Ebay of the Day: Wurlitzer Sideman, #1 drum machine

I wish I had the space/time/money to buy this Wurlitzer Sideman and give it the love and attention it deserves. In 1959, the Sideman was the first ever commercially-produced drum machine - a huge all-valve box with a spinning rotor-arm which triggered the various sounds, a bit like Raymond Scott's awesome light-powered Circle Machine. It's a fantastically complicated and ambitious thing, complete with switches for things like "foxtrot variations", and ten trigger buttons on the top which are the spiritual ancestors of those grey pads on Akai MPC samplers. This Sideman is apparently in good working order, but tragically has no bid yet at $99 with 21 hrs to go. (Thanks, Christopher)