Beatles - Rare "Electric Apple" Prototype Sound to Light Box by "Magic Alex" Mardas (UK, 1967)....

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Beatles - Rare "Electric Apple" Prototype Sound to Light Box by "Magic Alex" Mardas (UK, 1967). As used for the Apple Boutique's grand opening. A yellow-painted, hand-fabricated wooden box of 15.25" x 9" x 4.25". The front panel is covered in a gray plastic bearing an "Electric Apple" name at lower left; there is a unit "on/ off/ lights only" switch along with three indicator lights for "treble/ middle/ bass" and four control knobs for the various levels. On the back are two screw terminals and a wire with a ¼" stereo phone plug attached along with three female jacks for light outputs- Bass, Middle, and Treble- and a power cable with a UK three prong plug. No other markings or controls. This is an exceedingly rare device as there were approximately only four ever made as prototypes and it never went in to mass production. Worthy of the finest Beatle collections. There is a crack along the front panel, otherwise the condition is Very Fine. Not tested as to functionality.

Yanni Alexis "Magic Alex" Mardas was associated with the Beatles during the 1965-1969 period, part of that time as head of Apple Electronics, which was a money-losing failure. He impressed the Beatles, especially John Lennon who coined his nickname, with his gadgets and big ideas to revolutionize the consumer electronics business. Mardas claimed he could build them a 72-track recording studio which never materialized. Other of his ideas that never quite worked out include: a flying saucer, loudspeaker wallpaper, a personal pocket force field, invisible paint, and color-changing paint. He eventually left the company when Allen Klein closed Apple Electronics. It has been estimated that his ideas and projects cost the Beatles £300,000.

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Auction Dates

June, 2016

24th-25th Friday-Saturday

Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1

Lot Tracking Activity: N/A

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