ARP Avatar

The ARP Avatar is a monophonic guitar synthesizer produced by ARP Instruments, beginning in 1977.

Mike Rutherford was a notable user of the ARP Avatar guitar synth. He initially experimented with one on Genesis' ...And Then There Were Three album in 1978. From then on he'd use it on-and-off on subsequent Genesis albums and tours up until their 1983 self-titled album. Although around the time of Abacab, he seemed to prefer the Roland GR-500. Mike's Fender Stratocaster guitars were fitted with Avatar pickups to control the synth. Examples of the Avatar include "Man Of Our Times", blended with a Stratocaster doubled with the synth.

Sounds-wise, he had the two oscillators on the Avatar in slight modulation (but tuned to the same tunings as the guitar), and this was the effect he used on the "Duke's Travels" solo. He liked the Avatar's hexaphonic fuzz.