Features  
Keyboard 61 keys
Year Made 1986
Original List Price $1395
Polyphony 8
Mulitimberal 2
Tones & Patches 40 tones
Type of Synthesis Digital waveforms, Analogue Filters
Effects none
Sequencer or Arpeggio sequencer 8 track 10 song 24000 notes
Drum Sets none
MIDI programmable 1-16 
Outputs 2 - Out L & R
Backup Tape, SYSEX, cartridge
Options memory expander

 
My Comments
I found this at a gig and to make a long story short the guy gave it to me. I felt really bad because I knew it was worth SOMETHING, so a gave him 100$ for it. There were alot of problems with it though, the left output jack was broken, some keys wouldn't play, and the pitch kept jumping around. But I tinkered with it over the course of a few months and got somethings to work, sort of. Then I ran into another musician who had a dead esq-1, and gave that to me. So in a few weeks I had replaced the faulty parts and everything worked pretty good. I have to comment on the sounds they grabbed me right away, I have tried a bit to program it but it seemed a bit difficult (quite different from DCO's and ADSR's) everything can modulate everything else, I just need to tinker with it some more (where can I buy more time???). The sequencing section seemed different, I am really used to the roland mc-50, even before I bought one I used one for almost 5 years! But unlike my U-20 it is simple to change MIDI channels, when I am sequencing I use this as the sole recording keyboard, and use the others as slaves through the sequencer! This may change if I get a good controller. I don't think I would take it on the road, too much jostling would probably undo the repairs I made, but I certainly like having it.

I loved this keyboard but in the end it was starting to have issues, so when I had to downsize I let it go. It killed me, because the sounds were so good, but I wasn't sure it was going to last. and dumped it. The other dead keyboard was left at someones house and I never went back to get it.
I rate it 
I bought it for 100 $, 0$ c
I owned it from 2003 - jun 2012
Current PrePay value n/a
condition of my keyboards
1
cosmeticaly  This one is pretty beat up..
electronicallyHas issues
2

cosmeticaly This one is really beat up
electronicallyThe main chip is toast and I scavaged some of the parts for the other ESQ.

Status
2012: I had it in the basement, but my stepson moved home and there just wasn't room for 8 keyboards. Plus it was starting to have some issues, it just wasn't working well. It was painful to let it go, but it would have ended up in the trash if I kept it.

2010: Unfortunately there is no room at the house for this so it is in storage. Wasn't getting much use anyway. 

2008: I at the moment it is still in the basement. It is starting to have issues and I am afraid to turn it on, which is a shame because I loved the sounds!

 
Resources

There is a ESQ-1 & SQ-80 page here: ESQ-1 Hacker Site