I left them be. Just when I want to access the EPS on recordings.

Thoughts or opinions?
Dave

2

I had a similar experience with two ESQ-1’s. I took the better bed out of the unit I was selling and put it into the one I was keeping. I don’t see any issue with that. It’s your equipment and is still all original in my opinion. Do what will make you happiest to use it for enjoyment.

3

Keep both. Chances are one of them will die. And yes you can repair it, but with the extra board, the fix is faster and then the broken part repaired at some point, but your not offline. So the extra keyboard will end up saving you more stress that cash in the story term.